The Kowoj: Identity, Migration, and Geopolitics in Late Postclassic Peten, Guatemala (Mesoamerican Worlds: from the Olmecs to the Danzantes)

481 Pages·2009·4.41 MB·English

by  Prudence M. Rice

The Kowoj
Mesoamerican Worlds: From the Olmecs to the Danzantes
General eDitOrs: Davíd Carrasco and eduardo Matos Moctezuma
eDitOrial BOarD: Michio araki, alfredo lópez austin, anthony aveni, elizabeth Boone, Charles H. long, and eleanor Wake
After Monte Albán, Jeffrey P. Blomster, editor
The Apotheosis of Janaab’ Pakal, Gerardo aldana
Commoner Ritual and Ideology in Ancient Mesoamerica,
nancy Gonlin and Jon c. lohse, editors
Conquered Conquistadors, florine asselBerGs
Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks, and Cultures, Revised Edition, anthony aveni
Encounter with the Plumed Serpent,
maarten Jansen and GaBina aurora Pérez Jiménez
In the Realm of Nachan Kan, marilyn a. masson
Invasion and Transformation,
reBecca P. Brienen and marGaret a. Jackson, editors
The Kowoj, Prudence m. rice and don s. rice, editors
Life and Death in the Templo Mayor, eduardo matos moctezuma
Maya Daykeeping, John m. Weeks, frauke sachse, and christian m. PraGer
The Madrid Codex, GaBrielle vail and anthony aveni, editors
Mesoamerican Ritual Economy,
e. christian Wells and karla l. davis-salazar, editors
Mesoamerica’s Classic Heritage,
davíd carrasco, lindsay Jones, and scott sessions, editors
Mockeries and Metamorphoses of an Aztec God,
Guilhem olivier, translated By michel Besson
Rabinal Achi, alain Breton, editor; translated By
teresa lavender faGan and roBert schneider
Representing Aztec Ritual, eloise Quiñones keBer, editor
Ruins of the Past, travis W. stanton and aline maGnoni, editors
Skywatching in the Ancient World, clive ruGGles and Gary urton, editors
Social Change and the Evolution of Ceramic Production and
Distribution in a Maya Community, dean e. arnold
The Social Experience of Childhood in Mesoamerica,
traci ardren and scott r. hutson, editors
Stone Houses and Earth Lords, keith m. Prufer and James e. Brady, editors
The Sun-God and the Savior, Guy stresser-Péan
Tamoanchan, Tlalocan, alfredo lóPez austin
Thunder Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, anath ariel de vidas;
translated By teresa lavender faGan
Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, h. B. nicholson
The World Below, JacQues Galinier
IdentIty, MIgratIon, and geoPolItIcs
The Kowoj
in late PostclassIc Petén, guateMala
edited by Prudence M. rice and don s. rice
University Press OF COlOraDO
© 2009 by the University Press of Colorado
Published by the University Press of Colorado
5589 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 206C
Boulder, Colorado 80303
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
The University Press of Colorado is a proud member of
the Association of American University Presses.
The University Press of Colorado is a cooperative publishing enterprise supported,
in part, by Adams State College, Colorado State University, Fort Lewis College,
Mesa State College, Metropolitan State College of Denver, University of Colorado,
University of Northern Colorado, and Western State College of Colorado.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials. ANSI Z39.48-1992
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The Kowoj : identity, migration, and geopolitics in late postclassic Petén, Guatemala /
Prudence M. Rice and Don S. Rice, editors.
p. cm. — (Mesoamerican Worlds)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-87081-930-8 (alk. paper)
1. Kowoj Indians—Guatemala—Petén (Dept.)—History. 2. Kowoj Indians—Ethnic
identity. 3. Kowoj Indians—Antiquities. 4. Zacpetén Site (Guatemala) 5. Indian
pottery—Guatemala—Zacpetén Site. 6. Excavations (Archaeology)—Guatemala—
Zacpetén Site. 7. Petén (Guatemala : Dept.)—Antiquities. 8. Ethnology—
Guatemala—Petén (Dept.) I. Rice, Prudence M. II. Rice, Don Stephen.
F1465.2.K68K68 2009
972.81'201—dc22
2008048209
Design by Daniel Pratt
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
It is with the greatest affection that we dedicate this volume to two dear
friends and mentors of our work in Guatemala,
the late Edward S. Deevey Jr. and (the living!) Roberto C. Dorion

Contents
List of Figures, Maps, Tables, and Appendixes ix
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
Part i. introduction to the Postclassic- and Contact-Period Kowoj—Prudence M.
rice 1
1. Introduction to the Kowoj and Their Petén Neighbors—
Prudence M. Rice and Don S. Rice 3
Part ii. Who Were the Kowoj?—Prudence M. rice 17
2. The Kowoj in Geopolitico-Ritual Perspective—Prudence M. Rice 21
3. The Kowoj in Ethnohistorical Perspective—Grant D. Jones 55
4. The Linguistic Context of the Kowoj—Charles Andrew Hofling 70
Part iii. the archaeology of the Kowoj: settlement and architecture at
Zacpetén—Prudence M. rice 81
5. Zacpetén and the Kowoj: Field Methods and Chronologies—Timothy
W. Pugh and Prudence M. Rice 85
vii
COntents
6. Defensive Architecture and the Context of Warfare at
Zacpetén—Prudence M. Rice, Don S. Rice, Timothy W. Pugh, and
Rómulo Sánchez Polo 123
7. Kowoj Ritual Performance and Societal Representations at
Zacpetén—Timothy W. Pugh and Prudence M. Rice 141
8. Residential and Domestic Contexts at Zacpetén—
Timothy W. Pugh 173
9. Zacpetén Group 719, the Last Noble Residence—Timothy W. Pugh,
Prudence M. Rice, and Leslie G. Cecil 192
Part iv. the archaeology of the Kowoj: Pottery and identity—
Prudence M. rice 217
10. Technological Styles of Slipped Pottery and Kowoj Identity—
Leslie G. Cecil 221
11. The Iconography and Decorative Programs of Kowoj Pottery—
Prudence M. Rice and Leslie G. Cecil 238
12. Incense Burners and Other Ritual Ceramics—Prudence M. Rice 276
Part v. additional Perspectives on the Kowoj—Prudence M. rice 313
13. The Symbolism of Zacpetén Altar 1—David Stuart 317
14. Postclassic Trade: Sources of Obsidian at Zacpetén—Prudence M. Rice
and Leslie G. Cecil 327
15. The Bioarchaeology of Ritual Violence at Zacpetén—
William N. Duncan 340
16. The Kowoj and the Lacandon: Migrations and Identities—
Timothy W. Pugh 368
Part vi. Conclusions 385
17. Summary and Concluding Remarks: The Kowoj through a Glass,
Darkly—Prudence M. Rice 387
References Cited 396
Index 439
viii
Figures, Maps, tables, and appendices
Figures
2.1. Carved stone turtle from Mayapán 25
4.1. Chronological diversification of Yukatekan language family 71
5.1. Zacpetén Group A, test unit N531/E577, east profile 96
5.2. Middle Preclassic pottery from Operation 1000, Group A 97
5.3. Comparison of Late Classic and Late Postclassic masonry styles,
Structure 606, Zacpetén 98
5.4. Large Cambio Unslipped jar rim or potstand, Operation 1000 100
5.5. Tinaja Red tripod dish, Operation 1000 101
5.6. Large sherd of Chompoxté Red-on-cream: Akalché variety tecomate
cache vessel, Operation 1000 101
5.7. Zacpetén Group C, test unit N892/E296, east profile 106
5.8. Structure 766A, Group C, Zacpetén 108
6.1. Composite profile of east wall of trench T-1 cross-cutting defensive
works at northern end of Zacpetén peninsula 133
7.1. Chipped stone tools cached in interior altar of Structure 602 147
ix