The Maya Area

ANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of MexicoKimberly Martin, Ph.D.

Maya Area

Preclassic Period

Maya Area - Takalik Abaj

• Strong Olmec influence through middle Pre-Classic (to about 300BCE)

• Earliest public architecture of fire-hardened clay

• Early houses were built with cobble floors and reed-thatched roofs supported by timber poles.

Maya Area – Takalik Abaj

Maya Area – Takalik Abaj

Excavation of Ball Court

Maya Area – Takalik Abaj

Maya Area – Takalik Abaj

Takalik Abaj Olmec Style Head Takalik Abaj Pot Belly Style

Maya Area – Chiapa De Corzo

• Stela 2, showing the date of 7.16.3.2.13, or December 36 BCE, the earliest Mesoamerican Long Count calendar date yet found

• clay cylinder seals and flat stamps than any other Formative Mesoamerican site, save Tlatilco.[14] Hieroglyphs appear on examples made around 100 BCE.

• In 2008, archaeologists discovered a massive Middle Formative Olmec axe deposit

• Oldest pyramid tomb yet found in North America -

Maya Area – Chiapa De Corzo

• Large sample of clay cylinder seals and flat stamps with hieroglyphs made around 100 BCE.

• Large deposit of Olmec style axes• Oldest pyramid tomb yet found in

North America

Chiapa de Corzo Unexcavated Area

Chiapa de Corzo Excavation

Chiapa de Corzos

• 1500 BC– Near Tuxtla Gutierrez

in Chiapas– Isthmian Script• Controversial translation

– First evidence of writing• 450-300 BCE

– First MesoAmerican Long Count Calendar Date

• December 10, 36 BCE

Sample of Isthmian Script from La Mojarra, Veracruz

Chiapa de Corzo

Oldest Pyramid Tomb with Woman’s

Remains and Grave Goods

2700 BCE

Classic Period

Yaxchilan• Sits within a loop of the Usumacinta River

that forms the boundary between Mexico and Guademala.

• Hunter/Farmer population in Pre-Classic• Ceremonial Center/City 350 – 810 CE

(Classic Period)• Conquered Bonampak and Piedras Negras

at various times• Warred with Palenque as a rival• Associated with Tikal (the most dominant

site)• We have the full dynastic sequence of

leaders

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan

Palenque

• Medium – sized site• Finest examples of Maya architecture• Pakal the Great (K'inich Janaab'

Pakal) – Began his reign at 12 years of age in

615 CE – Reigned until 683 (68 years).– His tomb one of the richest found in the

Americas – Temple of the Inscriptions

Palenque

Palenque

Palenque

Palenque

Palenque

Palenque

Palenque

Palenque

Palenque

Uxmal

• 700 – 1100 CE Dominant Yucatan Maya Site

Uxmal

Uxmal

Uxmal Grand Pyramid

Uxmal Puuc Architecture Style

Uxmal Governor’s Palace

Uxmal Governor’s Palace

Uxmal “Nunnery” Quadrangle

Quadrangle of the Birds

Uxmal Pyramid of the Magician

Chichen Itza• “At the mouth of the well of the Itza” (cenote)• 600 – 1000 CE• Monumental Architecture organized into three main

groups– Central Group (Caracol Observatory)– Great Northern Platform (El Castillo, Ball Court, Temple of

Warriors– Ossario (Ossario Pyramid)

• Network of 100 paved roads (sacbeob)• Classic site with mixed ethnic influences including

Tula (Chac Mool)• Current theory says outside influences are from

diffusion, not invasion• Chichen Itza is Late Classic, Tula is Early Post Classic,

so Tula is later than CI

Cenote Sagrado

Largest Cenote near Chichen ItzaHuman Sacrifice Evidence, probably to Chac, Rain God (wounds consistent with sacrifice)

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Yucatan (Puuc) Maya

Uxmal (A) and Chichen Itza (I)

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza’s Temple of Kulkulcan (Questlcoatl)

(El Castillo) (Unreconstructed)

Chichen Itza’s Temple of Kulkulcan (Questlcoatl)

(El Castillo) (Unreconstructed)

Chichen Itza’s Templo de Guerreros

Chichen Itza Templo de Guerreros Chacmool

Chichen Itza’s Ball CourtLargest in Mesoamerica

Chichen Itza’s El Caracol Observatory