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Alexandre Tokovinine

Alexandre Tokovinine

Alexandre Tokovinine is an anthropological archaeologist and specializes in Maya archaeology and epigraphy. He has been participating in several projects in Guatemala including the Holmul Archaeological Project and Proyecto Arqueológico de Investigación y Rescate Naranjo. Alexandre received his Ph.D. degree in Anthropology at Harvard University in 2008. His doctoral research centered on Classic Maya place names and was supported by the Junior Fellowship at Dumbarton Oaks. Its results were published in a monograph "Place and Identity in Classic Maya Narratives". Alexandre’s other research projects include 3D documentation of Classic Maya sculpture and contributions to "Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks" (CAA Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award of 2013). Alexandre is Assistant Professor of Latin American Archaeology at the Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Alabama.
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Books by Alexandre Tokovinine

Research paper thumbnail of Beginner's visual catalog of Maya hieroglyphics
This catalog of Ancient Maya writing characters is intended as an aid for beginners and intermedi... moreThis catalog of Ancient Maya writing characters is intended as an aid for beginners and intermediate-level students of the script. Most known Ancient Maya inscriptions date to the Late Classic Period (600-800 C.E.), so the characters in the catalog roughly reproduce a generic Late Classic graphic style from the cities in the Southern Lowlands or the area of the present-day department of Petén in Guatemala and the states of Chiapas and Campeche in Mexico. The goal of the catalog is not to demonstrate possible variation in the appearance of individual characters, but to highlight similarities and differences between distinct glyphs.
Research paper thumbnail of Place and Identity in Classic Maya Narratives (cover and reviews)
Understanding the ways in which human communities define themselves in relation to landscapes has... moreUnderstanding the ways in which human communities define themselves in relation to landscapes has been one of the crucial research questions in anthropology. Place and Identity in Classic Maya Narratives addresses this question in the context of the Classic Maya culture that thrived in the lowlands of the Yucatan peninsula and adjacent parts of Guatemala, Belize, and Western Honduras from 350 to 900 CE. The Classic Maya world of numerous polities, each with its own kings and gods, left a rich artistic and written legacy permeated by shared aesthetics and meaning. Alexandre Tokovinine explores the striking juxtaposition of similar cultural values and distinct political identities by looking at how identities were formed and maintained in relation to place, thus uncovering what Classic Maya landscapes were like in the words of the people who created and experienced them. By subsequently examining the ways in which members of Classic Maya political communities placed themselves on these landscapes, Tokovinine attempts to discern Classic Maya notions of place and community as well as the relationship between place and identity.
Research paper thumbnail of Veiled Brightness: A History of Ancient Maya Color. By Stephen Houston, Claudia Brittenham, Cassandra Mesick, Alexander Tokovinine, Christina Warinner
Veiled Brightness: A History of Ancient Maya Color. By Stephen Houston, Claudia Brittenham, Cassandra Mesick, Alexander Tokovinine, Christina Warinner
Color is an integral part of human experience, so common as to be overlooked or treated as unimpo... moreColor is an integral part of human experience, so common as to be overlooked or treated as unimportant. Yet color is both unavoidable and varied. Each culture classifies, understands, and uses it in different and often surprising ways, posing particular challenges to those who study color from long-ago times and places far distant. Veiled Brightness reconstructs what color meant to the ancient Maya, a set of linked peoples and societies who flourished in and around the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Central America. By using insights from archaeology, linguistics, art history, and conservation, the book charts over two millennia of color use in a region celebrated for its aesthetic refinement and high degree of craftsmanship...
Research paper thumbnail of Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks. Joanne Pillsbury, Miriam Doutriaux, Reiko Ishihara-Brito, and Alexandre Tokovinine, editors.
Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks. Joanne Pillsbury, Miriam Doutriaux, Reiko Ishihara-Brito, and Alexandre Tokovinine, editors.
Based on the comprehensive study of one of the most important collections of Maya art in the Unit... moreBased on the comprehensive study of one of the most important collections of Maya art in the United States, Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks is a scholarly introduction to one of the great traditions of sculpture and painting in ancient America. Assembled by Robert Woods Bliss between 1935 and 1962, the collection is historically important, as it was one of the first to be established on the basis of aesthetic criteria. The catalogue, written by leading international scholars of Maya archaeology, art history, and writing, contains detailed analyses of specific works of art along with thematic essays situating these works within the broader context of Maya culture. Monumental panels, finely worked jade ornaments, exquisitely painted ceramic vessels, and other objects—most created in the first millennium CE—are presented in full color and analyzed in light of recent breakthroughs in understanding their creation, function, and deeper meaning in Maya ritual and history. Individual essays address the history of the Dumbarton Oaks collection; Maya culture, history, and myth; and Maya aesthetics. They also study specific materials (including jade, shell, and fine ceramics) and their meanings. Scholarly yet accessible, this volume provides a detailed introduction to Maya art and culture.

Papers by Alexandre Tokovinine

Research paper thumbnail of The Team for the New Age: Naranjo and Holmul under Kaanul’s Sway
The Team for the New Age: Naranjo and Holmul under Kaanul’s Sway
The 86th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 2021
Research paper thumbnail of Travelling to See: Naj Tunich Inscriptions and the Pilgrimage Genre in Classic Maya Texts
Maya Religion and History. Proceedings of the 22nd European Maya Conference. Malmo, December 11- 16, 2017, 2023
This chapter addresses the problem of pilgrimage narratives in Classic Maya texts. Many Mayanists... moreThis chapter addresses the problem of pilgrimage narratives in Classic Maya texts. Many Mayanists use the term pilgrimage without trying to define this behavior in the Classic Maya culture or in a wider Mesoamerican context. The present study attempts to isolate the cases of pilgrimage from other travel references by looking at cave visits, particularly the cave of Naj Tunich in Peten, Guatemala, that was a major center of ritual activities during the Late Classic period (600-850 CE). A comparatively large body of inscriptions and images painted by the visitors on the walls of the cave makes it possible to define the genre of pilgrimage narratives and its specific features that, in turn, may enable the identification of pilgrimage
references in less straightforward contexts. Finally, the present study considers geographical distribution of Naj Tunich visitors and tentatively outlines the socio-political network associated with this pilgrimage center.
Figure 1: Map of the Southern Maya Lowlands with an inset showing the distance between key Maya sites and Teotihuacan (all drawings by the author unless otherwise stated).
Figure 2: Verbs of motion in Naj Tunich narratives: a) detail of Drawing 34; b) detail of Drawing 65; c) detail of Drawing 49; d) detail of Drawing 88; e) detail of Drawing 19; f) detail of Drawing 65; g) detail of the inscription on the Komkom Vase (drawing by Christophe Helmke in Helmke, e¢ a/. 2018b:Fig. 34); h) detail of the inscription in the Santo Domingo cave (drawing by Sergey Vepretskii); i) Drawing 40.
Figure 3: Plan view of the main Naj Tunich passages (after Stone 1995) showing the location of texts with different verbs of motion.
Figure 4: “Seeing” Monpan and other things at Naj Tunich: a) detail of Drawing 28; b) detail of Drawing 66; c) detail of Drawing 65; d) detail of Drawing 50; e) detail of Drawing 70; f) chronological distribution of Monpan sightings and other dates in Naj Tunich texts. Students of Mesoamerican and specifically Maya travels to ritual landscapes (Harrison-Buck et al. 2018; Palk 014: 42-45; Taylor 2016: 513-518) highlight the importance of formal, processual movement in such context The “walking around” statements at Naj Tunich confirm that processions were a crucial component in th visitors’ experience before (“the edge of the cave”) and inside (“in the Black Waterhole Place”) the cave. Suc orocessions are also depicted on the walls of Naj Tunich (Stone 1995: 140-141). Given that some painted scene such as playing ball in a masonry ball court (Stone 1995: 150-151) clearly did not take place at Naj Tunich, extual confirmation of processions is significant. Drawings 40 (Figure 2i) and 27 (Stone 1995: Fig. 6-23) shor sroups of men walking in a line and holding drums and rattles. Youth’s footprints indicative of a deliberate slov srocessual motion were discovered in the Eastern Passage of the cave (Houston 2018: Fig. 68). The importance of cave processions is also suggested by the recent re-evaluation of the inscriptions in th
Figure 6: Place names and identities in Naj Tunich inscriptions: a) detail of Drawing 19; b) detail of Drawing 69; c) detail of Drawing 68; d) and e) details of Drawing 25; f) and g) details of Drawing 28; h) detail of Drawing 70; i) details of Drawing 24; j) detail of Drawing 70; k) detail of Drawing 65; |) detail of Drawing 34; m) detail of Drawing 29; n) detail of Drawing 44; 0) detail of Drawing 48; p) detail of Drawing 29; q) detail of Drawing 52; r) detail of Drawing 88; s) and t) details of Drawing 23; u) detail of Drawing 88.
Figure 8: Visits to Naj Tunich in the context of regional corporate identities.
Research paper thumbnail of Lead Isotopic Evidence for Foreign-Born Burials in the Classic Maya City of Holmul, Petén, Guatemala
Lead Isotopic Evidence for Foreign-Born Burials in the Classic Maya City of Holmul, Petén, Guatemala
Research paper thumbnail of Bundling the sticks: a case for Classic Maya tallies
The Real Business of Ancient Maya Economies From Farmers' Fields to Rulers' Realms. Marylin Masson, David A. Freidel and Arthur Demarest, eds. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2020
This presentation addresses a set of references to “sticks” in Classic Maya inscriptions, which h... moreThis presentation addresses a set of references to “sticks” in Classic Maya inscriptions, which have been traditionally interpreted as weapons. The available contexts, however, indicate that “sticks” were involved in tribute payment transactions. Although there is no archaeological evidence of these presumably perishable wooden items, the author highlights some visual and material data that support the use of tallies by the Maya. The discussion then centers on less straightforward textual contexts of “sticks” and the implications of the tally hypothesis for our understanding of Classic Maya accounting practices.
Figure 16.2. Tally-like elite artifacts: (a) and (b) shell tokens (Pendants 7A/7B), Urn 26, Comalcalco; (c) bone “awl” (4P-113(15)/2, MT. 26), Burial 116, Tikal; (d) unprovenanced “Stendahl bone” (after Barthel 1968:Figs. 1, 2). the pair could be tied together with the inscribed sides facing each other and thus hidden from view. The perforations in the top section of either half of the set would then allow attaching the tied tokens to a master cord with the rest of the collection. The inscriptions on each pair detailed a single activity, usually an auto-sacrifice in the presence of a specific deity. Therefore, the complete set was a tangible, durable, and portable record of Aj Pakal Tahn’s most significant ritual accomplishments. It is potentially significant that the inscribed sides of
Figure 16.4. Possible tally stick bundles in Classic Maya palace scenes on Motul de San José pot- tery: (a) detail of a Late Classic vase (K1724); (b) detail of a Late Classic vase (PC.B.564/K2784); (c) detail of a Late Classic vase (TA 32A-1-3/K30177) (images courtesy of Justin Kerr).
Figure 16.5. Examples of T78:514: (a) ya-T78: 514-he (Dzibanché Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 5:B2); (b) ya-T78: 514-AJ (Dzibanché Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 13:A3); (c) ye-T78: 514 (Yax- chilan Lintel 35:C1); (d) ye-he-TE’ (Yaxchilan Hieroglyphic Stairway 5: 82); (e) ye-TE (Tonina Monument 153:A3); (f) ye-TE’ KIN-ni-chi (Motul de San José Stela 1:C4) (drawings by Alexandre Tokovinine). for the usual TE’ logogram in a different lexical context once, but the unique- gog q
Research paper thumbnail of Palaeoenvironmental, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of total warfare among the Classic Maya
Nature human behaviour, 2019
Despite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya wa... moreDespite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya warfare remain poorly understood. Classic period (250-950 ce) Maya warfare has largely been viewed as ritualized and limited in scope 1-6. Evidence of violent warfare in the Terminal Classic period (800-950 ce) is interpreted as an escalation of military tactics that played a role in the socioeconomic collapse of the Classic Maya civilization 7,8. The implications of specific textual references to war events (war statements) remain unknown, however, and the paucity of field data precludes our ability to test collapse theories tied to warfare. Here we connect a massive fire event to an attack described with a Classic period war statement. Multiple lines of evidence show that a large fire occurred across the ancient city of Witzna, coincident with an epigraphic account describing an attack and burning of Witzna in 697 ce. Following this event, evidence shows a dramatic decline in human activity, indicating extensive negative impacts on the local population. These findings provide insight into strategies and broader societal impacts of Classic period warfare, clarify the war statement's meaning and show that the Maya engaged in tactics akin to total warfare earlier and more frequently than previously thought.
rig. I] Map OT Feten, Guatemala, Snowing selected arcnaecological sites. The shaded area indicates the Petexbatun region. BdC, Buenavista del Cayo. Red symbols indicate main sites discussed in the text.
Fig. 2 | Epigraphic evidence of the identification of Witzna as Bahlam Jol. a, The inscription on Stela 1, Witzna. b, The inscription on Stela 2, Witzna. c, Detail of the inscription on Stela 22, Naranjo (drawings by A. T.). Letters and numbers designate hieroglyphic blocks as in A1, B1, A2, B2. Lowercase p- (as in pA) indicates that the designation is preliminary. Arrows indicate the emblem glyph titles that contain the toponym corresponding to Witzne
Fig. 3 | LEN proxy data for human activity and landscape disturbance a-c, Total (a), non-carbonate-mineral (b) and organic (¢) MAR. d, Fire activity. e, Agricultural activity. Black diamonds represent levels analysed for Zea pollen; red dots indicate levels with Zea present. The vertical red line marks a large fire event; the vertical black line indicates the end of the consistent presence of agriculture in the area.
Fig. 4 | Digital image of LEN core section from 280 to 330 cm BSWI, shown with CHAR. Note the charcoal deposit between 315 and 318 cm BSWI. The dashed red line shows the depth of the radiocarbon determination.
Fig. 5 | CHAR and non-carbonate-mineral MAR during the period of prehistoric settlement and transition to abandonment (300-1200 ce). The onset of an abrupt and permanent decrease in terrigenous input corresponds to a large fire event during the last decade of the seventh century.
Research paper thumbnail of Two Early Classic Maya murals: new texts and images in Maya andTeotihuacan style from La Sufricaya, Petén, Guatemala
Two Early Classic Maya murals: new texts and images in Maya andTeotihuacan style from La Sufricaya, Petén, Guatemala
Antiquity, 2006
Research paper thumbnail of Distance and power in Classic Maya texts
Reinventing the World: Debates on Mesoamerican Colonial Cosmologies, Ana Díaz, ed. Boulder: University of Colorado, 2020
This chapter addresses the relationship between traveling to distant places and claims to politic... moreThis chapter addresses the relationship between traveling to distant places and claims to political authority in Classic-period
inscriptions from the southern Maya lowlands. Classic Maya lords relied on various narrative strategies involving evocation of and traveling to locations in deep time, historical places beyond the immediate confines of the Classic Maya world, and powerful political centers near the protagonists. Some Maya rulers practiced fundamentally different strategies in relating themselves to the historical and deep-time landscapes. Along with other contributions to this edited volume, the overview of Maya travel logs indicates that the Classic-period landscape of distant places was neither uniform nor structured along the notion of vertical layers of heavens and underworlds.
Research paper thumbnail of Fire in the land: landscapes of war in Classic Maya narratives
Seeking Conflict in Mesoamerica: Operational, Cognitive, and Experiential Approaches. Shawn G. Morton and Meaghan M. Peuramaki-Brown, eds. Boulder: University of Colorado Press, 2019
This paper explores variations in Ancient Maya narrative strategies and metaphors of war in relat... moreThis paper explores variations in Ancient Maya narrative strategies and metaphors of war in relation to landscape across space and time. For the purposes of this discussion, the written and visual landscape of Maya narratives is understood as place names and as certain broader spatial categories such as lands (kab) and holy grounds of temples and palaces (ch’een). Even though Ancient Maya warfare might have been ultimately about people – conquest, tribute, and captives – landscape features prominently in Classic Period war narratives.  Places are burnt and fall down, holy grounds are entered and brought to ruin, and order is restored in the land after successful campaigns. The written record of Ancient Maya warfare provides important insights into emic notions of place and territoriality, which may be compared and contrasted to the information in Early Colonial documents.
FIGURE 5.1. Detail of the Hieroglyphic Stairway, House C, Palenque
FIGURE 5.2. War references in Classic Maya inscriptions: a, CH’AK-ka-ja ch’ahkaj “it was chopped” (Tortuguero Monument 8, 40); b, ju-bu-yi jubuuy “it fell” (Dos Pilas Hieroglyphic Stairway 4, Step 4, F1); c, STAR.OVER.EARTH-yi jubuuy (?) “it fell” (Tortuguero Monument 6, C4); d, OCH-u-CH’EEN-na ochi uch’een “it entered the cave/city of” (Palenque Temple XVII Panel, Iz); e, PUL-yi puluuy “it burned” (Naranjo Stela 22, E16)
FIGURE 5.3. Possible reading of T78, 514: a, ya-T78, 514-he (Dzibanche Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 5, Bz); b, ya-178, 514-AJ (Dzibanche Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 13, A3); c, ye-T78, 514 (Yaxchilan Lintel 35, C1); d, ye-he-TE’ (Yaxchilan Hieroglyphic Stairway 5, 82); e, ye-TE’ (Tonina Monument 153, A3); f, ye-TE’ K’IN-ni-chi (Motul de San Jose Stela 1, C4); g, detail of Naranjo Stela 32; h, detail of Yaxchilan Stela 19; i, detail of Uaxactun Stela 5.
eighth century cE, and subsequently decline; however, this trend is a predictable outcome of the nature of the available data. Non-war references to places show the same trajectory, suggesting that it is the sample size and not changes in the relative importance of certain narrative types that causes the observable varia- tion. Simply put, all kinds of references peak in the eighth century cz because it coincides with the absolute majority of known inscriptions. Tes anineaeae fo ene tetoroctina: {fF x0: rancaae welaGive: Genissarcian nf nlareo
FIGURE 5.5. Relative frequencies of place references in Classic Maya inscriptions
FIGURE 5.6. Relative frequencies of place references in specific war-related clause types
TABLE 5.2. War narrative on the Palenque Hieroglyphic Stairway specific human perpetrator from Santa Elena; however, the retribution is cast pretty much as a divine act, and some of its victims are also enemy gods. The winning Palenque ruler assumes a specific divine identity but remains somewhat removed from the action. Who personally captured Nuun Ujol Chaahk and the others seems to be irrelevant. The final act belongs to the gods of the Palenque Triad when they eat the captives and their deities. Lei: eau “= a: = ais “sc ¥ —-. me te
TABLE 5.3. War narrative on Lintel 2, Temple 4, Tikal events. Three months later, according to the same text, the bones and skull of a recently deceased Yaxa’ lord, Yax Bolon Chaahk, were “opened” and “scattered on the island” (Grube 2000, 257-261). Finally, it appears that K’ahk’ Tiliw Chan Chaahk “added up/stacked” the enemy deities as his “halberd and tallies.” In so doing, he was accompanied by two poorly understood Naranjo gods or groups of deities (Tokovinine 2011, 98).
TABLE 5.4. War narrative on Stela 23, Naranjo
Research paper thumbnail of Relevancia de las canchas de juego de pelota alrededor de Uaxactun. Una interpretacion sociopolitica y epigrafica
XXXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueologicas en Guatemala. Tomo II. Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Instituto de Antropología e Historia, Asociación Tikal, 2019
XXXii SimpoSio de inveStigacioneS aRqueológicaS en guatemala muSeo nacional de aRqueología y etno... moreXXXii SimpoSio de inveStigacioneS aRqueológicaS en guatemala muSeo nacional de aRqueología y etnología 23 al 27 de julio de 2018 EditorEs BárBara arroyo luiS méndez SalinaS Gloria ajú álvarez
Research paper thumbnail of Palaeoenvironmental, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of total warfare among the Classic Maya
Palaeoenvironmental, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of total warfare among the Classic Maya
Nature Human Behavior, 2019
Despite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya wa... moreDespite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya warfare remain poorly understood. Classic period (250–950 CE) Maya warfare has largely been viewed as ritualized and limited in scope. Evidence of violent warfare in the Terminal Classic period (800–950 CE) is interpreted as an escalation of military tactics that played a role in the socioeconomic collapse of the Classic Maya civilization. The implications of specific textual references to war events (war statements) remain unknown, however, and the paucity of field data precludes our ability to test collapse theories tied to warfare. Here we connect a massive fire event to an attack described with a Classic period war statement. Multiple lines of evidence show that a large fire occurred across the ancient city of Witzna, coincident with an epigraphic account describing an attack and burning of Witzna in 697 CE. Following this event, evidence shows a dramatic decline in human activity, indicating extensive negative impacts on the local population. These findings provide insight into strategies and broader societal impacts of Classic period warfare, clarify the war statement’s meaning and show that the Maya engaged in tactics akin to total warfare earlier and more frequently than previously thought.
Research paper thumbnail of En el cerro de los colibríes: el patrón divino y el paisaje sagrado de la ciudad de Naranjo
XXXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2019
The paper presents the results of the investigation of the Aurora building which is part of a gro... moreThe paper presents the results of the investigation of the Aurora building which is part of a group of palatial structures corresponding to the last decades of the Early Classic period at the Central Acropolis of Naranjo-Sa'aal. The complex likely served as the main royal palace compound. The Auroral structure can be identified with the cult of a local deity frequently represented as an anthropomorphized hummingbird. The iconography and the hieroglyphic inscriptions on the stucco friezes that decorate the Aurora building, possibly dedicated during the reign of Ajnumsaaj Chan K'inich ("Aj Wosal"), clarify the name of the deity, its characteristic attributes, and the toponym associated with his mountainous home. The new data allow a reexamination of the entire corpus of the representations of the Hummingbird God, especially in the polychrome ceramics of Naranjo, but also at other archaeological sites such as Tikal and Holmul. The graffiti found inside the building offer an insight into the religious life at the site during the late 6th century - beginning of the 7th century A.D. The new data also allows us to reevaluate the problem of the distinction between the different functions of the Maya palaces.
Fig.6. Pasillo entre palacio Aurora y palacio Kolonte (G. Hurtarte, DECORSIAP-IDAEH).
Research paper thumbnail of Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala
Science, 2018
Lowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs... moreLowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs for more than 2500 years (~1000 BCE to 1500 CE). Known for its sophistication in writing, art, architecture, astronomy, and mathematics, Maya civilization still poses questions about the nature of its cities and surrounding populations because of its location in an inaccessible forest. In 2016, an aerial lidar survey across 2144 square kilometers of northern Guatemala mapped natural terrain and archaeological features over several distinct areas. We present results from these data, revealing interconnected urban settlement and landscapes with extensive infrastructural development. Studied through a joint international effort of interdisciplinary teams sharing protocols, this lidar survey compels a reevaluation of Maya demography, agriculture, and political economy and suggests future avenues of field research.
Research paper thumbnail of Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala
Lowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs... moreLowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs for more than 2500 years (~1000 BCE to 1500 CE). Known for its sophistication in writing, art, architecture, astronomy, and mathematics, Maya civilization still poses questions about the nature of its cities and surrounding populations because of its location in an inaccessible forest. In 2016, an aerial lidar survey across 2144 square kilometers of northern Guatemala mapped natural terrain and archaeological features over several distinct areas. We present results from these data, revealing interconnected urban settlement and landscapes with extensive infrastructural development. Studied through a joint international effort of interdisciplinary teams sharing protocols, this lidar survey compels a reevaluation of Maya demography, agriculture, and political economy and suggests future avenues of field research.
KE 5 Representation of the archaeological site of Naachtun, Petén, at twilight. Each ancient structure is marked by a yellow dot. The list of author affiliations is available in the full article online. *Corresponding author. Email: mcanuto@tulane.edu (M.A.C.); festrad1@tulane.edu (F.E.-B.); tgarrison1@ithaca.edu (T.G.G.) }These authors contributed equally to this work. {These authors contributed equally to this work. Cite this article as M. A. Canuto et al., Science 361, eaau0137 (2018). DOI: 10.1126/science.aau0137 RATIONALE: Scholars first applied modern lidar technology to the lowland Maya area in 2009, focusing analysis on the immediate sur- roundings of individual sites. The PLI covers twice the area of any previous survey and in- volves a consortium of scholars conducting col- laborative and complementary analyses of the entire survey region. This cooperation among The PLI survey revealed a landscape heavily modified for intensive agriculture, necessary to sustain populations on this scale. Lidar
Fig. 2. Close-up of Xmakabatun. Image of Xmakabatun that demonstrates the high-fidelity detai of the Teledyne Opech Titan sensor. (A) Looting depressions highlighted by an openness visualization. (B) Looting features as drawn in the field (shown in red) as well as evidence of monumental architecture, causeways, residential structures, ditches, and terraces.
Fig. 3. Mapped areas within PLI zone. Map of survey blocks showing (i) areas covered by pedestrian surveys before acquisition of lidar data anc (ii) areas where ground verification of the lidar data has been completed to date.
person. Data on swidden productivity were drawn from Cowgill (75-77), Griffin (78), Schwartz (79, 80), Nations and Nigh (87), and Ford and Nigh (37). Standardization entailed, among other adjustments, normalizing the annual productivity of different fallow regimes to mul- tiyear averages. These calculations resulted in a mean productivity value of 0.48 ha per person [the mean of the range (0.34 to 0.62 ha per person) resulting from using different adjust- ments from the above-cited sources] (table S3). This value was then applied to all the land in the PLI sample (1314 km?) available for agricul- tural production (zones of intensive cultivation Consequently, the PLI data indicate some combination of the following possibilities: (i) There was capacity for surplus food production; (ii) substantial portions of agricultural land Fig. 4. Visualizations used for lidar analysis. (A) Red Relief Image Map (RRIM); (B) Sky-View Factor (SVF); (C) Simple Local Relief Model (SLRM); (D) Prismatic Openness.
and political fortunes were closely articulated with larger cities nearby (97-93). Our “rural” class follows existing descriptions of settlement density in the hinterlands of smaller cities and minor centers. Finally, we classified as “vacant” all zones with fewer than 10 structures/km?. within the PLI study area (e.g., Uaxactun, Zotz) as well as the densely settled surroundings of major cities’ urban cores (e.g., Xultun, Naachtun, and Tikal). “Periurban” zones (also known in the literature as “urban fringes”) combine character- istics of both urban and rural areas (90). The parameters of this category encompass those areas designated by prior surveys as “peripheral” to the largest Maya sites as well as sites often characterized as “minor centers” whose economic density categories—vacant, rural, periurban, urban, and urban core—were defined for the entire data- set (29) to discern differences not only in the size and density of cities but also in the relationship between cities and hinterlands (86-89). The “urban core” class was defined on the basis of structure densities at the heart of the largest Maya centers, such as Tikal (~700 structures/km?). “Urban” describes the struc- ture density at the heart of many smaller cities At the regional level, sprawling urban and periurban settlement zones covered large areas in the east, whereas the west remained mostly rural (Fig. 7). Urban core densities ran as high eee. eee of survey blocks showing deviations from expected density of upland field areas relative to settlement density class area. Expected (i.e., “no difference”) value is 1.0.
Engineering and infrastructure Fig. 8. Cluster analysis of density patterns. Ward linkage method, squared Euclidean distance Lidar data also elucidate the extent of lowland Maya investment in water management, regional communication, and defense. The Maya con- structed reservoirs that required considerable labor (103). At the household level, reservoirs, quarries, wells, and underground cisterns were commonly cut into bedrock to collect rainwater (104-110). Within urban centers, the ancient Ward linkage method, squared Euclidean distance. Maya deepened, dammed, or bermed natural depressions to capture rainwater running off stucco-paved surfaces (111). Lidar data now show a greater extent of such large features. Large, round, and bermed reservoirs were built within
wetlands to serve the needs of the rural pop- ulation, and drainage ditches were cut into the edges of reservoirs to control flow during the wettest periods. urban core had the largest amount of water storage capacity in human-made reservoirs. The Tikal Palace Reservoir alone could store 31,000 m?® of water, which would be sufficient to supply the inhabitants of the urban core for an entire year. Earlier cities such as Cival and Tintal were near natural depressions that pro- vided generous amounts of water with little labor investment. For example, Tintal ringed a 2-km-wide sinkhole that could have contained more than 3 million m? of water in wet years. A 2.5-km canal carried overflow into a natural drainage, preventing rising waters from flooding the city. In all cases, such features are monumental in scale and imply some form of centralized involvement in planning and execution. Notably, large-scale water infrastructure is not limited to city centers but occurs in the periurban and even rural zones surrounding major cities, and Lidar-derived terrain models allow for a vol- umetric assessment of reservoirs, in measures likely to be conservative because of later infilling. Here, we present data only on the built reser- voirs of large scale (i.e., those serving more than a single household) (29). In our sample, Tikal’s
Fig. 10. Density of defensive features. Density is expressed as linear meters of defensive features per square kilometer normalized by survey block area.
UCHSILY Palleriis. Udlsot” ways are shown in white; values represent cumulative causeway length (in meters) normalized by survey block area (km°).
Table 1. Lidar ground point averages. Important archaeological sites and lidar ground point densities within each PLI polygon. areas is likely to be similar, the PLI dataset can be extrapolated with confidence over a 95,000-km? area known as the “central Maya Lowlands” (Fig. 1). This area excludes the northern Yucatan, the Gulf Coast plains, and coastal Belize and Quintana Roo because they differ physiogeographically from the PLI survey region.
Table 2. Lidar visualizations. Raster visualization combinations created and used for feature identifications.
Table 4. Total structures and settlement density estimates by PLI survey blocks. Table 3. Extent mapping and ground verification. Areas in the PLI survey region covered by both pre-lidar pedestrian surveys and post-lidar ground validation efforts (these sometimes overlap).
Table 5. Popindex calculations. Set of adjustments used to calculate a “population index” (Popindex), which produces an estimated population when multiplied by structure number. The range in the value of each adjustment indicates the variation within the published record.
Table 7. Correlation of upland agricultural features with settlement density. Correlation matrix of intensive agriculture upland field zones and settlement density zones in m* (upland zones strongly correlate with periurban and urban zones; N = 12). Table 6. Maximum sustainable population of each survey block. Calculations designed to determine the maximum sustainable population within each survey block based on (i) its total measured agricultural area (values adjusted for Late Classic contemporaneity using Agrolndex) and (ii) a minimum swidden area of 0.48 ha/person (mean value of range reported in table S3).
is 1000 to 2000 persons/km”, whereas rural 1reas were as low as 50 persons/km? over con- inuous areas. However, the PLI sample also re- vealed striking regional differences in urbanization yatterns (Table 9). populations (Tintal and Xultun), and highly ur- banized areas in which most of the population lived in urban core, urban, and periurban zones (Naachtun and Tikal). lineate two distinct sample areas for each sur- vey block. These two additional sample areas were named Achiotal and Xmakabatun (for the Corona and Holmul survey blocks, respectively) after the name of the primary center within each area.
Table 9. Relative frequency of structures in each density class by PLI survey block. tially rural, it did include several small pockets of urban density. This region had a strategic role in the expansion of the hegemonic Kaanul polity during the sixth through eighth centuries CE (96-102), so settlement nucleation here was probably conditioned by regional geopolitics in addition to local demographic processes. Finally, the urban and periurban settlement zones of Tikal extend over at least 76 km?, representing one of the largest continuous settlement zones in the Maya Lowlands (26). A word of caution is warranted about assum- ing contemporaneity of all structures in this classification. For instance, three survey blocks— Zotz, Uaxactun, and Holmul—hold substantial centers that were abandoned in the Late Pre- classic period and only partly resettled in the Classic period. However, because these blocks already form a statistically distinct group, we are confident that they would remain clustered even after factoring out all earlier settlement in those three areas.
Table 8. Late Classic structure density classes, modified from Rice and Culbert (35).
*The defended area extends beyond the limits of the lidar data, but a substantial portion is visible. All statistics are based on the visible perimeter and area, but may not be reliable metrics of the actual defended area. tThere is no clearly discernible defended area for the defensive systems present. Area not included in comparative analyses. +The defended area extends beyond the limits of the lidar data and is too incomplete to include in comparative analyses. Table 10. Defensive data for individual defended areas. Summary of defensive data for individual defended areas and perimeter statistics. Bold lines separate different lidar survey blocks (in order as Yala, Tikal, Uaxactun, Holmul, Zotz, Xultun, Peru, Corona, and Tintal).
Table 11. Statistics for reinforcing defenses. Bold lines define natural breaks (Jenks) in the percentages of additional defenses in relation to an area’s perimeter. identified ~106 linear kilometers of causeway construction dating to the Late Preclassic and Classic periods. Intersite causeways are primarily associated with cities that rose to prominence during the Preclassic period (Tintal, Cival, San Bartolo) or Early Classic (Naachtun) and are surprisingly absent from the Late Classic period. They can reach up to 22 km in length (Tintal- Mirador) and 10 to 20 m in width, linking cities to smaller centers nearby. Examples of these occur at Tintal, where multiple monumental causeways radiate toward other centers. Intra-site causeways are associated with Late Classic period centers of all sizes. These roads are typically only a few hun- dred meters long, providing grand entryways to public spaces within a community. Tikal has the widest causeways (80 m) and the largest amount of internal paved causeway area (0.19 km”). Over- all, causeways are more widely distributed than had been previously appreciated, especially in the Late Classic period. Across the sample, there is a general trend of increased causeway den- Perhaps the most obvious example of infras- tructural investment comes in the form of de- fensive or military features pointing to a high incidence of conflict in the Maya Lowlands. Such fortifications are found at a scale and quantity (Fig. 10) matched only by the Tikal earthworks and the monumental fortifications at Becan, both known since the 1960s (118-120). To a notable ex- tent, settlement density does not correlate with regional defense, in that some of the most densely settled blocks, such as Naachtun, have no defen- sive features. Individual defensive features—bridges, ditches, ramparts, stone walls, and terraces—were constructed as components of “built defensive systems.” These combined with natural defenses to protect “defended areas.” There were five types of built defensive systems: landscape ditch-and- rampart (type 1), hilltop ditch-and-rampart (type 2), Lidar data also reveal investment in regional and local interconnectivity. “Causeways,” elevated and paved roads of varied size, demonstrate eco- nomic and political integration by revealing formal connections between cities, smaller com- munities, and dispersed populations (113). Until recently, knowledge of formal political con- nections was restricted to epigraphic records of dynastic interaction and a small number of causeways (25, 26, 114-117). The lidar sample in some cases integrates cities and their peri- pheries. These findings indicate that the con- struction of monumental reservoirs and, less commonly, canals in both city centers and rural areas involved some form of centralized, insti- tutional coordination. Yet this observation does not negate the possibility that smaller-scale in- frastructure was independently built by house- holds and corporate groups (J04). Rather, the PLI data suggest that water management was neither fully centralized (772) nor left completely to individual households. sity from west to east and from south to north (Fig. 9), coinciding with regional gradients in settlement density, agricultural intensification, and water management infrastructure.
*The defended area extends beyond the limits of the lidar data, but a substantial portion is visible.
*The defended area extends beyond limits of lidar data, but a substantial portion is visible. Table 13. Cost index for each defended area. Cost statistics for defending areas in relation to idealized forms.
Table 14. Regional defensive statistics by lidar survey block. TLD, total length defended; TBD, total built defenses.
Research paper thumbnail of La estela 48 de Naranjo Sa’aal, Peten: contexto, hallazgo y texto jeroglífico
Stela 48 was discovered in 2015 in relation to the central stairway of the C-9 sub 3 substructure... moreStela 48 was discovered in 2015 in relation to the central stairway of the C-9 sub 3 substructure of the Early Classic period, within the C-9 pyramid, located in the East Triadic Acropolis of the monumental epicenter of the ancient Maya city of Naranjo Sa'aal. This building has been the subject of archaeological research and conservation work by DECORSIAP-IDAEH since 2005. Stela 48 was found in an excellent state of preservation, even including its coating with red paint. The inscription and imagery of the monument provide important information about the reign of the ruler Ajnumsaaj Chan K'inich (also known as Aj Wosal Chan K'inich).
Research paper thumbnail of The past, now showing in 3D: An introduction
Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 2017
This is an introduction to the special issue of the DAACH journal dedicated to 3D scanning and it... moreThis is an introduction to the special issue of the DAACH journal dedicated to 3D scanning and its applications in Archaeology
Research paper thumbnail of From stucco to digital: Topometric documentation of Classic Maya facades at Holmul
Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 2017
This article addresses the use of a structured light 3d scanner to document ancient Maya architec... moreThis article addresses the use of a structured light 3d scanner to document ancient Maya architecture. A rationale for the project is outlined along with some practicalities of operating the equipment in remote locations and archaeological tunnels. The two case studies describe the documentation of painted stucco friezes at the archaeological site of Holmul, Guatemala, by the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. Holmul buildings boast some of the most elaborate and well-preserved stucco sculptures in the Maya world. The paper concludes with highlighting the current challenges in creating and using high-resolution 3d replicas for research and conservation purposes.
Research paper thumbnail of Beginner's visual catalog of Maya hieroglyphics
This catalog of Ancient Maya writing characters is intended as an aid for beginners and intermedi... moreThis catalog of Ancient Maya writing characters is intended as an aid for beginners and intermediate-level students of the script. Most known Ancient Maya inscriptions date to the Late Classic Period (600-800 C.E.), so the characters in the catalog roughly reproduce a generic Late Classic graphic style from the cities in the Southern Lowlands or the area of the present-day department of Petén in Guatemala and the states of Chiapas and Campeche in Mexico. The goal of the catalog is not to demonstrate possible variation in the appearance of individual characters, but to highlight similarities and differences between distinct glyphs.
Research paper thumbnail of Place and Identity in Classic Maya Narratives (cover and reviews)
Understanding the ways in which human communities define themselves in relation to landscapes has... moreUnderstanding the ways in which human communities define themselves in relation to landscapes has been one of the crucial research questions in anthropology. Place and Identity in Classic Maya Narratives addresses this question in the context of the Classic Maya culture that thrived in the lowlands of the Yucatan peninsula and adjacent parts of Guatemala, Belize, and Western Honduras from 350 to 900 CE. The Classic Maya world of numerous polities, each with its own kings and gods, left a rich artistic and written legacy permeated by shared aesthetics and meaning. Alexandre Tokovinine explores the striking juxtaposition of similar cultural values and distinct political identities by looking at how identities were formed and maintained in relation to place, thus uncovering what Classic Maya landscapes were like in the words of the people who created and experienced them. By subsequently examining the ways in which members of Classic Maya political communities placed themselves on these landscapes, Tokovinine attempts to discern Classic Maya notions of place and community as well as the relationship between place and identity.
Research paper thumbnail of Veiled Brightness: A History of Ancient Maya Color. By Stephen Houston, Claudia Brittenham, Cassandra Mesick, Alexander Tokovinine, Christina Warinner
Veiled Brightness: A History of Ancient Maya Color. By Stephen Houston, Claudia Brittenham, Cassandra Mesick, Alexander Tokovinine, Christina Warinner
Color is an integral part of human experience, so common as to be overlooked or treated as unimpo... moreColor is an integral part of human experience, so common as to be overlooked or treated as unimportant. Yet color is both unavoidable and varied. Each culture classifies, understands, and uses it in different and often surprising ways, posing particular challenges to those who study color from long-ago times and places far distant. Veiled Brightness reconstructs what color meant to the ancient Maya, a set of linked peoples and societies who flourished in and around the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Central America. By using insights from archaeology, linguistics, art history, and conservation, the book charts over two millennia of color use in a region celebrated for its aesthetic refinement and high degree of craftsmanship...
Research paper thumbnail of Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks. Joanne Pillsbury, Miriam Doutriaux, Reiko Ishihara-Brito, and Alexandre Tokovinine, editors.
Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks. Joanne Pillsbury, Miriam Doutriaux, Reiko Ishihara-Brito, and Alexandre Tokovinine, editors.
Based on the comprehensive study of one of the most important collections of Maya art in the Unit... moreBased on the comprehensive study of one of the most important collections of Maya art in the United States, Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks is a scholarly introduction to one of the great traditions of sculpture and painting in ancient America. Assembled by Robert Woods Bliss between 1935 and 1962, the collection is historically important, as it was one of the first to be established on the basis of aesthetic criteria. The catalogue, written by leading international scholars of Maya archaeology, art history, and writing, contains detailed analyses of specific works of art along with thematic essays situating these works within the broader context of Maya culture. Monumental panels, finely worked jade ornaments, exquisitely painted ceramic vessels, and other objects—most created in the first millennium CE—are presented in full color and analyzed in light of recent breakthroughs in understanding their creation, function, and deeper meaning in Maya ritual and history. Individual essays address the history of the Dumbarton Oaks collection; Maya culture, history, and myth; and Maya aesthetics. They also study specific materials (including jade, shell, and fine ceramics) and their meanings. Scholarly yet accessible, this volume provides a detailed introduction to Maya art and culture.
Research paper thumbnail of The Team for the New Age: Naranjo and Holmul under Kaanul’s Sway
The Team for the New Age: Naranjo and Holmul under Kaanul’s Sway
The 86th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 2021
Research paper thumbnail of Travelling to See: Naj Tunich Inscriptions and the Pilgrimage Genre in Classic Maya Texts
Maya Religion and History. Proceedings of the 22nd European Maya Conference. Malmo, December 11- 16, 2017, 2023
This chapter addresses the problem of pilgrimage narratives in Classic Maya texts. Many Mayanists... moreThis chapter addresses the problem of pilgrimage narratives in Classic Maya texts. Many Mayanists use the term pilgrimage without trying to define this behavior in the Classic Maya culture or in a wider Mesoamerican context. The present study attempts to isolate the cases of pilgrimage from other travel references by looking at cave visits, particularly the cave of Naj Tunich in Peten, Guatemala, that was a major center of ritual activities during the Late Classic period (600-850 CE). A comparatively large body of inscriptions and images painted by the visitors on the walls of the cave makes it possible to define the genre of pilgrimage narratives and its specific features that, in turn, may enable the identification of pilgrimage
references in less straightforward contexts. Finally, the present study considers geographical distribution of Naj Tunich visitors and tentatively outlines the socio-political network associated with this pilgrimage center.
Figure 1: Map of the Southern Maya Lowlands with an inset showing the distance between key Maya sites and Teotihuacan (all drawings by the author unless otherwise stated).
Figure 2: Verbs of motion in Naj Tunich narratives: a) detail of Drawing 34; b) detail of Drawing 65; c) detail of Drawing 49; d) detail of Drawing 88; e) detail of Drawing 19; f) detail of Drawing 65; g) detail of the inscription on the Komkom Vase (drawing by Christophe Helmke in Helmke, e¢ a/. 2018b:Fig. 34); h) detail of the inscription in the Santo Domingo cave (drawing by Sergey Vepretskii); i) Drawing 40.
Figure 3: Plan view of the main Naj Tunich passages (after Stone 1995) showing the location of texts with different verbs of motion.
Figure 4: “Seeing” Monpan and other things at Naj Tunich: a) detail of Drawing 28; b) detail of Drawing 66; c) detail of Drawing 65; d) detail of Drawing 50; e) detail of Drawing 70; f) chronological distribution of Monpan sightings and other dates in Naj Tunich texts. Students of Mesoamerican and specifically Maya travels to ritual landscapes (Harrison-Buck et al. 2018; Palk 014: 42-45; Taylor 2016: 513-518) highlight the importance of formal, processual movement in such context The “walking around” statements at Naj Tunich confirm that processions were a crucial component in th visitors’ experience before (“the edge of the cave”) and inside (“in the Black Waterhole Place”) the cave. Suc orocessions are also depicted on the walls of Naj Tunich (Stone 1995: 140-141). Given that some painted scene such as playing ball in a masonry ball court (Stone 1995: 150-151) clearly did not take place at Naj Tunich, extual confirmation of processions is significant. Drawings 40 (Figure 2i) and 27 (Stone 1995: Fig. 6-23) shor sroups of men walking in a line and holding drums and rattles. Youth’s footprints indicative of a deliberate slov srocessual motion were discovered in the Eastern Passage of the cave (Houston 2018: Fig. 68). The importance of cave processions is also suggested by the recent re-evaluation of the inscriptions in th
Figure 6: Place names and identities in Naj Tunich inscriptions: a) detail of Drawing 19; b) detail of Drawing 69; c) detail of Drawing 68; d) and e) details of Drawing 25; f) and g) details of Drawing 28; h) detail of Drawing 70; i) details of Drawing 24; j) detail of Drawing 70; k) detail of Drawing 65; |) detail of Drawing 34; m) detail of Drawing 29; n) detail of Drawing 44; 0) detail of Drawing 48; p) detail of Drawing 29; q) detail of Drawing 52; r) detail of Drawing 88; s) and t) details of Drawing 23; u) detail of Drawing 88.
Figure 8: Visits to Naj Tunich in the context of regional corporate identities.
Research paper thumbnail of Lead Isotopic Evidence for Foreign-Born Burials in the Classic Maya City of Holmul, Petén, Guatemala
Lead Isotopic Evidence for Foreign-Born Burials in the Classic Maya City of Holmul, Petén, Guatemala
Research paper thumbnail of Bundling the sticks: a case for Classic Maya tallies
The Real Business of Ancient Maya Economies From Farmers' Fields to Rulers' Realms. Marylin Masson, David A. Freidel and Arthur Demarest, eds. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2020
This presentation addresses a set of references to “sticks” in Classic Maya inscriptions, which h... moreThis presentation addresses a set of references to “sticks” in Classic Maya inscriptions, which have been traditionally interpreted as weapons. The available contexts, however, indicate that “sticks” were involved in tribute payment transactions. Although there is no archaeological evidence of these presumably perishable wooden items, the author highlights some visual and material data that support the use of tallies by the Maya. The discussion then centers on less straightforward textual contexts of “sticks” and the implications of the tally hypothesis for our understanding of Classic Maya accounting practices.
Figure 16.2. Tally-like elite artifacts: (a) and (b) shell tokens (Pendants 7A/7B), Urn 26, Comalcalco; (c) bone “awl” (4P-113(15)/2, MT. 26), Burial 116, Tikal; (d) unprovenanced “Stendahl bone” (after Barthel 1968:Figs. 1, 2). the pair could be tied together with the inscribed sides facing each other and thus hidden from view. The perforations in the top section of either half of the set would then allow attaching the tied tokens to a master cord with the rest of the collection. The inscriptions on each pair detailed a single activity, usually an auto-sacrifice in the presence of a specific deity. Therefore, the complete set was a tangible, durable, and portable record of Aj Pakal Tahn’s most significant ritual accomplishments. It is potentially significant that the inscribed sides of
Figure 16.4. Possible tally stick bundles in Classic Maya palace scenes on Motul de San José pot- tery: (a) detail of a Late Classic vase (K1724); (b) detail of a Late Classic vase (PC.B.564/K2784); (c) detail of a Late Classic vase (TA 32A-1-3/K30177) (images courtesy of Justin Kerr).
Figure 16.5. Examples of T78:514: (a) ya-T78: 514-he (Dzibanché Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 5:B2); (b) ya-T78: 514-AJ (Dzibanché Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 13:A3); (c) ye-T78: 514 (Yax- chilan Lintel 35:C1); (d) ye-he-TE’ (Yaxchilan Hieroglyphic Stairway 5: 82); (e) ye-TE (Tonina Monument 153:A3); (f) ye-TE’ KIN-ni-chi (Motul de San José Stela 1:C4) (drawings by Alexandre Tokovinine). for the usual TE’ logogram in a different lexical context once, but the unique- gog q
Research paper thumbnail of Palaeoenvironmental, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of total warfare among the Classic Maya
Nature human behaviour, 2019
Despite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya wa... moreDespite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya warfare remain poorly understood. Classic period (250-950 ce) Maya warfare has largely been viewed as ritualized and limited in scope 1-6. Evidence of violent warfare in the Terminal Classic period (800-950 ce) is interpreted as an escalation of military tactics that played a role in the socioeconomic collapse of the Classic Maya civilization 7,8. The implications of specific textual references to war events (war statements) remain unknown, however, and the paucity of field data precludes our ability to test collapse theories tied to warfare. Here we connect a massive fire event to an attack described with a Classic period war statement. Multiple lines of evidence show that a large fire occurred across the ancient city of Witzna, coincident with an epigraphic account describing an attack and burning of Witzna in 697 ce. Following this event, evidence shows a dramatic decline in human activity, indicating extensive negative impacts on the local population. These findings provide insight into strategies and broader societal impacts of Classic period warfare, clarify the war statement's meaning and show that the Maya engaged in tactics akin to total warfare earlier and more frequently than previously thought.
rig. I] Map OT Feten, Guatemala, Snowing selected arcnaecological sites. The shaded area indicates the Petexbatun region. BdC, Buenavista del Cayo. Red symbols indicate main sites discussed in the text.
Fig. 2 | Epigraphic evidence of the identification of Witzna as Bahlam Jol. a, The inscription on Stela 1, Witzna. b, The inscription on Stela 2, Witzna. c, Detail of the inscription on Stela 22, Naranjo (drawings by A. T.). Letters and numbers designate hieroglyphic blocks as in A1, B1, A2, B2. Lowercase p- (as in pA) indicates that the designation is preliminary. Arrows indicate the emblem glyph titles that contain the toponym corresponding to Witzne
Fig. 3 | LEN proxy data for human activity and landscape disturbance a-c, Total (a), non-carbonate-mineral (b) and organic (¢) MAR. d, Fire activity. e, Agricultural activity. Black diamonds represent levels analysed for Zea pollen; red dots indicate levels with Zea present. The vertical red line marks a large fire event; the vertical black line indicates the end of the consistent presence of agriculture in the area.
Fig. 4 | Digital image of LEN core section from 280 to 330 cm BSWI, shown with CHAR. Note the charcoal deposit between 315 and 318 cm BSWI. The dashed red line shows the depth of the radiocarbon determination.
Fig. 5 | CHAR and non-carbonate-mineral MAR during the period of prehistoric settlement and transition to abandonment (300-1200 ce). The onset of an abrupt and permanent decrease in terrigenous input corresponds to a large fire event during the last decade of the seventh century.
Research paper thumbnail of Two Early Classic Maya murals: new texts and images in Maya andTeotihuacan style from La Sufricaya, Petén, Guatemala
Two Early Classic Maya murals: new texts and images in Maya andTeotihuacan style from La Sufricaya, Petén, Guatemala
Antiquity, 2006
Research paper thumbnail of Distance and power in Classic Maya texts
Reinventing the World: Debates on Mesoamerican Colonial Cosmologies, Ana Díaz, ed. Boulder: University of Colorado, 2020
This chapter addresses the relationship between traveling to distant places and claims to politic... moreThis chapter addresses the relationship between traveling to distant places and claims to political authority in Classic-period
inscriptions from the southern Maya lowlands. Classic Maya lords relied on various narrative strategies involving evocation of and traveling to locations in deep time, historical places beyond the immediate confines of the Classic Maya world, and powerful political centers near the protagonists. Some Maya rulers practiced fundamentally different strategies in relating themselves to the historical and deep-time landscapes. Along with other contributions to this edited volume, the overview of Maya travel logs indicates that the Classic-period landscape of distant places was neither uniform nor structured along the notion of vertical layers of heavens and underworlds.
Research paper thumbnail of Fire in the land: landscapes of war in Classic Maya narratives
Seeking Conflict in Mesoamerica: Operational, Cognitive, and Experiential Approaches. Shawn G. Morton and Meaghan M. Peuramaki-Brown, eds. Boulder: University of Colorado Press, 2019
This paper explores variations in Ancient Maya narrative strategies and metaphors of war in relat... moreThis paper explores variations in Ancient Maya narrative strategies and metaphors of war in relation to landscape across space and time. For the purposes of this discussion, the written and visual landscape of Maya narratives is understood as place names and as certain broader spatial categories such as lands (kab) and holy grounds of temples and palaces (ch’een). Even though Ancient Maya warfare might have been ultimately about people – conquest, tribute, and captives – landscape features prominently in Classic Period war narratives.  Places are burnt and fall down, holy grounds are entered and brought to ruin, and order is restored in the land after successful campaigns. The written record of Ancient Maya warfare provides important insights into emic notions of place and territoriality, which may be compared and contrasted to the information in Early Colonial documents.
FIGURE 5.1. Detail of the Hieroglyphic Stairway, House C, Palenque
FIGURE 5.2. War references in Classic Maya inscriptions: a, CH’AK-ka-ja ch’ahkaj “it was chopped” (Tortuguero Monument 8, 40); b, ju-bu-yi jubuuy “it fell” (Dos Pilas Hieroglyphic Stairway 4, Step 4, F1); c, STAR.OVER.EARTH-yi jubuuy (?) “it fell” (Tortuguero Monument 6, C4); d, OCH-u-CH’EEN-na ochi uch’een “it entered the cave/city of” (Palenque Temple XVII Panel, Iz); e, PUL-yi puluuy “it burned” (Naranjo Stela 22, E16)
FIGURE 5.3. Possible reading of T78, 514: a, ya-T78, 514-he (Dzibanche Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 5, Bz); b, ya-178, 514-AJ (Dzibanche Hieroglyphic Stairway, Block 13, A3); c, ye-T78, 514 (Yaxchilan Lintel 35, C1); d, ye-he-TE’ (Yaxchilan Hieroglyphic Stairway 5, 82); e, ye-TE’ (Tonina Monument 153, A3); f, ye-TE’ K’IN-ni-chi (Motul de San Jose Stela 1, C4); g, detail of Naranjo Stela 32; h, detail of Yaxchilan Stela 19; i, detail of Uaxactun Stela 5.
eighth century cE, and subsequently decline; however, this trend is a predictable outcome of the nature of the available data. Non-war references to places show the same trajectory, suggesting that it is the sample size and not changes in the relative importance of certain narrative types that causes the observable varia- tion. Simply put, all kinds of references peak in the eighth century cz because it coincides with the absolute majority of known inscriptions. Tes anineaeae fo ene tetoroctina: {fF x0: rancaae welaGive: Genissarcian nf nlareo
FIGURE 5.5. Relative frequencies of place references in Classic Maya inscriptions
FIGURE 5.6. Relative frequencies of place references in specific war-related clause types
TABLE 5.2. War narrative on the Palenque Hieroglyphic Stairway specific human perpetrator from Santa Elena; however, the retribution is cast pretty much as a divine act, and some of its victims are also enemy gods. The winning Palenque ruler assumes a specific divine identity but remains somewhat removed from the action. Who personally captured Nuun Ujol Chaahk and the others seems to be irrelevant. The final act belongs to the gods of the Palenque Triad when they eat the captives and their deities. Lei: eau “= a: = ais “sc ¥ —-. me te
TABLE 5.3. War narrative on Lintel 2, Temple 4, Tikal events. Three months later, according to the same text, the bones and skull of a recently deceased Yaxa’ lord, Yax Bolon Chaahk, were “opened” and “scattered on the island” (Grube 2000, 257-261). Finally, it appears that K’ahk’ Tiliw Chan Chaahk “added up/stacked” the enemy deities as his “halberd and tallies.” In so doing, he was accompanied by two poorly understood Naranjo gods or groups of deities (Tokovinine 2011, 98).
TABLE 5.4. War narrative on Stela 23, Naranjo
Research paper thumbnail of Relevancia de las canchas de juego de pelota alrededor de Uaxactun. Una interpretacion sociopolitica y epigrafica
XXXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueologicas en Guatemala. Tomo II. Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Instituto de Antropología e Historia, Asociación Tikal, 2019
XXXii SimpoSio de inveStigacioneS aRqueológicaS en guatemala muSeo nacional de aRqueología y etno... moreXXXii SimpoSio de inveStigacioneS aRqueológicaS en guatemala muSeo nacional de aRqueología y etnología 23 al 27 de julio de 2018 EditorEs BárBara arroyo luiS méndez SalinaS Gloria ajú álvarez
Research paper thumbnail of Palaeoenvironmental, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of total warfare among the Classic Maya
Palaeoenvironmental, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of total warfare among the Classic Maya
Nature Human Behavior, 2019
Despite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya wa... moreDespite over a century of archaeological research, the nature and broader consequences of Maya warfare remain poorly understood. Classic period (250–950 CE) Maya warfare has largely been viewed as ritualized and limited in scope. Evidence of violent warfare in the Terminal Classic period (800–950 CE) is interpreted as an escalation of military tactics that played a role in the socioeconomic collapse of the Classic Maya civilization. The implications of specific textual references to war events (war statements) remain unknown, however, and the paucity of field data precludes our ability to test collapse theories tied to warfare. Here we connect a massive fire event to an attack described with a Classic period war statement. Multiple lines of evidence show that a large fire occurred across the ancient city of Witzna, coincident with an epigraphic account describing an attack and burning of Witzna in 697 CE. Following this event, evidence shows a dramatic decline in human activity, indicating extensive negative impacts on the local population. These findings provide insight into strategies and broader societal impacts of Classic period warfare, clarify the war statement’s meaning and show that the Maya engaged in tactics akin to total warfare earlier and more frequently than previously thought.
Research paper thumbnail of En el cerro de los colibríes: el patrón divino y el paisaje sagrado de la ciudad de Naranjo
XXXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2019
The paper presents the results of the investigation of the Aurora building which is part of a gro... moreThe paper presents the results of the investigation of the Aurora building which is part of a group of palatial structures corresponding to the last decades of the Early Classic period at the Central Acropolis of Naranjo-Sa'aal. The complex likely served as the main royal palace compound. The Auroral structure can be identified with the cult of a local deity frequently represented as an anthropomorphized hummingbird. The iconography and the hieroglyphic inscriptions on the stucco friezes that decorate the Aurora building, possibly dedicated during the reign of Ajnumsaaj Chan K'inich ("Aj Wosal"), clarify the name of the deity, its characteristic attributes, and the toponym associated with his mountainous home. The new data allow a reexamination of the entire corpus of the representations of the Hummingbird God, especially in the polychrome ceramics of Naranjo, but also at other archaeological sites such as Tikal and Holmul. The graffiti found inside the building offer an insight into the religious life at the site during the late 6th century - beginning of the 7th century A.D. The new data also allows us to reevaluate the problem of the distinction between the different functions of the Maya palaces.
Fig.6. Pasillo entre palacio Aurora y palacio Kolonte (G. Hurtarte, DECORSIAP-IDAEH).
Research paper thumbnail of Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala
Science, 2018
Lowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs... moreLowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs for more than 2500 years (~1000 BCE to 1500 CE). Known for its sophistication in writing, art, architecture, astronomy, and mathematics, Maya civilization still poses questions about the nature of its cities and surrounding populations because of its location in an inaccessible forest. In 2016, an aerial lidar survey across 2144 square kilometers of northern Guatemala mapped natural terrain and archaeological features over several distinct areas. We present results from these data, revealing interconnected urban settlement and landscapes with extensive infrastructural development. Studied through a joint international effort of interdisciplinary teams sharing protocols, this lidar survey compels a reevaluation of Maya demography, agriculture, and political economy and suggests future avenues of field research.
Research paper thumbnail of Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala
Lowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs... moreLowland Maya civilization flourished in the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and environs for more than 2500 years (~1000 BCE to 1500 CE). Known for its sophistication in writing, art, architecture, astronomy, and mathematics, Maya civilization still poses questions about the nature of its cities and surrounding populations because of its location in an inaccessible forest. In 2016, an aerial lidar survey across 2144 square kilometers of northern Guatemala mapped natural terrain and archaeological features over several distinct areas. We present results from these data, revealing interconnected urban settlement and landscapes with extensive infrastructural development. Studied through a joint international effort of interdisciplinary teams sharing protocols, this lidar survey compels a reevaluation of Maya demography, agriculture, and political economy and suggests future avenues of field research.
KE 5 Representation of the archaeological site of Naachtun, Petén, at twilight. Each ancient structure is marked by a yellow dot. The list of author affiliations is available in the full article online. *Corresponding author. Email: mcanuto@tulane.edu (M.A.C.); festrad1@tulane.edu (F.E.-B.); tgarrison1@ithaca.edu (T.G.G.) }These authors contributed equally to this work. {These authors contributed equally to this work. Cite this article as M. A. Canuto et al., Science 361, eaau0137 (2018). DOI: 10.1126/science.aau0137 RATIONALE: Scholars first applied modern lidar technology to the lowland Maya area in 2009, focusing analysis on the immediate sur- roundings of individual sites. The PLI covers twice the area of any previous survey and in- volves a consortium of scholars conducting col- laborative and complementary analyses of the entire survey region. This cooperation among The PLI survey revealed a landscape heavily modified for intensive agriculture, necessary to sustain populations on this scale. Lidar
Fig. 2. Close-up of Xmakabatun. Image of Xmakabatun that demonstrates the high-fidelity detai of the Teledyne Opech Titan sensor. (A) Looting depressions highlighted by an openness visualization. (B) Looting features as drawn in the field (shown in red) as well as evidence of monumental architecture, causeways, residential structures, ditches, and terraces.
Fig. 3. Mapped areas within PLI zone. Map of survey blocks showing (i) areas covered by pedestrian surveys before acquisition of lidar data anc (ii) areas where ground verification of the lidar data has been completed to date.
person. Data on swidden productivity were drawn from Cowgill (75-77), Griffin (78), Schwartz (79, 80), Nations and Nigh (87), and Ford and Nigh (37). Standardization entailed, among other adjustments, normalizing the annual productivity of different fallow regimes to mul- tiyear averages. These calculations resulted in a mean productivity value of 0.48 ha per person [the mean of the range (0.34 to 0.62 ha per person) resulting from using different adjust- ments from the above-cited sources] (table S3). This value was then applied to all the land in the PLI sample (1314 km?) available for agricul- tural production (zones of intensive cultivation Consequently, the PLI data indicate some combination of the following possibilities: (i) There was capacity for surplus food production; (ii) substantial portions of agricultural land Fig. 4. Visualizations used for lidar analysis. (A) Red Relief Image Map (RRIM); (B) Sky-View Factor (SVF); (C) Simple Local Relief Model (SLRM); (D) Prismatic Openness.
and political fortunes were closely articulated with larger cities nearby (97-93). Our “rural” class follows existing descriptions of settlement density in the hinterlands of smaller cities and minor centers. Finally, we classified as “vacant” all zones with fewer than 10 structures/km?. within the PLI study area (e.g., Uaxactun, Zotz) as well as the densely settled surroundings of major cities’ urban cores (e.g., Xultun, Naachtun, and Tikal). “Periurban” zones (also known in the literature as “urban fringes”) combine character- istics of both urban and rural areas (90). The parameters of this category encompass those areas designated by prior surveys as “peripheral” to the largest Maya sites as well as sites often characterized as “minor centers” whose economic density categories—vacant, rural, periurban, urban, and urban core—were defined for the entire data- set (29) to discern differences not only in the size and density of cities but also in the relationship between cities and hinterlands (86-89). The “urban core” class was defined on the basis of structure densities at the heart of the largest Maya centers, such as Tikal (~700 structures/km?). “Urban” describes the struc- ture density at the heart of many smaller cities At the regional level, sprawling urban and periurban settlement zones covered large areas in the east, whereas the west remained mostly rural (Fig. 7). Urban core densities ran as high eee. eee of survey blocks showing deviations from expected density of upland field areas relative to settlement density class area. Expected (i.e., “no difference”) value is 1.0.
Engineering and infrastructure Fig. 8. Cluster analysis of density patterns. Ward linkage method, squared Euclidean distance Lidar data also elucidate the extent of lowland Maya investment in water management, regional communication, and defense. The Maya con- structed reservoirs that required considerable labor (103). At the household level, reservoirs, quarries, wells, and underground cisterns were commonly cut into bedrock to collect rainwater (104-110). Within urban centers, the ancient Ward linkage method, squared Euclidean distance. Maya deepened, dammed, or bermed natural depressions to capture rainwater running off stucco-paved surfaces (111). Lidar data now show a greater extent of such large features. Large, round, and bermed reservoirs were built within
wetlands to serve the needs of the rural pop- ulation, and drainage ditches were cut into the edges of reservoirs to control flow during the wettest periods. urban core had the largest amount of water storage capacity in human-made reservoirs. The Tikal Palace Reservoir alone could store 31,000 m?® of water, which would be sufficient to supply the inhabitants of the urban core for an entire year. Earlier cities such as Cival and Tintal were near natural depressions that pro- vided generous amounts of water with little labor investment. For example, Tintal ringed a 2-km-wide sinkhole that could have contained more than 3 million m? of water in wet years. A 2.5-km canal carried overflow into a natural drainage, preventing rising waters from flooding the city. In all cases, such features are monumental in scale and imply some form of centralized involvement in planning and execution. Notably, large-scale water infrastructure is not limited to city centers but occurs in the periurban and even rural zones surrounding major cities, and Lidar-derived terrain models allow for a vol- umetric assessment of reservoirs, in measures likely to be conservative because of later infilling. Here, we present data only on the built reser- voirs of large scale (i.e., those serving more than a single household) (29). In our sample, Tikal’s
Fig. 10. Density of defensive features. Density is expressed as linear meters of defensive features per square kilometer normalized by survey block area.
UCHSILY Palleriis. Udlsot” ways are shown in white; values represent cumulative causeway length (in meters) normalized by survey block area (km°).
Table 1. Lidar ground point averages. Important archaeological sites and lidar ground point densities within each PLI polygon. areas is likely to be similar, the PLI dataset can be extrapolated with confidence over a 95,000-km? area known as the “central Maya Lowlands” (Fig. 1). This area excludes the northern Yucatan, the Gulf Coast plains, and coastal Belize and Quintana Roo because they differ physiogeographically from the PLI survey region.
Table 2. Lidar visualizations. Raster visualization combinations created and used for feature identifications.
Table 4. Total structures and settlement density estimates by PLI survey blocks. Table 3. Extent mapping and ground verification. Areas in the PLI survey region covered by both pre-lidar pedestrian surveys and post-lidar ground validation efforts (these sometimes overlap).
Table 5. Popindex calculations. Set of adjustments used to calculate a “population index” (Popindex), which produces an estimated population when multiplied by structure number. The range in the value of each adjustment indicates the variation within the published record.
Table 7. Correlation of upland agricultural features with settlement density. Correlation matrix of intensive agriculture upland field zones and settlement density zones in m* (upland zones strongly correlate with periurban and urban zones; N = 12). Table 6. Maximum sustainable population of each survey block. Calculations designed to determine the maximum sustainable population within each survey block based on (i) its total measured agricultural area (values adjusted for Late Classic contemporaneity using Agrolndex) and (ii) a minimum swidden area of 0.48 ha/person (mean value of range reported in table S3).
is 1000 to 2000 persons/km”, whereas rural 1reas were as low as 50 persons/km? over con- inuous areas. However, the PLI sample also re- vealed striking regional differences in urbanization yatterns (Table 9). populations (Tintal and Xultun), and highly ur- banized areas in which most of the population lived in urban core, urban, and periurban zones (Naachtun and Tikal). lineate two distinct sample areas for each sur- vey block. These two additional sample areas were named Achiotal and Xmakabatun (for the Corona and Holmul survey blocks, respectively) after the name of the primary center within each area.
Table 9. Relative frequency of structures in each density class by PLI survey block. tially rural, it did include several small pockets of urban density. This region had a strategic role in the expansion of the hegemonic Kaanul polity during the sixth through eighth centuries CE (96-102), so settlement nucleation here was probably conditioned by regional geopolitics in addition to local demographic processes. Finally, the urban and periurban settlement zones of Tikal extend over at least 76 km?, representing one of the largest continuous settlement zones in the Maya Lowlands (26). A word of caution is warranted about assum- ing contemporaneity of all structures in this classification. For instance, three survey blocks— Zotz, Uaxactun, and Holmul—hold substantial centers that were abandoned in the Late Pre- classic period and only partly resettled in the Classic period. However, because these blocks already form a statistically distinct group, we are confident that they would remain clustered even after factoring out all earlier settlement in those three areas.
Table 8. Late Classic structure density classes, modified from Rice and Culbert (35).
*The defended area extends beyond the limits of the lidar data, but a substantial portion is visible. All statistics are based on the visible perimeter and area, but may not be reliable metrics of the actual defended area. tThere is no clearly discernible defended area for the defensive systems present. Area not included in comparative analyses. +The defended area extends beyond the limits of the lidar data and is too incomplete to include in comparative analyses. Table 10. Defensive data for individual defended areas. Summary of defensive data for individual defended areas and perimeter statistics. Bold lines separate different lidar survey blocks (in order as Yala, Tikal, Uaxactun, Holmul, Zotz, Xultun, Peru, Corona, and Tintal).
Table 11. Statistics for reinforcing defenses. Bold lines define natural breaks (Jenks) in the percentages of additional defenses in relation to an area’s perimeter. identified ~106 linear kilometers of causeway construction dating to the Late Preclassic and Classic periods. Intersite causeways are primarily associated with cities that rose to prominence during the Preclassic period (Tintal, Cival, San Bartolo) or Early Classic (Naachtun) and are surprisingly absent from the Late Classic period. They can reach up to 22 km in length (Tintal- Mirador) and 10 to 20 m in width, linking cities to smaller centers nearby. Examples of these occur at Tintal, where multiple monumental causeways radiate toward other centers. Intra-site causeways are associated with Late Classic period centers of all sizes. These roads are typically only a few hun- dred meters long, providing grand entryways to public spaces within a community. Tikal has the widest causeways (80 m) and the largest amount of internal paved causeway area (0.19 km”). Over- all, causeways are more widely distributed than had been previously appreciated, especially in the Late Classic period. Across the sample, there is a general trend of increased causeway den- Perhaps the most obvious example of infras- tructural investment comes in the form of de- fensive or military features pointing to a high incidence of conflict in the Maya Lowlands. Such fortifications are found at a scale and quantity (Fig. 10) matched only by the Tikal earthworks and the monumental fortifications at Becan, both known since the 1960s (118-120). To a notable ex- tent, settlement density does not correlate with regional defense, in that some of the most densely settled blocks, such as Naachtun, have no defen- sive features. Individual defensive features—bridges, ditches, ramparts, stone walls, and terraces—were constructed as components of “built defensive systems.” These combined with natural defenses to protect “defended areas.” There were five types of built defensive systems: landscape ditch-and- rampart (type 1), hilltop ditch-and-rampart (type 2), Lidar data also reveal investment in regional and local interconnectivity. “Causeways,” elevated and paved roads of varied size, demonstrate eco- nomic and political integration by revealing formal connections between cities, smaller com- munities, and dispersed populations (113). Until recently, knowledge of formal political con- nections was restricted to epigraphic records of dynastic interaction and a small number of causeways (25, 26, 114-117). The lidar sample in some cases integrates cities and their peri- pheries. These findings indicate that the con- struction of monumental reservoirs and, less commonly, canals in both city centers and rural areas involved some form of centralized, insti- tutional coordination. Yet this observation does not negate the possibility that smaller-scale in- frastructure was independently built by house- holds and corporate groups (J04). Rather, the PLI data suggest that water management was neither fully centralized (772) nor left completely to individual households. sity from west to east and from south to north (Fig. 9), coinciding with regional gradients in settlement density, agricultural intensification, and water management infrastructure.
*The defended area extends beyond the limits of the lidar data, but a substantial portion is visible.
*The defended area extends beyond limits of lidar data, but a substantial portion is visible. Table 13. Cost index for each defended area. Cost statistics for defending areas in relation to idealized forms.
Table 14. Regional defensive statistics by lidar survey block. TLD, total length defended; TBD, total built defenses.
Research paper thumbnail of La estela 48 de Naranjo Sa’aal, Peten: contexto, hallazgo y texto jeroglífico
Stela 48 was discovered in 2015 in relation to the central stairway of the C-9 sub 3 substructure... moreStela 48 was discovered in 2015 in relation to the central stairway of the C-9 sub 3 substructure of the Early Classic period, within the C-9 pyramid, located in the East Triadic Acropolis of the monumental epicenter of the ancient Maya city of Naranjo Sa'aal. This building has been the subject of archaeological research and conservation work by DECORSIAP-IDAEH since 2005. Stela 48 was found in an excellent state of preservation, even including its coating with red paint. The inscription and imagery of the monument provide important information about the reign of the ruler Ajnumsaaj Chan K'inich (also known as Aj Wosal Chan K'inich).
Research paper thumbnail of The past, now showing in 3D: An introduction
Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 2017
This is an introduction to the special issue of the DAACH journal dedicated to 3D scanning and it... moreThis is an introduction to the special issue of the DAACH journal dedicated to 3D scanning and its applications in Archaeology
Research paper thumbnail of From stucco to digital: Topometric documentation of Classic Maya facades at Holmul
Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 2017
This article addresses the use of a structured light 3d scanner to document ancient Maya architec... moreThis article addresses the use of a structured light 3d scanner to document ancient Maya architecture. A rationale for the project is outlined along with some practicalities of operating the equipment in remote locations and archaeological tunnels. The two case studies describe the documentation of painted stucco friezes at the archaeological site of Holmul, Guatemala, by the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. Holmul buildings boast some of the most elaborate and well-preserved stucco sculptures in the Maya world. The paper concludes with highlighting the current challenges in creating and using high-resolution 3d replicas for research and conservation purposes.
Research paper thumbnail of La Estela 46 de Naranjo Sa’al, Petén: hallazgo y texto jeroglífico
XXX Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, Guatemala City, 2016, 2017
Stela 46 was discovered in 2015 in the central sector of the third terrace access to the pyramid ... moreStela 46 was discovered in 2015 in the central sector of the third terrace access to the pyramid C-9 located at the Eastern Triadic Acropolis of the monumental epicenter of the Mayan city of Naranjo Sa'aal. The building has been the subject of archaeological research and conservation work by the DECORSIAPIDAEH since 2005. The Stelae 46 was found in several large fragments in excellent conservation condition. The long inscription provides important information about the reign of K'ahk 'Tiliw Chan Chaahk, which includes the names of his parents and his plans for the succession of dynastic power of the kingdom of Naranjo Sa'aal. This paper makes references for the first time to the context in which the monument was found, as well information about its related cultural and historical characteristics.
tiodo. Quizds este fue un deseo especial para cumplir los deseos de los j6venes principes que forzaron al ré- gimen renuente para proclamar el linaje dindstico que ellos esperaban continuar por otra generacién.
Fig.2: Plano epicentro con Conjuntos Triddicos (DECORSIAP-IDAEH, modificado de Martin y Grube 2000).
Fig.3: Plano pédium con estelas (dibujo de D. Concoha).
Fig.6: Naranjo, Estela 18 (dibujo de I. Graham, cortesia del Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions, Peabody Museum, Trustees of Harvard University).
Fig.7: Nombres de los ch’oktaak (“j6venes, principes”): a) Naranjo, Estela 46 (Bio-A12); b) Naranjo, Estela 18 (F'9-H1) (dibujos de S. Martin y A. Tokovinine).
Fig.8: Yax Mayuy Chan Chaahk en Tikal: a) Tikal, Templo IV Dintel 2 (A14) (dibujo de W. Coe); 1) Tikal. Estela < (zAi-2) (dibujo de S. Martin); c) Fscultura Rupestre de Tikal (C1-2) (dibujo de S. Martin)
Research paper thumbnail of Appendix B: 3D Scanning of the Eccentric Cherts and Bifaces from the Rosalila Cache
Protecting Sacred Space: Rosalila’s Eccentric Chert Cache at Copan and Eccentrics among the Classic Maya
The ongoing project of 3D documentation of Copan sculptures by the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic In... moreThe ongoing project of 3D documentation of Copan sculptures by the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology created additional opportunities to explore the application of the technology to a wider set of artifacts and materials. One of these sideline projects centered on chert artifacts known as " eccentrics " or often referred to as " eccentric flints. " The principal goal of 3D scanning of the nine eccentric cherts and three bifaces from the Rosalila cache was to facilitate measurement and study of these elaborate stone artifacts without endangering fragile textile fragments adhering to their surface.
The surface of the artifacts presented certain challenges for the scanner. Some areas were slightly translucent or had high contrast (very light and very dark spots next to each other). Some textile fragments were reflective because of the protective coating used in conservation. The other sides of the eccentrics were Figure B.3. Masking and its effects: (a) single scan with less masking; (b) single scan with more aggressive masking (CPN-P-2707/ Artifact 90-12).
more polished and reflective. Some of these challenges were overcome by using an average of eight captures for each scan and by scanning at a more oblique angle to reduce glare from the projector. Nevertheless, parts of individual scans contained substantial errors and had to be removed manually during process: ing. It was important to have enough overlap between the scans so that removal of bad sections would not cause gaps in the final model.
The parameters of merging the scans into a single mesh also affected the Figure B.5. Filling the holes in the mesh: (a) close-up of a 3D model edge with unfilled holes (visible as lighter or darker areas depending on the orientation of surface triangles); (b) close up of a 3D model with filled holes with some edge modification visible (CPN-P-2707/ Art. 90-12). The processing of the data involved additional choices which were made with the goals of the project in mind. The first such choice was the extent to which the pixels along the edges of each scan and in the areas of high contrast had to be masked away. Less masking would result in a 3D surface with more data but potentially more errors (Figure B.3a). Aggressive masking would re- move some errors but also simplify the overall surface, particularly at the edges of the scans (Figure B.3b), which would nearly always correspond to the edges of the blades unless they faced the scanner so that both sides of the blade were visible during capture.
Figure B.6. Meshlab-generated grayscale rendering of a 3D model with the radiance scaling filter to enhance the visibility of the surface topography (CPN- P-2707 / Artifact 90-12). The finished 3D models were saved as PLY (Stanford Triangle Format) files with color information included. The scanner’s own Optocat software was used to make two-dimensional renderings of the models from several view angles with a simulation of multiple raking light sources. Larger images were obtained with free Meshlab software which offered additional filters to enhance the visibility of the surface topography such as radiance scaling (Figure B.6). All renderings were geometrically uniform and distortion-free orthographic views, which could be used for taking measurements and making accurate drawings of the artifacts. Meshlab was also used to downsample the digital models using quadric edge collapse decimation and convert them into U3D (Universal 3D) files, which could be embedded in 3D PDF documents.
Research paper thumbnail of Caracol at Cambridge
Caracol at Cambridge
Research paper thumbnail of Contexto y texto de la estela 47 de Naranjo-Sa’aal, Peten, Guatemala
XXIX Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2015, ed. by B. Arroyo, L. Méndez Salinas, G. Ajú Álvarez
Stela 47 was discovered in 2014 in the central section of the stairway of the pyramid C-9 located... moreStela 47 was discovered in 2014 in the central section of the stairway of the pyramid C-9 located in the East Triadic Acropolis in the epicenter of the ancient Maya city of Naranjo-Sa’aal. The said structure has been the focus of archaeological research and conservation efforts undertaken by DECORSIAP-IDAEH since the year 2005. Stela 47 is in excellent state of preservation. The monument was commissioned by the local ruler known as ‘Aj Wosaj’ in the late sixth or early seventh century C.E. This paper offers the first description of the monument and its archaeological context. The authors discuss the imagery and the inscription on the stela and address the implications of the new data for the understanding of culture, rhetoric, and politics during a crucial period in the history of Naranjo-Sa’aal and the broader region of Eastern Petén.
Research paper thumbnail of The power of place| Political landscape and identity in Classic Maya inscriptions, imagery, and architecture
Understanding the ways in which human communities define themselves in relation to landscape has ... moreUnderstanding the ways in which human communities define themselves in relation to landscape has been one of the crucial research questions in anthropology. My dissertation project explores Classic Maya political landscapes and seeks to understand the relation between place and identity in the written discourse. In addition, it establishes links between a text-based approach to Classic Maya political landscapes and the archaeological record.The findings of my research are based on two data sets: the data base of place names in Classic Maya inscriptions that incorporates full textual contexts of every toponym and the results of my archaeological and epigraphic fieldwork at the site of La Sufricaya, El Petén, Guatemala.
Classic Maya political landscapes did not involve representations of territories. Most Classic Maya toponyms indexed discrete objects in space associated with the ch'e'n category indicating that these places were the dwellings of gods and ancestors. Classic Maya royal families were usually related to one or more ch'e'n place names – current locations of royal courts, but also places of origins in deep time. The underlying narratives and identities set some royal families apart and united others.
Many Classic Maya rulers were members of several geopolitical groups associated with specific geographical areas and political networks. Thirteen Divisions, Seven Divisions, and Twenty-eight Lords were the most widely mentioned collectivities. These groups constituted a kind of macro-regional landscape, but a landscape of social and not spatial entities.
Classic Maya inscriptions and images suggest that public ceremonies were the events where members of geopolitical communities were involved, when political identities were performed, experienced, and reiterated. The case of La Sufricaya reveals how these practices structured the spatial organization and the construction sequence of an emerging palace complex. Archaeological evidence at La Sufricaya points to the high level of interconnectedness between members of Classic Maya political landscapes. It also reveals that, in the absence of an established local community, the long-term success of a new political center largely depended on its geopolitical network.
Research paper thumbnail of Excavaciones y rescate en el área de La Sufricaya, Holmul, Petén, Guatemala
Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Conservación de la Arquitectura Monumental en la Región de Holmul: Temporada 2018, 2019
La Sufricaya se localiza 1km al suroeste del epicentro de Holmul en el noreste del departamento d... moreLa Sufricaya se localiza 1km al suroeste del epicentro de Holmul en el noreste del departamento de Petén. Cuenta con más de 40 grupos residenciales, una pequeña acrópolis, un patio para el juego de pelota y varias estelas grabadas. Las investigaciones realizadas hasta el momento han aportado datos que permiten conocer aspectos importantes de la sociedad maya antigua, como ser la relación e interacción con ciudades vecinas y sociedades foráneas. En el presente informe se dan a conocer los resultados de la segunda temporada enfocada en los grupos periféricos del sitio. El objetivo fue de recuperar materiales culturales y encontrar rasgos arquitectónicos que permiten fechar la temporalidad de ocupación de estos espacios. Esto se realizó en los meses de junio y julio de 2018.
Research paper thumbnail of Reconocimiento, excavaciones y rescate en el área de La Sufricaya, Holmul, Petén, Guatemala
Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Conservación de la Arquitectura Monumental en la Región de Holmul: Temporada 2017, 2018
Research paper thumbnail of Los Monumentos de Tikal. By Dmitri Beliaev, Alexandre Tokovinine, Sergey Vepretskiy y Camilo Luín
Proyecto Atlas Epigráfico de Petén, Fase I, Jan 2014
Durante la primera fase de trabajo del proyecto, fueron docum entados en total 149 monum entos pr... moreDurante la primera fase de trabajo del proyecto, fueron docum entados en total 149 monum entos prehispánicos (sin contar las estelas, altares lisos y elem entos de escultura arquitectónica). De ellos 110 contenían inscripciones jeroglíficas o glifos aislados, los cuales se encuentran distribuidos en siete lugares: 49 m onum entos están expuestos al público en el Museo de Lítica, en el Museo de Cerámica Sylvanus G. M orley y en el Sitio Arqueológico de Tikal. Otros 100 se preservan en cuatro bodegas: Bodega de Pennsylvania, que tomó especial interés para el proyecto al observar que dentro de ella se guardaban fragm entos de algunos monum entos del Museo de Lítica (Estela 5, Estela 6, Estela 24 y su Altar 7, así como fragm entos de la Estela 26), La docum entación empezó el 27 de abril en el Museo de Lítica, finalizando el 7 de mayo del presente año. Durante estos días fueron docum entados 26 m onumentos expuestos al público.
Research paper thumbnail of Escaneo en 3D: Frizos estucados en los túneles de Copán, Bodega de Tikal, Holmul, Guatemala. Fash, Barvara W., y Alexandre Tokovinine
2013. Informe del Centro David Rockefeller de Estudios Latinoamericanos. Fash, Barbara W. y William L. Fash, con Jorge Ramos y Alexandre Tokovinine, 2014
Research paper thumbnail of Documentación topometrica de los monumentos en Tikal, Petén, Guatemala, 5-11 de mayo, 2013
Proyecto Atlas Epigráfico de Petén, Fase I, Jan 2014
La documentación topométrica digital de alta resolución también conocida como escaneo en tres dim... moreLa documentación topométrica digital de alta resolución también conocida como escaneo en tres dimensiones (3D), representa una nueva fase en la investigación y conservación del patrimonio cultural. El proceso no necesita el contacto físico con el objeto documentado, las réplicas digitales facilitan la investigación y pueden ser utilizadas para la producción de las réplicas físicas usando las máquinas de impresión en 3D. Por lo tanto, el Corpus de las Inscripciones Jeroglíficas Mayas (CMHI) encargado de la documentación de los monumentos precolombinos en Guatemala, México, Belice y Honduras, empezó a usar esta nueva tecnología y a colaborar con otros proyectos centroamericanos para ofrecer la oportunidad de incorporar la documentación topométrica en sus investigaciones.
Research paper thumbnail of Classic Maya Place Name Database Project
FAMSI Report, 2007
This report presents the preliminary results of the Classic Maya Place Name Database Project. The... moreThis report presents the preliminary results of the Classic Maya Place Name Database Project. The first part of the report outlines the main goals and challenges of the study of place names in Classic Maya inscriptions. The second part of the report describes the procedures followed during the data collection stage of the project and some additional challenges, which emerged at that stage. The third part of the report highlights some initial results in terms of the data acquired and the analysis of the data done so far.
"Ts'ak ch'e'n" expression on Stela 31, Tikal (DB#886). Photo by Alexandre Tokovinine.
Table 1. Asample of database entries before secondary classification
Table 2. Place Name Contexts in the Inscriptions; the case of Tikal (Mutal) The dimensions of “direct/indirect” and “inside/outside” constitute the primary contexts of each place name. The last six rows represent the contexts, which are effectively the subsets of the “indirect/indirect” classification (“royal/non-royal,” “emblem glyph/a person from,” “historical/mythological”). This is why the table is presented as a combination of one-dimensional and two-dimensional formats, where each place name entry is classified in terms of seven contexts, which in turn can be classified in terms of “us/them”.
Research paper thumbnail of Reporte epigráfico de la temporada de 2005
Investigaciones arqueológicas en la region de Holmul, …, 2005
Research paper thumbnail of Reporte preliminar del análisis epigráfico e iconográfico de algunas vasijas del Proyecto Atlas Arqueológico de Guatemala, Dolores, Petén
Reporte 20, Atlas Arqueológico de Guatemala, pp. 364-383
El presente reporte es el resultado del trabajo con los materiales del Proyecto Atlas Arqueológic... moreEl presente reporte es el resultado del trabajo con los materiales del Proyecto Atlas Arqueológico de Guatemala, tanto en el laboratorio del proyecto como en el Museo Regional del Sureste del Petén, ubicado en el municipio de Dolores, en donde varios de estos ejemplares se encuentran en exhibición. El trabajo se efectuó entre el 8 al 15 de Junio de 2006, examinando un total de 26 vasijas y platos con varios motivos iconográficos, algunos con inscripciones jeroglíficas.
Research paper thumbnail of Proyecto Arqueológico de Investigación y Rescate Naranjo, Temporada 2006. Operación 34: Reporte Preliminar
El objetivo de la Operación 34 era investigar el patio al este de la Acrópolis Central buscando l... moreEl objetivo de la Operación 34 era investigar el patio al este de la Acrópolis Central buscando los basureros asociados con la ocupación Clásica Tardía-Terminal y también establecer la historia arquitectónica de este conjunto. Para alcanzar a este objetivo decidimos de hacer una serie de pozos de sondeo en las esquinas del patio formados respectivamente por el basamento de la Acrópolis Central y las Estructuras 61, 62, y 64. La segunda serie de pozos estarían en los ejes centrales de las estructuras o en la proximidad a los pozos iniciales en caso si encontramos algo que merece nuestra atención.
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 604: Archaeology of Complex Societies
This course examines archaeological approaches to understanding ancient complex societies: i.e.; ... moreThis course examines archaeological approaches to understanding ancient complex societies: i.e.; those societies in which there was institutionalized inequality, specialization, and interdependence among social groups. The discussion begins with the conceptual framework of social evolution, its critique, and the subsequent search for new theories and methods in the study of ancient states and their historical trajectories. While some of these more recent trends represent a continuation of the evolutionary paradigm, the seminar highlights the methodological and theoretical shift to “archaeology of the political”, alternative ontologies, and network analysis. The case of ancient Maya polities is used to illustrate the interplay of broader paradigmatic changes vs. new field data.
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 1173. Cities in the jungles: Maya archaeology
In this course, you will explore the ancient Maya, a fascinating and mysterious civilization that... moreIn this course, you will explore the ancient Maya, a fascinating and mysterious civilization that once flourished in the jungles of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. Although most of their cities were abandoned long before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Americas, a century of archaeological studies has revealed the world of the ancient Maya in unprecedented detail. New research methods and the decipherment of thousands of hieroglyphic inscriptions have allowed us to start to understand their indigenous history, society, politics, economy, and worldview. The course centers on the history of the Maya civilization, but also fits it within broader questions of the emergence and the nature of statehood, relations with other Pre-Columbian civilizations of Central America, and the role of the environment in shaping and challenging the ancient way of life. The course will also address the issue of change and tensions in the paradigms of Maya archaeological studies. It is intended for graduate and undergraduate students and requires no prior background in Maya archaeology. Course requirements and readings: During the semester, you will write two exams and one final paper. In the weekly sections (to be arranged) you will have the opportunity to explore artifacts from the collections of Harvard's Peabody Museum and to tour its exhibits. Please note that the readings and sections are integral parts of this course, and your attendance and active participation will be reflected in your final grade. In particular, it is expected that you will come to every section prepared to discuss the week's readings and lectures. All the required readings will be available on the course website.
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 1168: Maya Glyphs
Learn to read and write in Maya glyphs to discover the most spectacular civilization in the Ameri... moreLearn to read and write in Maya glyphs to discover the most spectacular civilization in the Americas in its own words! This course covers the basics of Maya writing and art using the outstanding visual and material collections of the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions and Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. It explores the indigenous Maya myths, histories, and stories of life at the ancient courts of lords and nobles.
The course begins with an overview of Classic Maya writing and its historical and cultural contexts. After the introductory section on the fundamentals of Maya glyphs, each week will combine a discussion of the grammar of the Hieroglyphic Mayan with thematic lectures on a range of topics from tags and texts on drinking cups to parallels between Pre-Columbian, Colonial, and present-day Maya literatures. The lectures are accompanied by practical translation exercises and quizzes.
Course Description Learn to read and write in Maya glyphs to discover the most spectacular civilization in the Americas in it: own words! This course covers the basics of Maya writing and art using the outstanding visual anc material collections of the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions and Peabody Museum o Archaeology and Ethnology. It explores the indigenous Maya myths, histories, and stories of life at the ancient courts of lords and nobles. http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/71052
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 2022. Picturing the Past: An Introduction to Digital Epigraphy and Archaeological Illustration
Clear, scientifically accurate, and aesthetically pleasing illustrations are an indispensable par... moreClear, scientifically accurate, and aesthetically pleasing illustrations are an indispensable part of the archaeologist’s toolkit. This course explores the history, development, and current methodology behind archaeological illustration as it applies primarily to two sample cultures, Egyptian (Old World) and Maya (New World). Students will particularly focus on epigraphy—the creation of facsimile line drawings of relief sculpture, inscriptions, and selected three-dimensional objects for publication—in both its traditional, and now overwhelmingly digital forms. Labs will furnish access to today’s computer and tablet devices, and students will gain practical experience working directly from objects in the various archaeological collections of Harvard University and beyond. No previous artistic training is assumed; basic computer skills will be expanded into the realm of archaeological illustration, 3D scanning, and vector tracing from high-resolution photographs. Classes will include meetings in Harvard’s Visualization Center, and explore the various routes to scholarly “publication” in the widest sense of the word.
Course Requirements and Final Sat/Unsat Grade Percentages: Clear, scientifically accurate, and aesthetically pleasing illustrations are an indispensable part of the archaeologist’s toolkit. This course explores the history, development, and current methodology behi archaeological illustration as it applies primarily to two sample cultures, Egyptian (Old World) and Maya (New World). Students will particularly focus on epigraphy—the creation of facsimile line drawings of relief sculpture, inscriptions, and selected three-dimensional objects for publication—in both its traditional, and now overwhelmingly digital forms. Labs will furnish access to today’s comp and tablet devices, and students will gain practical experience working directly from objects in the various archaeological collections of Harvard University and beyond. No previous artistic training is assumed; basic computer skills will be expanded into the realm of archaeological illustration, 3D scanning, and vector tracing from high-resolution photographs. Classes will include meetings in Harvard’s Visualization Center, and explore the various routes to scholarly “publication” in the wide: sense of the word.
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 1170: Mesoamerican Writing Systems
This seminar explores the role of writing broadly defined in the social, political, and religious... moreThis seminar explores the role of writing broadly defined in the social, political, and religious fabric of ancient civilizations of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. The region, known as Mesoamerica, is characterized by an amazing variety of indigenous writing systems, from phonetic ones like Maya hieroglyphs, to largely pictographic notations such as Mixtec records. The course offers a survey of Mesoamerican writing systems that centers on the basic properties of the scripts and their uses. It highlights how specific features of Mesoamerican writing systems reflect broader regional traditions with respect to the role of writing in social, political, and religious life of ancient societies. The history of the study of writing systems in Mesoamerica is also brought into view with a particular emphasis on current discussions and recent advancements in our understanding of the indigenous scripts. The course combines lectures with seminar-style discussions, as well as some hands-on exploration of Pre-Columbian and Early Colonial texts on different media from the collections of the Peabody Museum and Harvard libraries.
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 1167Colonial and Modern Ch’olan literatures
"This course centers on three Ch’olan languages and associated body of literary works that may be... more"This course centers on three Ch’olan languages and associated body of literary works that may be of interest to students in anthropology, linguistics, comparative literatures, and history. Even though Ch’olan languages, particularly Ch’olti’ and Ch’orti’, have been crucial for the continuing decipherment of ancient Maya writing, they remain understudied and underpublished. The course will be based on a series of recent publications on Ch’olti’, an extinct Ch’olan language, and modern Ch’orti’, its closest surviving relative.

While some classes will be devoted to the grammar, vocabulary, and literary tradition of Ch’orti’ as spoken today, other sections of the course will introduce the fundamentals of Colonial Ch’olti’ and Chontal grammars (which are broadly similar to Ch’orti’ but diverge on several important issues) and then proceed to explore Moran’s manuscript, the only surviving Ch’olti’ text, and the Maldonado-Paxbolon Papers, a highly important source on Chontal Maya history and literature and one of the few surviving Maya documents detailing events immediately before and after the Spanish conquest.
"
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 1168. Introduction to Classic Maya Writing and Art
This course offers an introduction to the written and visual tradition of the Late Classic Maya o... moreThis course offers an introduction to the written and visual tradition of the Late Classic Maya of Mexico and Central America (A.D. 600-900). The main goal is to master the basics of Classic Maya hieroglyphs and iconography, explore the connections between the written and visual languages, and to review several key topics in the study of Maya inscriptions and art. The course combines theoretical discussions with "hands on" training in epigraphy and iconography.
Research paper thumbnail of Anthropology 1158. Maya Narratives: Gods, Lords, and Courts
This course explores the continuing investigation of Classic Maya texts and images, and how new d... moreThis course explores the continuing investigation of Classic Maya texts and images, and how new decipherments have changed our understanding of the ancient Maya world. The Classic Maya are the only Pre-Columbian civilization with a substantial corpus of inscriptions produced well before any contact with the Old World. Maya written and visual narratives reveal details of history and myth, life at the courts of lords and nobles, and religion and worldview. Their testimonies are often striking, unique, and hard to understand, but they are not mediated by non-indigenous interpreters and open a window into a world long gone.
Research paper thumbnail of Structured Light Scanning in Conservation and Research: Seven Years of the CMHI 3D Scanning Project
Structured Light Scanning in Conservation and Research: Seven Years of the CMHI 3D Scanning Project
Research paper thumbnail of Lords of Tikal: Narratives and Identities
This paper explores a web of places, people, gods, and narratives associated with Tikal lords and... moreThis paper explores a web of places, people, gods, and narratives associated with Tikal lords and defining the place of this mighty royal family in the Classic Maya political landscape. Tikal rulers, as well as by their allies and enemies, chose to highlight certain associations or narratives and to suppress others. Political identities of Tikal lords also changed through time.
Table 2: Direct references to Mutal in Tikal inscriptions”
Research paper thumbnail of Epigraphy in 3D: Digital Photogrammetry and Publication of Classic Maya Inscriptions. By Alexandre Tokovinine and Barbara Fash
The on-going decipherment and study of Classic Maya writing and iconography relies on timely publ... moreThe on-going decipherment and study of Classic Maya writing and iconography relies on timely publication of accurate line drawings and photographs of monuments and artifacts. Far from mere mechanical reproductions, such photographs and drawings reflect one's expert judgment and aesthetic preferences. Given that most monuments have suffered from intentional damage or erosion, line drawings constitute a key step between the epigrapher's initial interpretation of an inscription and/or imagery and its wider dissemination among scholars and wider academic and non -academic audiences. The digital photogrammetry offers a new level of precision and verifiability in the production of epigraphic illustrations, as it enables sharing of primary 3D data alongside its interpretation as renderings and drawings, potentially signaling a new era in the study of Classic Maya heritage. This presentation explores the emerging practice of digital epigraphy and it contribution to advancing our understanding of ancient monuments through a series of examples and case studies.
Figure 12. Extreme feature enhancement with radiance scaling: a) unsuccessful enhancement due to high surface erosion (Sufricaya Stela 5); b) successful enhancement (Holmul Group II Building A-sub)
Figure 1. Maya epigraphy workflow: a) field sketch, b-c) photographs, d) inking
Figure 3: Maya carving styles on PNG PN 3: a) high relief; b) incised line; c) mixed (not to scale}
Figure 7. Photograph tracing (white) vs. orthoimage (3D scan rendering)
Research paper thumbnail of Signification Domains and Expressions of Identity in Maya Writing. Paper presented at the 9th European Maya Conference “Maya Ethnicity: The Construction of Ethnic Identity from the Preclassic to Modern Times” (December 10 – 12, Bonn)
Recent research has demonstrated that semasiographic content is embedded in some Classic Maya hie... moreRecent research has demonstrated that semasiographic content is embedded in some Classic Maya hieroglyphs. This paper addresses the question if the graphic representation of Maya writing could reflect the identity of those who commissioned and produced the texts. Following Cohen's perspective on social identity, we consider the cases when variation in the semasiographic component of Maya writing could reflect some boundaries or boundary areas in meaning between distinct social groups. The paper focuses on polity names in 'Emblem glyphs' and on Teotihuacan-associated signs in Early Classic text at Tikal. It has been argued that either case demonstrates that semasiographic values of hieroglyphs inform of symbolic boundaries between social groups.
Research paper thumbnail of An Exploration of Writing. By Peter Daniels, with a foreword by David L. Share. Sheffield, UK: Equinox Publishing, 2018. Pp. 236 + 7 illustrations + 8 maps. $100 (cloth), $35 (paper).
Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2020
There is no comparable survey written by a top specialist with the purpose of revealing structura... moreThere is no comparable survey written by a top specialist with the purpose of revealing structural similarities in language encoding by
writing systems and dispelling several key misconceptions along the way. Its conclusions are thought-provoking and consequential. This book is a must-have, although its actual audience is somewhat narrower than
intended. As a course textbook, however, it requires contextualization and extra readings
Research paper thumbnail of La recuperación de la Estela 43 de Naranjo: Un breve acercamiento a la importancia histórica e iconográfica de un monumento Maya perdido
XXXV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2023
This brief report offers a preliminary study of an important Maya sculpture that was looted over ... moreThis brief report offers a preliminary study of an important Maya sculpture that was looted over two decades ago from the ruins of Naranjo, Peten, and lately recovered in Guatemala City in 2022. We designate it as Stela 43 of Naranjo, Petén, due to its very close correspondence in style and form to a stela fragment recovered at Naranjo that was given that number, reported several years ago. We emphasize that the information and interpretations offered here are preliminary in nature, and that a much more detailed study of the stela and of its artistic and historical significance is now in preparation.
Figura 1. Fotografia de la nota escrita a mano, que detalla las circunstancias del saqueo del monument
Figura 3. Fragmento de la base de la Estela 43. Dibujo Stefanie Teuffel.
Figura 4. Dibujos del nuevo fragmento basados en escdner tridimensional. Dibujos por Alexandre Tokovinin:
Figura 5. Retratos de “Fogén” Chan Ahk (a) y Aj Numsaaj Chan K’inich () wari peracion de la Estela 43 de Naranjo: Un breve acercamiento a la importancia..
Figura 6. Elementos iconograficos de las escenas principales en el fragmento de estela
4 recuperacion de la Estela 43 de Naranjo: Un breve acercamiento a la importancia.. 227
Research paper thumbnail of Procesos políticos en las márgenes del reino de Copán
Yaxkin, 2024
Este artículo se centra en el cambio del período Clásico Tardío al Posclásico en Río Amarillo, un... moreEste artículo se centra en el cambio del período Clásico Tardío al Posclásico en Río Amarillo, una avanzada oriental del sistema político de Copán. Aquí analizamos tanto el centro ritual del sitio, como el Sitio 5, uno de sus grupos residenciales asociados. La evidencia del período Clásico Tardío sugiere que Río Amarillo funcionó como centro administrativo de Copán, con el objetivo de supervisar la producción de alimentos para el gobierno. Durante el Clásico Terminal el sitio fue quemado y saqueado, al igual que su poderoso vecino del oeste, aunque sobrevivieron habitantes de algunos grupos residenciales aledaños. El Sitio 5, en particular, demuestra una ocupación ininterrumpida desde el período Clásico hasta el período Posclásico Temprano. El Sitio 5 ofrece una ventana a las formas de vida de los habitantes del Valle de Copán en un período en el que el tributo y el servicio a la gran entidad política ya no eran necesarios. Proponemos que la menor densidad de asentamientos en la Bolsa Este de Río Amarillo, su mayor precipitación anual y su mayor biodiversidad fueron factores importantes en la supervivencia de algunos de sus habitantes.

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