Maya Political Science: Time, Astronomy, and the Cosmos

7. New Terminal Classic May Realms

chapter 7 New Terminal Classic May Realms Archaeologists’ attention to the lowland Maya Terminal Classic period , typically dated from circa 790–800 to 950–1000, has long been focused on two topics: “collapse” in the south and “Toltec” influence and chronology in the north. These concerns were identified by archaeologists early in the twentieth century and have molded research and historical reconstructions since. There have been few discussions of events and processes common to both regions (but see Demarest, Rice, and Rice 2004). The may model proposes a different interpretation of Terminal Classic circumstances in the lowlands. This period—which I date to the 128year interval from 820 to 948, or 9.19.10.0.0 8 Ajaw 8 Xul to 10.6.0.0.0 8 Ajaw 8 Yax in the Maya calendar—was the last half of the Late Classic may seating at Tikal and other sites in the southern lowlands. Those sites that were may seats during the Late Classic continued to play a role—albeit a diminished one—during the Terminal Classic. Other sites, at the same time, in both southern and northern lowlands, seem to have risen to greater prominence and adopted new responsibilities as Terminal Classic and Early Postclassic may ku. Among them are Seibal and likely Ucanal in the south and Chich’en Itza, Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal and its Puuc satellites, and Cobá in the north. The Southern Lowlands Some central Petén sites in Tikal’s may realm, such as Ixlú and Zacpet én around Lake Salpetén, continued to celebrate Terminal Classic period endings with monument styles and shapes shared with Tikal. Others, however, did not participate in this Tikal-centered periodending program and instead displayed equally distinctive, Terminal Classic iconographic styles and programs of their own. One such center is Seibal in the Pasión region of southwestern Petén, along with sites in the southwestern portion of Lake Petén Itzá, closer to Tikal. Terminal Classic monuments in these areas differ significantly from those of the Tikal realm, displaying a suite of characteristics that suggest a major infusion of “foreign,” that is, non-Classic and nonsouthern Maya, influences: • Shape: Terminal Classic stelae are often small and occasionally asymmetrical. In contrast to the monuments of the Tikal realm, with their markedly broadened upper portions to better display the important Paddler ancestor figures, these stelae often have narrow tops. • Calendrics: As in the Late Classic, these Terminal Classic monuments celebrate period-ending dates, especially k’atuns and lajuntuns . Dates are commonly given by the Calendar Round rather than Long Count and thus are primarily reconstructions. • Primary themes: While some stelae continue to show a central dignitary scattering, a new theme appears: two (or more) unadorned seated figures conversing and gesturing. • Secondary themes: Captives continue to appear on these monuments ; Paddlers do not. • Additional iconographic elements: These include rope motifs, often as decorated borders; scenes in two or more registers; and so-called foreign or non-Classic Maya elements such as facial features (nose, beard), dress, accoutrements (atlatls), and squared glyph cartouches. • Nonfigural monuments: A number of Terminal Classic stelae and altars, a few in the Tikal realm but distributed over a much wider area, lack figural scenes and instead consist entirely of texts. These include Nakum Stela C (9.19.10.0.0); Flores Stela 2 (10.1.0.0.0); Ixlú Altar 1 (10.2.10.0.0); Jimbal Stela 2 (10.3.0.0.0); Uaxactún Stelae 13 (10.0.0.0.0) and 12 (10.3.0.0.0); Caracol Stela 10 (10.3.0.0.0); Uxmal Stela 17 (10.4.0.0.0) (Schele and Mathews 1998:288). This trait may have started in the Late Classic in some areas: La Naya Stela 1 (9.14.3.0.0); Uxbenká Stela 15 and 19 (9.17.10.0.0; Leventhal 1992:148); Naranjo Stelae 10 (9.19.0.0.0) and 32 (9.19.10.0.0). • Location: Marcus (1976:193; also Houston 1993) noted that 65 percent of all Cycle 10 monuments were erected at relatively small sites that were in second- or third-order ranks in the Late Classic rather than at the large, primary centers. In addition, 40 percent of Cycle 10 Maya centers erected monuments for the first time. new terminal classic may realms 205 206 maya political science figure 7.1 The southern...