Maya Political Science: Time, Astronomy, and the Cosmos

Contents

contents preface xv note on orthography and dates xix acknowledgments xxi 1. Introduction: Approaches to Maya Political Organization 1 Explanation, Analogy, and the Direct-Historical Approach 1 Sources for a Direct-Historical Approach: A Critical Review 7 Classic Period Hieroglyphic Inscriptions 7 Native Texts of the Postclassic and Colonial Periods 9 Spanish Colonial Documents 14 Dictionaries 16 Modern Ethnography 17 Maya Cosmology and Worldview 19 2. Previous Reconstructions of Classic Maya Political Organization 22 Early Thoughts 22 The Political Geography of the Yucatan Maya 25 Twentieth-Century Ethnography 28 Site Size and Size-Hierarchy Models 31 Inscription-based Models 36 The Importance of Emblem Glyphs 40 Emblem Glyph–based (and Other) Decentralized Models 43 Emblem Glyph–based Centralized Models 47 Time and Its Cycles 51 3. Maya Politico-Religious Calendrics 56 Maya Cosmology and Calendrical Science 56 Maya Calendars 57 Calendrical Origins 67 Calendrical Transformations 74 The Postclassic Maya May 75 The May and Its Seats 76 The Books of the Chilam B’alams and Rituals of the May 79 Overview 83 4. Tikal as Early Seat of the May 85 Preclassic Ritual Architecture and K’atun Seats 86 Early Classic Tikal and Its Rulers 92 The Institution of Kingship 92 Tikal’s Dynastic Founding 94 Tikal’s Name and Emblem Glyph 98 The Dynasty Continues 100 The Central Mexican Presence 102 Tikal in the Middle Classic Period 106 The Meaning of the Middle 111 Overview 115 5. Tikal’s Late and Terminal Classic Seating of the May 121 Tikal as Late Classic May Ku 121 Twin-Pyramid Groups 121 Tikal’s Late Classic Monuments 126 Late Classic Period–ending Monuments in Tikal’s Realm 144 Interpretations: Tikal’s Late Classic May Seating 146 Tikal and Its May Realm in the Terminal Classic Period 151 Monuments and Themes 152 Other Sites in Tikal’s Terminal Classic May Realm 156 Overview 166 6. Other Classic Period May-based Realms 168 Copán, Honduras, and Quiriguá, Guatemala 168 Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico 182 Other Sites and Regions 191 Caracol, Belize 191 Palenque and Toniná, Chiapas, Mexico 194 Dos Pilas, Petén, Guatemala 197 Overview 200 7. New Terminal Classic May Realms 204 The Southern Lowlands 204 Seibal as May Ku: Structure A-3 Monuments 206 x maya political science Lake Petén Itzá 215 Ucanal 218 The Northern Lowlands 220 The Puuc Region 221 Chich’en Itza, Yucatán 226 Dzibilchaltún and Cobá 234 Overview 237 8. Implications of the May Model 243 Identifying the May 243 Calendrical Rituals Involving Fire 245 Burner Rituals 246 New Year’s Ceremonies 248 Fire Walking 251 Ballcourts and the Ballgame 252 Maya “Warfare” 258 Dual Rulership 265 Overview 270 9. Conclusion 275 Origin and Operation of the May System 280 The Classic Maya: A Theocratic State 284 bibliography 291 index 333 Figures 1.1 Map of the lowland Maya area. 2 1.2 Page 25 of the Dresden Codex. 10 1.3 Colonial map of Maní, Yucatán. 15 2.1 Political territories in early Colonial Yucatán. 27 2.2 Defining lowland Maya political boundaries by geographic techniques: (a) central place theory; (b) Theissen polygons. 34 2.3 Glyphs for Classic period political titles and events. 37 2.4 The Tikal Emblem Glyph and variants. 41 2.5 Emblem Glyphs of some Classic Maya sites. 42 2.6 Decentralized model of Classic lowland Maya political organization. 44 2.7 Centralized model of political organization of the southern lowlands, showing four capitals: (a) a.d. 731; (b) a.d. 849. 48 contents xi 2.8 Centralized model of Classic lowland Maya geopolitical organization showing eight regional states. 50 2.9 Schematic models of the history of Maya civilization. 54 3.1 The cycling of the Maya ja’ab’ and tzolk’in. 61 3.2 Full-figure glyphs for units of time, Copán Stela D. 62 3.3 Glyphs for the k’atun. 64 3.4 Tikal Stela 10, right side, showing units of time larger than the b’ak’tun. 65 3.5 Bishop Landa’s drawing of a k’atun wheel. 69 3.6 (a) Pecked crosses; (b) quadripartite glyphs for “completion.” 70 4.1 Map of northeastern Petén. 86 4.2 Map of Tikal. 87 4.3 Uaxactún’s E-Group “observatory” complex. 88 4.4 Tikal’s Mundo Perdido group in the Middle Classic period. 89 4.5 Tikal Stela 29: (a) front, (b) back. 96...