Stone Houses and Earth Lords: Maya Religion in the Cave Context (review)

The editors of this book have pulled together the most current research relating to the role of caves in Maya religion and worldview from an archaeological perspective. While it has been known for some time that the ancient Maya saw caves as access points to the underworld, the archaeological exploration of exactly how caves were used as loci of ritual and sacrifice is very recent. In their Introduction, the editors argue that archaeologists have generally avoided issues of religion in favor of those centered on economics or politics, areas often considered more amenable to research using material culture. This book makes a very strong case that archaeologists can explore religion using rigorous theory, ethnohistoric sources, and the intensive study of archaeological data.

Following Prufer and Brady's Introduction, which provides an overview of research on Maya cave archaeology, the book is divided into three sections. The authors in the first section look at how caves were preserved and manipulated as part of the sacred landscape of the ancient Maya, with natural, modified, and artificial caves all used as highly charged access points. Also discussed are the connections between caves and mountains (which on the built landscape may be temples) and the natural association of many of the caves with water. The authors point out that the control and harnessing of water was tied closely to the Maya elite, and this control was used as a means to reinforce authority. Maya ceremonial buildings were often located near or even over these water caves as a way to connect elite authority to water access points. The significant association of caves with ceremonial architecture is explored at several sites, especially in how the constructed landscape was designed for ritual and pilgrimage circuits. At sites in areas without many natural caves, cenotes (or natural, water-filled sinkholes) were often substituted to symbolize the connection to the underworld, although it was noted by several authors that this symbolic use has often been overlooked by archaeologists in their interpretations of site centers.

The eight chapters in the second section closely focus on cave rituals and how these specific activities might connect to larger economic and social issues. The specific types of activities that have been found in caves are explored, and include burials, caches, and dark-zone rituals. One chapter considers the connection of Maya scribes to caves while another explores how caves were used as locations for sweat-baths. The authors provide detailed reporting on the materials recovered in cave excavations, including ceramics, stone tools, worked shell ornaments, and plant remains, and excellent illustrations are included to complement the discussion. Particularly interesting is the documentation of how the Maya intentionally removed stalactites and stalagmites and carried them great distances for ritual uses elsewhere.

The third section narrows in on the topic of the human remains that have been recovered from caves and cenotes. A key question that is addressed is whether caves were used as places for human sacrifices or whether the human skeletons found in caves are the remains of intentional burials. The authors of the papers in this section look at both the contexts in which human bone was found and the biological features that might indicate such things as health, status, or cause of death. The re-evaluation of previous research was combined with results from new cave excavations to clearly document that human remains were associated with a range of ritual behaviors, including both the sacrifice of humans as well as the burial of a select group of society, most likely members of the elite.

This book opens up a whole new venue in which to explore Maya religion and belief and the many authors clearly illustrate how caves were perceived by the Maya as highly charged points on the sacred landscape. The book is well edited, which makes the chapters flow well together, and...