“This volume is the first of its kind. A complex mosaic of how a relatively small Late Classic Maya polity was economically, socially, and politically organized. A must-read for all Maya scholars.”—James F. Garber, editor of The Ancient Maya of the Belize Valley
“The editors have assembled a remarkable array of evidence, including several innovative analytical methods. The product is a synthetic model that will shape how we understand and study Classic Maya political economy for the next several decades.”—Jason Yaeger, editor of Classic Maya Provincial Politics
Scholars have long debated the nature of Maya political organization during the Classic period (AD 250–950). Complex questions regarding political centralization, economic change, and the role of politics and economics in the rise and collapse of the civilization have been examined and reexamined from a variety of perspectives. Antonia Foias and Kitty Emery have assembled a broad collection of essays all focused on a single polity, that of Motul de San José.
By presenting a coherent interdisciplinary body of archaeological and environmental data, the volume offers an intensely deep, focused investigation of the various models of the ancient Maya political and economic systems. Research conducted over six seasons of fieldwork reveals a more centralized political system than expected and uncovers the workings of the ancient economic structure. The contributors offer new details concerning how involved royals and nonroyal elites were in the politics of nearby states, as well as an extensive tribute system.
Author(s): Antonia E. Foias, Kitty F. Emery
Series: Maya Studies
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Year: 2012
Language: English
Pages: 552
City: Gainesville
Cover
Motul de San José
Title
Copyright
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
1. Politics and Economics: Theoretical Perspectives of the Motul de San José Project
2. Lords of Windy Water: The Royal Court of Motul de San José in Classic Maya Inscriptions
3. Identity and Interaction: Ceramic Styles and Social History of the Ik’ Polity, Guatemala
4. Architecture, Volumetrics, and Social Stratification at Motul de San José during the Late and Terminal Classic
5. Figurine Economies at Motul de San José: Multiple and Shifting Modes of Valuation
6. Motul de San José Palace Pottery Production: Reconstructions from Wasters and Debris
7. History, Politics, and Ceramics: The Ceramic Sequence of Trinidad de Nosotros, El Petén, Guatemala
8. Wealth, Status, and Stucco: Micromorphology Studies at Trinidad, a Secondary Center in the Motul de San José Periphery
9. Akte: Settlement, Chronology, and Monuments at the Minor Ceremonial Center Akte in the Motul de San José Periphery
10. Preliminary Investigations in Macro- and Microbotany at Motul de San José
11. The Motul de San José Animals in an Economic Perspective
12. Animal Resource Use and Exchange at an Inland Maya Port: Zooarchaeological Investigations at Trinidad de Nosotros
13. In Search of Markets and Fields: Soil Chemical Investigations at Motul de San José
14. Stable Carbon Isotope Evidence of Ancient Maize Cultivation on the Soils of Motul de San José
15. Landscape, Economies, and the Politics of Power in the Motul de San José Polity
16. Control without Controlling: Motul de San José and Its Environs from an Outsider’s Perspective
Notes
Bibliography
List of Contributors
Index
Figures
1.1. Location of Motul de San José
1.2. Map of Motul de San José showing group names
1.3. Survey transects in the periphery of Motul de San José
1.4. Central Petén Lakes zone
2.1. Ik’a’ as the ancient name of Motul de San José
2.2. Inscription on MTL St 1
2.3. Inscriptions on monument fragments at Motul de San José
2.4. References to White Bird
2.5. References to Tayel Chan K’inich
2.6. Sihyaj K’awiil and Yajawte’ K’inich
2.7. K’inich Lamaw Ek’ and Yeh Te’ K’inich II
2.8. Last Ik’a’ lords
2.9. Late Classic external connections of Ik’a’ rulers
2.10. References to campaigns against Motul de San José on Itzan St 17
2.11. The court of Ik’a’ in the inscriptions on painted vases
2.12. References to Tubal at Motul de San José and other sites
3.1. MS1121/K1439, a Motul Group 1 vessel portraying the eighth-century Ik’ ruler Yajawte’ K’inich
3.2. K5418, an Ik’-style vase
3.3. Discriminant analysis plot of main fuzzy-derived and statistically refined groups containing vessels painted in the Ik’ style
3.4. DPCS25, a vase excavated at Cueva de Sangre, Petexbatún region
3.5. MS1373/K1728, a Motul Group 2 vessel
3.6. MS0074/K5445, a Motul Group 1 vessel
3.7. MS0179, a Motul Group 2 vessel
3.8. DPT009, excavated at Tamarindito, Petexbatún region
3.9. MS0651/K1599, a vase made in the Petexbatún region
4.1. Definition of three ranks of groups based on architectural group volumetrics
4.2. Definition of group types in the Motul de San José zone based on architectural features and number of structures
4.3. Close-up of Groups C and D
4.4. Plan of excavations in Str. 8L-9 and east–west profile of interior of the south and east walls in Str. 8L-9
4.5. Profile of looting trench in Group D’s east pyramid
4.6. Plan of excavations in Str. 8M-11
4.7. Profile of Str. 8M-11 along east–west line A-A’
4.8. Str. 8M-11 in its final version
4.9. The front terraces and stairway of Str. 8M-11
4.10. Plan of excavations in the southern Str. 8M-10
4.11. Plan of excavations in southern Str. 8L-28 and north–south profile of unit 29F-10
4.12. Plan of excavations in the central Str. 8L-27 and north–south profile of units 29G-7
4.13. Plan of looting damage in Str. 11M-9 and profile of Str. 11M-9
4.14. Plan of Group 11N2 and east–west profile of Str. 11N-7
5.1. Type 1 figurine (female with hat broken off)
5.2. Type 2 figurines
5.3. Type 3 figurines
5.4. Type 4 figurines
5.5. Comparison of figurine manufacturing types
5.6. Distributions of Type 4c and 4d figurines in comparison to Type 1 figurines from Motul de San José and the East Transect
5.7. Possible figurine mold fragment from Akte
5.8. Figurine density
5.9. Spatial distribution of Motul de San José and East Transect figurine densities
6.1. Map of northwestern part of Acropolis Court #4 and excavation units from Operations 2 and 46
6.2. Profiles of excavation units showing the location of dense midden concentrations
6.3. Polychrome vases from the Acropolis middens that fit within the Ik’ style
6.4. Wasters from Op 2A
6.5. Drawings and photograph of smoothers and polishers
6.6. Paint pots and bone tools
6.7. Figurine production evidence
7.1. Map of Trinidad de Nosotros, El Petén, Guatemala
7.2. Trinidad’s central precinct
7.3. Aj Wo’ Complex
7.4. Chukan Complex
7.5. P’ich ‘Ayim Complex and ‘Ayim-tun Complex
7.6. Sik’u’ I-II and Yaljob’ach Complexes
7.7. Sik’u’ I Complex
7.8. Sik’u’ II Complex
7.9. Säk-tunich Complex
8.1. Map of Trinidad and locations of plaster samples
8.2. Preclassic floor with sascab aggregate material highlighted
8.3. Late Classic floor
8.4. Postclassic floors
8.5. Layering in Postclassic floors
8.6. Interior floor from structure C-1
8.7. Bench plaster
8.8. Comparison of aggregate material in floors from Plazas A and B
8.9. Comparison of aggregate material in floors from structures C-1 and G-1
9.1. Preliminary map of Akte, El Petén
9.2. Mamom ceramic materials and Chicanel ceramic sphere rims from the Akte collection
9.3. Early Classic ceramic rim profiles from the Akte collection
9.4. Late Classic ceramic rim profiles from the Akte collection
9.5. Postclassic ceramic rim profiles from the Akte collection
9.6. Stela 1, front and back
9.7. Stela 2, largest piece
9.8. Stela 4, largest fragment
9.9. Stela 7, back and side
9.10. Substela cache located below Monument 3
12.1. Taxonomic composition of the Trinidad faunal assemblage
12.2. Comparison of the taxonomic composition of the general excavation and fine-screen samples
12.3. Distribution of major taxonomic groups across spatial and status boundaries at Trinidad
12.4. Temporal distribution of Trinidad faunal remains
12.5. Chronological variation in animal use at Trinidad
12.6. Comparison of Late Classic middens at Trinidad by taxonomic class
13.1. Map of Chächäklu’um
13.2. The change in δ13C of the SOM within the savanna Chächäklu’um Profiles and Motul de San José Plaza II Profile KJ8
13.3. The spatial distribution of extractable P (mg/kg) within the rural house mound group E2E
13.4. The areas of elevated extractable P, Cu, Fe, Mn in samples of stucco floors from southern palace in Group D
13.5. The areas of elevated Mehlich II extractable P, Cu, Fe, Mn in samples of stucco floors from northern elite residence in Group 8L6 in the Acropolis
13.6. The concentration isopleths of extractable P and Zn in the surface soils of Plaza II
13.7. The concentration isopleths of DTPA extractable Fe and Cu in the surface soils of Plaza II
13.8. The concentration isopleths of DTPA extractable Mn and Pb in the surface soils of Plaza II
14.1. The δ13C values and C/N ratios of organic matter from soil profiles collected at Motul de San José
14.2. The δ13C values and C/N ratios of organic matter from soil profiles collected at Motul de San José, Guatemala, in the peripheral area
14.3. The δ13C values and C/N ratios of organic matter from soil profiles collected at Motul de San José, Guatemala, within the site core
Tables
2.1. Transcriptions of hieroglyphic inscriptions on Motul de San José Stela 1 and Itzan Stela 17
2.2. Known events in the history of Ik’a’ lords
3.1. Dates on the Ik’ Pottery Corpus (Julian calendar dates)
3.2. Chemically defined groups of eighth-century Ik’ painted pottery
3.3. Fuzzy cluster mean values
3.4. Linear discriminant functions
3.5. Principal components from Motul Group 2
4.1. List of Motul de San José groups, their architectural volume, rank, excavation operation, and group type
4.2. Distribution of ground stone at Motul de San José
4.3. List of excavation units per operation
4.4. Distribution of nonlocal resources at Motul de San José
4.5. Densities of nonlocal resources in Late Classic residences by rank
4.6. Distribution of polychromes, elaborate polychromes, and poly chromevases at Motul de San José
5.1. Figurine manufacturing types with description and musical capabilities
5.2. Manufacturing types by volumetrically ranked architectural groups from Motul de San José and the East Transect
5.3. Manufacturing types by sites in the Motul de San José region
5.4. Figurine mold distributions at sites in the Maya area
5.5. Figurine frequencies by volumetrically ranked architectural groups from Motul de San José and the East Transect
6.1. Ceramic sherd density from units 2A-3, -5, -40, -41, -42 in comparison with other Motul de San José midden excavations
6.2. List of possible ceramic production debris with context information
6.3. List of possible ceramic production tools
7.1. Public plaza space and plaza capacity estimates for selected sites in the Motul de San José area
7.2. AMS radiocarbon assays from Trinidad: Radiocarbon ages and calibrated date ranges
7.3. Ceramic complexes for Trinidad
8.1. Plaster sample numbers, contexts, and dates; dates are based on type-variety analysis of related ceramics
8.2. Composition of Late Preclassic floors
8.3. Composition of Late Classic floors
8.4. Composition of Postclassic floors
10.1. Distribution of plant taxa found in Motul de San José botanical samples recovered in and near Plaza II
10.2. Distribution of plant taxa found in Motul de San José botanical samples recovered from household middens
10.3. Distribution of plant taxa found in Motul de San José botanical samples recovered from transects
10.4. Total distribution of plant taxa found in Motul de San José botanical samples
11.1. Spatial distribution of animal remains as %NISP of total assemblage and density per unit of excavated soil
11.2. Chronological distribution of the Motul de San José archaeological animals
11.3. Rank distribution of the Motul de San José archaeological animals
11.4. MSJ rank and chronological distributions of selected taxa and taxonomic groups
11.5. Motul de San José artifacts of animal bone and shell listed by artifact type and production stage
12.1. Animal taxa identified in the Trinidad de Nosotros faunal assemblage quantified by the number of identified specimens (NISP)
13.1. The physical, chemical, and stable isotopic properties of Chächäklu’um savanna soil profiles
13.2. The background, average, maximum, and minimum concentrations of P and heavy metals extracted from surface soils of Plaza II
13.3. Principal component analysis of extractable element concentrations in Plaza II
