Function and Meaning in Classic Maya Architecture: A Symposium at Dombarton Oaks, 7th and 8th October 1994. Stephen D. Houston, editor. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., 1998. viii + 562 pp., figures, bibliographies, index. $40.00 (cloth).

2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-206
Author(s):  
Michael E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Classic Maya ◽  
Maya Architecture

People Who Lived in Stone Houses: Local Knowledge and Social Difference in the Classic Maya Puuc Region of Yucatan, Mexico

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelli Carmean ◽  
Patricia A. McAnany ◽  
Jeremy A. Sabloff
Keyword(s):  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Classic Maya ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
Social Difference ◽  
Social Differences ◽  
Linguistic Evidence ◽  
The Social ◽  
Maya Architecture ◽  
Social Landscapes

AbstractThis study builds on the premise that local knowledge of limestone—and its workable characteristics—was foundational to landscape inhabitation in the Puuc region of Yucatán, México. Classic Maya architecture of the northern Yucatán generally is considered to represent the apogee of Maya construction prowess with extensive use of core-veneer masonry and the creation of tall, wide corbelled vaults. Less commonly discussed is the variable distribution of high-quality limestone across the Yucatán, the social matrix that undergirds the quarrying, transporting, and working of limestone, and the pronounced social differences materialized in stone architecture. This study explores these three topics by bringing to bear Yucatec Mayan linguistic evidence and excavation data from the archaeological site of Sayil, in the hilly Puuc region of Yucatán. That information provides a basis for understanding the development of a sprawling residential complex, the role that variable limestone quality played in its expansion, and serves as an index of intra-compound social difference. Late additions to the dwellings indicate that recognition of the cultural value of carved stone persisted long after masonry skills became attenuated. The durability of stone renders it a particularly effective—if underutilized—medium for interpreting social landscapes of the past.

Did the Maya Build Architectural Cosmograms?

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Classic Maya ◽  
Ancient Maya ◽  
Early Colonial ◽  
Maya Architecture ◽  
Graphic Representations ◽  
Late Postclassic

AbstractI criticize recent applications of the “cosmogram” concept to ancient Maya architecture and cities. Although cosmograms—graphic representations of aspects of the cosmos—are known from Late Postclassic and early colonial Aztec and Maya sources, there is no textual suggestion that buildings or cities were viewed as cosmograms. Numerous authors, however, assert confidently that architectural cosmograms abounded in Classic Maya cities. I examine known cosmograms, describe recent studies of architectural cosmograms, and discuss problems that occur when highly speculative interpretations are phrased as confident empirical findings.

scholarly journals THE MAUSOLEUM ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT: REINTERPRETING PALENQUE'S TEMPLE OF THE INSCRIPTIONS THROUGH 3D DATA-DRIVEN ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Arianna Campiani ◽  
Rodrigo Liendo Stuardo ◽  
Nicola Lercari
Keyword(s):  
Classic Maya ◽  
Seventh Century ◽  
Light Detection And Ranging ◽  
Mortuary Practices ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Architectural Analysis ◽  
3D Data ◽  
Maya Architecture ◽  
Funerary Architecture ◽  
The Temple

Abstract The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, Mexico, is an outstanding example of Classic Maya architecture erected in the seventh century as the funerary building for ruler K'inich Janab Pakal. For decades, scholars have speculated on its construction sequence and the potential existence of hidden rooms on either side of Pakal's mortuary chamber. This article aims to advance understanding of the Temple's architectural context in light of new 3D data. After reviewing the application of drone-based photogrammetry and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging in the Maya area, we argue that these techniques are capable of enhancing the architectural analysis of the Temple of the Inscriptions and showing that this structure was part of a larger architectural project, encompassing the adjacent Temple XIII, and the connecting stepped building platform. Our findings demonstrate that the basal platforms for the Temple of the Inscriptions and Temple XIII were erected contemporaneously and that the design of their mortuary chambers follows a tripartite layout we identified in Palenque's elite funerary architecture and associated mortuary practices. We conclude that these three buildings were part of a mausoleum architectural project, the construction of which was initiated by Pakal to reshape Palenque's site-core and enshrine the ruling family's power and ancestors.

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