The importance of women in the preservation of the companies dedicated to the production and sale of the Jipi-Japa hat in the Maya area of Calkiní

In the Yucatán península, the handicraft businesses tend to disappear when the master craftsman dies, losing these family type companies. According with researches applied by Santos y Barroso (2016), point out that the 66% of the companies are run by handicraft woman, who preserve their customs, traditions and handicraft heritage. This document aims to appreciate the importance of the women in the preservation of the companies dedicated to the production and commercialization of the Jipi-Japa hat in the mayan area from Calkiní, in order to know the strengths and weaknesses of these companies for the export to European Markets. The research proposal was mixed and it was carried out in the four mayan localities: Tankuche, Bécal, Santa Cruz ex-Hacienda y San Nicólas from the municipality of Calkiní, in the state of Campeche, in two phases: Phase 1.- Internal analysis of the handicraft’s companies. Phase 2.- External analysis of the handicraft´s companies through key informants. The results point out that even when the woman has an important leading role in this activity, there is a significant decrease in their number; which indicates, that the new generations do not see the handicraft production attractive perhaps because of the work it implies and the low remuneration, putting at risk the generation of jobs derived from this activity; For this reason, it is urgent to implement strategies in the production and commercialization of the hat that help to strengthen this activity and prevent its extinction.

Cuisine at the Crossroads

Investigations at sites across northwestern Honduras—inside and outside the Maya area—have revealed diverse food activities and ingredients. Paralleling the evidence from durable artifact assemblages, we see transformation over time in materials and practices, as well as the movement of elements across the landscape. Botanical evidence points toward a dynamic overlap between northern and southern societies, with northwestern Honduras serving as a sort of regional crossroads. In this article, we compare cuisines from several ancient communities in northwestern Honduras, using microbotanical and macrobotanical residues. We briefly address the political and historic context of the region and provide abridged biographies of several culinary taxa. Of particular interest are milpa annual crops such as maize and squash, managed and cultivated palm species, wild and managed herbaceous species, edible fruit species, and root and tuberous crops such as lerén, sweet potato, and manioc.

Metabolomics-based analysis of miniature flask contents identifies tobacco mixture use among the ancient Maya

A particular type of miniature ceramic vessel locally known as “veneneras” is occasionally found during archaeological excavations in the Maya Area. To date, only one study of a collection of such containers successfully identified organic residues through coupled chromatography–mass spectrometry methods. That study identified traces of nicotine likely associated with tobacco. Here we present a more complete picture by analyzing a suite of possible complementary ingredients in tobacco mixtures across a collection of 14 miniature vessels. The collection includes four different vessel forms and allows for the comparison of specimens which had previously formed part of museum exhibitions with recently excavated, untreated containers. Archaeological samples were compared with fresh as well as cured reference materials from two different species of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum and N. rustica). In addition, we sampled six more plants which are linked to mind-altering practices through Mesoamerican ethnohistoric or ethnographic records. Analyses were conducted using UPLC-MS metabolomics-based analytical techniques, which significantly expand the possible detection of chemical compounds compared to previous biomarker-focused studies. Results include the detection of more than 9000 residual chemical features. We trace, for the first time, the presence of Mexican marigold (Tagetes lucida) in presumptive polydrug mixtures.

BEFORE THE MAYA: A REVIEW OF PALEOINDIAN AND ARCHAIC HUMAN SKELETONS FOUND IN THE MAYA REGION

This article presents a review of the earliest known skeletal remains in the Maya area, which are found in submerged caves in Mexico and rock shelters in Belize and date to the Paleoindian and Archaic periods. While few in number, several of these individuals have been the focus of intensive analyses, providing an emerging picture of life in the region before the transition to agriculture and settled village communities.

Retrieving the ancient colours: artistic practice as a tool for heritage reconstruction

The frieze of the Palace of the stuccoes, dated between the 5 th and 6 th century BC, was a polychrome Maya relief discovered in the 1907 in Yucatán, Mexico. It was documented in watercolours and hand tinted photographs by Adela Breton. After years of exposure to the harsh environmental conditions of the Maya area, the colours and the stucco relief disappeared. The aim of the project is to develop a hybrid digital-analogue printing method for reconstructing the appearance of the original polychrome relief based on digitised hand-made records.<br/> A description of the process to produce full colour images combining digital and photomechanical printing is provided. Using photopolymer plates, an intaglio printing process has been used to produce colour images, whilst inverse relief plates have been created based on height maps to transfer a positive embossing on paper when applying pressure on a printing press. The influence of physical parameters related to the appearance is studied. Reflectance Transformation Imaging was carried out to record the colour and surface shape of the prints. Measurements of gloss were made on relief inkjet prints and intaglio prints on paper to compare the outcomes of commercial 2.5D print and the method proposed here.<br/> By modifying an analogue process with digital technology, it is possible to incorporate ancient materials to the printmaking process and therefore approach naturally the appearance of the original. On the other hand, incorporating imaging techniques and quality measurements enables to improve the quality in analogue printing techniques.

3. The divine king

“The divine king” begins with a short biography of the Maya k’uhul ajaw (supreme lord or king) known as 18-Rabbit. During the Classic period, rulers were viewed as divine kings or queens, like 18-Rabbit and Lady K’abel (“Waterlily-Hand”). The ancient Maya used a combination of a cyclical calendar and a linear calendar called the “Long Count.” The Maya area experienced regular intrusions from imperial Teotihuacan, often leading to economic and diplomatic partnerships. Most Mayas experienced war in their lifetimes. The “Collapse” at the end of the Classic period could more accurately be called a transition, with major regional variations. Some well-known Maya sites flourished after the Collapse.

7. Colonizations

“Colonizations” charts the invasions and dislocations experienced on an unprecedented scale by the Maya peoples since the sixteenth century. The Maya area is carved up among five nation-states—Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Agricultural centers such as Guatemala experienced slavery and exploitation in the nineteenth century, and in the latter half of the twentieth century, Mayas in Guatemala were subject to a campaign of violence and genocide. Their mystery has long entranced scholars of the Maya, giving rise to some extreme theories, including extraterrestrial involvement in Maya civilization. However, Maya history is a story not only of victimization, but also of adaptation and survival.

Modeling Maya Markets

An abundance of data now supports the existence—long doubted—of markets in the Maya area in the Classic period (C.E. 250–900) and their economic importance. Why, however, did it take so long for Maya markets to be recognized? And how are they best conceptualized? After briefly reviewing the assumptions that hindered archaeological research on markets, especially among the Maya, this article uses ethnohistorical and ethnographic information to suggest an agent-centered model for how Maya markets worked. The intent is not to create a single, overarching template, because Maya economy varied over time and space, but rather to infuse more of a Maya perspective into current views and inspire others to continue doing so in the future.

Xoob: observaciones sobre la producción de silbatos en Uayma, Yucatán

This work seeks an understanding of the elaboration of ceramic whistles in the community of Uayma, Yucatan. As part of the objectives, the tangible and intangible characteristics that involve the process of creating six selected aerophones from a larger sample of twelve sound artifacts were documented. The research frames the links of material culture, knowledge and technology used in the manufacture of aerophones, as well as the worldview of producers. The results of the morphology, acoustics and functionality of these artifacts are presented through an X-ray imaging study applied to the sample in order to understand the variants existing in the internal and external forms that regulate the conditions of execution, as well as the acoustics and functionality of the instrument. The present study adds, as an interpretive option, to the multiple proposals derived from the theme of production of ceramic sound artifacts for the Maya area.