Maya+Architecture

=Maya Architecture= Alexander Rivas (Both are personal photos, the left is from Caracol, while the right is from Chichen Itza)

The ancient Maya were a people that formed the southern and western parts of Mesoamerican culture. Many of their aspects have been widely studied, including the architecture of the Maya. The architecture for the Ancient Maya had incredible variation. From pyramids, monuments, ballcourts, and households, the different styles of architecture served different purposes for the Maya.

The Maya culture is divided into three main periods- The pre-classic, the classic, and the post-classic period. The pre-classic dates from 1200B.C to A.D. 250, the classic period dates from A.D.250-900, and the post-classic dates from A.D. 900 to A.D. 1541. The Maya also had a system of writing called hieroglyphs, which was used to explain specific dates, people, and events. The Maya also had many calendars and each represented a different cycle of time.
 * Introduction to the Maya**

Pyramids have been very interesting and peculiar to scholar. Myths have been brought up on how these pyramids are related to those in Egypt, which is of course false. When talking about the pyramids, one must realize that many of the structures on them have been occupied during large periods of time. The Maya would also build on top of them, thus reusing the same structures. This is evident in the archaeology at Caracol. When looking at the pictures from the excavations, one can see floors, then cobble fill, and then more structure. Pyramids also cosmologically, are also suggested to represent the mountains that are seen throughout the Maya area. These pyramids served as the center of large religious activity and where the rulers would reside. El Castillo at Chichen Itza for example, is dedicated to the god Kukulkan. Royal Burials are also associated with the pyramids. This can be seen with a case study of the tomb of Pacal.
 * Pyramids**

The tomb of Pacal was discovered during the 1952 excavations at Palenque. Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier was uncovering the stairway leading up to the center of the pyramid, and after 4 months of excavating, he found the bones of six male sacrificed victims in front of a slab that sealed a vaulted doorway. Ruz discovered that behind the sealed vaulted doorway was a burial with a huge sarcophagus that contained hieroglyphs on it. The skeleton in the burial was of a man covered with jade ornamendt and a jade mask covering his head. After deciphering the glyphs, the body was identified to be that of Lord Pacal (Scarre and Fagan 2008:425).



This is the Temple of Inscriptions where the tomb of Pacal is located. According to hieroglyphic evidence, the temple was built in A.D. 692, during the Late Classic period. The decipherment of the glyphs on the sarcophagus show that Pacal was born in A.D. 603, came to power in A.D. 615, and died in A.D. 683.

//(Picture courtesy of mesoweb.com)//

Ballcourts in the Mesoamerican area are very interesting. Cultures throughout Mesoamerica, not just the Maya, have ballcourt architecture associated with the. The ballcourt consists of two structures making an “I” shape, and sometimes contains two rings on the sides of the structures and ballcourt markers on the floor. The rules of the game are unknown, but the end results do seem well established. The game was played with a rubber ball, and the players seemed to hit the ball using their hips. This assessment is due to murals depicting the Maya ballgame. The ballcourts range in size, with the largest one being in Chichen Itza.
 * Ballcourts**

The ballcourt are very important in understanding the religion of the Maya. There has been many interpretations in the past on the meaning of the ballcourts and ballcourt markers, but recent research has shown that many of the previous interpretations are incorrect, many ideas of their cosmological purpose are conflicting, or simply aren’t completely understood (Holden 2009).

Historically, studying ballcourts from highland Mexico to the Maya area can very valuable anthropologically. Can future information tell archaeologists about the history of the rules of the game? It seems that the game is only played by the elite peoples, was the end result of winning and losing the same? Other than life being at risk, how did it affect the society?

This is a depiction of the Maya ballgame from a Late Classic polychrome vase. The large black circle is the ball, and the elegant regalia suggests that these players are of an elite status (Coe 2007).

The two major monuments that are studied in Maya archaeology are stela and altars. Stela are tall rectangular monuments that are erected usually depicting a ruler with hieroglyphs. They are also sometimes associated with altars, which may also have hieroglyphs and pictures of people.
 * Monuments**




 * This is a drawing of a stela in Copan. Notice that the picture is of a ruler.**

//(Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org)//


 * Other styles of Architecture**

//Puuc// Puuc style architecture is one of the better known and studied types of architecture. The Puuc styles flourished during the Terminal Classic period and can be found in the northern and western parts of the Yucatan peninsula. Puuc style architecture consists of a thin masonry that covers a self-supporting structural hearting held together by a plaster. The lower halves of the Puuc buildings are usually plain and undecorated with the upper half decorated by intricate mosaic designs (Sharer and Traxler 2006:533). The buildings also typically contain masks on the upper facades that have long, snouts on them. Scholars for many years thought that these masks represented the rain god Chaak, but more recent research shows that this is not the case. These masks are iconographic mountains, and many times contain stylized flowers above the eyes.



This is a palace at the site Xlapak in the Puuc region. Notice how the lower level is rather plain, while the upper level has intricate designs.

//(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)

The Hieroglyphic Stairway// The hieroglyphic stairway was an incredible feat for Maya architecture. This structure is located at Copan in Honduras. In 1986, archaeologists and epigraphers began to restore and conserve the building, while figuring out what the 2,200 glyphs on the stairway mean. According to the archaeologists, the stairway was built as an attempt to instill the importance of previous rulers. The building was built during the reign of Smoke Shell, and the pictures on the hieroglyphs depict the rulers as warriors and the writing describes their deeds. The building was collapsed once Copan started losing its power as a political authority (Scarre and Fagan 2008:428).



This is a photograph of the Hieroglyphic Stairway in Copan. Ruler Smoke Shell may have wanted this built for political reasons, such as having the society understand the importance of the rulers. HE may also have wanted this structure to help build a sense of community among the society.

//(This photograph is courtesy of famsi.org)

E-group// Since the beginning of the Maya civilization, and Mesoamerican culture in general, architecture reflected cosmological concepts. The E-group complexes were also specifically oriented east to west. This was because orientation also reflected their universe, such as east and west representing life and death and north represents the supernatural while south represents the natural world. For example, the E-Group in Uaxactun is believed by Maya archaeologists to serve astronomical purposes relating to the solstices and equinox. There are also stucco masks on the temples, depicting the jaguar god of the Underworld. Spatial orientation of structures can also be seen in other Mesoamerican cultures, such as in Olmec structures, which are primarily oriented north-south. This can be due to contrasting worldviews or a difference in the importance for certain worldviews.

This is an example of an E-Group complex at the site of Uaxactun. It is clear that the Maya used this group for astronomical purposes, relating to the sunrises during the summer solstice, equinox, and the winter solstice.

//(Photo courtesy of The Ancient Maya by Robert J. Sharer and Loa P. Traxler)

Households// Although most people associate Maya architecture with pyramids and ballcourts, the non-elite Maya were usually not associated with them. Household archaeology gives great insight into the domestic activities of the Maya. The non-elite live in wattle and daub houses. Wattle and daub buildings are typically made up of wattle and daub walls, pole and thatch roofs, and are situated on earthen platforms. A great case study for household archaeology is at the site of Ceren in El Salvador. Ceren is an archaeological site that dates to the early Classic period. In about A.D. 600, a volcano erupted, and all of the inhabitants fled, leaving many things behind fully preserved by volcanic ash. The site consists of four households, with household 1 being completely excavated. Its structures include a domicile, storehouse, kitchen, and a ramada. The domicile was constructed with wattle and daub walls and a grass thatched roof. The domicile is the only structure in Ceren that clearly shows architectural stratigraphy. There was probably a few generations of people living here, during a century. The storehouse was also constructed as a typical wattle and daub structure. The storehouse contained artifacts ranging from domestic to specialized craft production. These artifacts include metate and mano, hematite, ceramic vessels, hammerstone, obsidian scrapers and blades, and an incensario bowl. The kitchen is a bit more peculiar, it’s a circular building built on a very low earthen platform with a thin adobe floor (Sheets 2002: 45-53). Four main areas describe the kitchen; the porch, the hearth area, the back of the kitchen, and the area with metates on horquetas (forked branch stands). These structures provide great insight into daily life at an ancient Maya village.



This is a plan view of Household 1 in Ceren.

//(Picture courtesy of// //Before the Volcano Erupted: The Ancient Ceren Village in Central America)//

The ancient Maya used different buildings for different purposes. The large structures such as the pyramids and ballcourts clearly show religious and possibly political significance to them. The smaller household structures served domestic purposes for families. The variation between each site and area in the Maya is great, but the parallels between them helps understand this complex society.
 * Conclusion**


 * Works Cited** (Using the SAA style Guide)

Coe, Michael D. 2005 //The Maya//. Seventh ed. Thames and Hudson, New York.

Holden, Patsy 2009 //Ballcourt Iconography at Caracol, Belize//. Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, Orlando.

Scarre, Christopher and Brian M. Fagan 2008 //Ancient Civilizations//. Third ed. Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Sharer, Robert J. and Loa P. Traxler 2006 //The Ancient Maya//. Sixth ed. Stanford University Press.

Sheets, Payson 2002 //Before the Volcano Erupted: The Ancient Ceren Village in Central America//. University of of Texas Press, Austin.


 * MODULES**

Module 7 I am very interested in the architecture of the Ancient Maya. I am interested on how some aspects of their architecture has changed or stayed similar throughout their civilization. I am also interested in the relationships between pyramids, temples, and household architectures.

Key words: Pyramids, temples, households, preclassic, classic, and postclassic styles, puuc

Module 8 Kerma: The Rise of an African Civilization The floodplains along the Nile constitute an important but as yet little utilized series of laboratories for the comparative study of the origins and interaction of ancient civilizations.

Module 9 [|Article information of: Did the Maya Build Architectural Cosmograms?]
 * =Did the Maya Build Architectural Cosmograms?=
 * Michael E. Smith
 * [|Latin American Antiquity], Vol. 16, No. 2 (Jun., 2005), pp. 217-224
 * Published by: [|Society for American Archaeology]

Module 10 Sharer, Robert J., and Loa P. Traxler. 2006. //The ancient Maya//. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. p. 167 Monumental Architecture Since the beginning of the Maya civilization, architecture reflected cosmological concepts. Buildings were also specifically oriented east to west. This was because orientation also reflected their universe, such as east and west representing life and death and north represents the supernatural while south represents the natural world. Spatial orientation of structures can also be seen in other Mesoamerican cultures, such as in Olmec structures, which are primarily oriented north-south. This can be due to contrasting worldviews, or a difference in the importance for certain worldviews.

Module 11 Sharer, Robert J., and Loa P. Traxler. 2006. //The ancient Maya//. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. p. 167 Coe, Michael D. 2005. //The Maya//. Seventh Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Monumental Architecture Since the beginning of the Maya civilization, architecture reflected cosmological concepts. Buildings were also specifically oriented east to west. This was because orientation also reflected their universe, such as east and west representing life and death and north represents the supernatural while south represents the natural world. For example, the E-Group in Uaxactun is believed by Mayanists to serve astronomical purposes relating to the solstices and equinox. There are also stucco masks on the temples, depicting the jaguar god of the Underworld. Spatial orientation of structures can also be seen in other Mesoamerican cultures, such as in Olmec structures, which are primarily oriented north-south. This can be due to contrasting worldviews, or a difference in the importance for certain worldviews. (The image below is from //The Ancient Maya//, and is on page 321)



Module 12

Module 13
 * 998"The Architectural Context of Caches, Burials, and Other Ritual Activities for the Classic Period Maya (as Reflected at Caracol, Belize)," in Stephen D. Houston, ed., __Function and Meaning in Classic Maya Architecture__, pp. 239-332, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. **

This article is about the relationship between ritual artifacts and its association with architectural styles of the ancient Maya, specifically at Caracol, Belize. The late preclassic and early Classic period at Caracol had ritual artifacts in the epicenter, specifically at the public buildings. During the late Classic, the rituals were not as centralized and had more variation. The focus was not on public architecture, but on domestic architecture and ritual artifacts in the late Classic. The shift from the epicenter to the domestic architecture can also be seen in the Postclassic. There is a clear indication that their worldviews started to change.

Module 14
 * Normark, Johan. 2009. "The making of a home: assembling houses at Nohcacab, Mexico." //World Archaeology// 41, no. 3: 430-444. //Academic Search Premier//, EBSCO//host// (accessed December 3, 2009).**

This article is about architecture at the site of Nohcacab, but specifically household architecture. The author explains that the house assemblage is very small but also very dense, and is a crucial part of greater assemblages such as a community or trade system. Nohcacab was connected to Ichmul, which is a much larger site. This is a great article because it explains architecture at the household level. Most articles will deal with the pyramids, and temples, most of which have religious and ritual activities associated with them. This article deals with trade and economics.