Royal Courts Of The Ancient Maya: Volume 1: Theory, Comparison, And Synthesis

by Inomata,Takeshi

• ISBN13: 9780813336404
• ISBN10: 0813336406
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: Lightning Source, Inc.

Summary

The two volumes ofRoyal Courts of the Ancient Mayaprovide current archaeological perspectives on Maya courts conceived as vital, functioning social groups composed of lords, courtiers, scribes, priests, and entertainers, among many others. In addition to archaeological data on the architecture and other spatial attributes of courts, the studies in the two volumes bring to bear on the topic the most recent evidence from inscriptions, vase paintings, murals and friezes, and ethnohistoric records in order to flesh out a portrait of the actors and roles that made up Maya courts through time and across space. The attributes of courts are explored in the Maya highlands and lowlands, from the origins of early kingship through the Classic period to the Postclassic and Terminal epochs. Pertinent comparisons are also drawn from the Aztecs and other ancient and contemporary societies.Volume 1: Theory, Comparison, and Synthesisestablishes a carefully considered framework for approaching the study of courts and their functions throughout the world of the ancient Maya.Volume 2: Data and Case Studiesprovides authoritatively current data and insights from key Maya sites, including Copan, Tikal, Caracol, Bonampak, and Calakmul.

Author Biography

Takeshi Inomata is a professor at the University of Arizona. He received a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, and he has currently been conducting archeological fieldwork in the Maya area. Stephen Houston is a professor at Brigham Young University. Takeshi Inomata is a professor at the University of Arizona. He received a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, and he has currently been conducting archeological fieldwork in the Maya area. Stephen Houston is a professor at Brigham Young University.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Illustrations	ix
Preface	xiii
Obituary	xv
Floyd Lounsbury
Introduction
Opening the Royal Maya Court	3	(24)
Takeshi Inomata
Stephen D. Houston
PART ONE Theoretical and Thematic Approaches
King's People: Classic Maya Courtiers in a Comparative Perspective	27	(27)
Takeshi Inomata
Peopling the Classic Maya Court	54	(30)
Stephen D. Houston
David Stuart
Perspectives on Actors, Gender Roles, and Architecture at Classic Maya Courts and Households	84	(46)
Patricia A. McAnany
Shannon Plank
Spatial Dimensions of Maya Courtly Life: Problems and Issues	130	(38)
David Webster
Court and Realm: Architectural Signatures in the Classic Maya Southern Lowlands	168	(27)
Simon Martin
Classic Maya Concepts of the Royal Court: An Analysis of Renderings on Pictorial Ceramics	195	(42)
Dorie Reents-Budet
PART TWO Comparative Views and Conclusions
Aztec Noble Courts: Men, Women, and Children of the Palace	237	(37)
Susan Toby Evans
Concluding Remarks	274	(5)
Michael D. Coe
List of Contributors	279	(2)
Index	281