23
The Emergence of Elite Tombs in the Southern Maya Area
Akira Ichikawa
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Area,” it has long been recognized as one of the important arenas for the emergence of social complexity
in Mesoamerica. To provide a comparative baseline for future research, this study uses the analytical
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processes for the emergence of elite tombs in the early development of social complexity in Mesoamerica.
I focus on diachronic change between grave form and the quantity and kinds of grave goods, which is
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or groups as demonstrated in mortuary practice at that time. Elaborate grave forms with many kinds ofgrave goods and with sumptuous goods such as jade, shell, pyrite and obsidian begin to appear in the
Late or Terminal Preclassic. Importantly, elite tombs were embedded in sacred landscapes constituted by
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emergence of elite tombs could synchronize with these elements, which are indicators of political power.
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by a clear correlation between grave form, kinds of grave items, and possession of sumptuary goods. In
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goods. It could suggest that “elite tombs” did not appear suddenly, rather they were part of ongoing social
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power. These processes varied through the time across the cultural and historical environment.

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285

se ha reconocido por mucho tiempo como una de las importantes áreas para comprender el surgimientode la complejidad social en Mesoamérica. Este estudio utiliza el concepto analítico de "energía invertida"para las prácticas mortuorias con el objeto de comprender los procesos para el surgimiento de las tumbas
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sociales verticales. En consecuencia, durante el periodo Preclásico Medio, existe poca correlación entre
la forma de entierro y los tipos de ofrendas, lo que indica que surgieron diferentes rangos sociales entre
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comienzan a aparecer en el Preclásico Tardío o Terminal. Es importante destacar que las tumbas de élite
estaban insertadas en paisajes sagrados constituidos por medio de construcciones públicas y monumentos
esculpidos con imágenes de los dirigentes. Por lo tanto, el surgimiento de las tumbas de élite podría
sincronizarse con los elementos de arriba mencionados, que son indicadores de poder político. En cuanto
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una clara correlación entre la forma de entierro, los tipos de ofrendas y la posesión de objetos exóticos.
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entre la forma de entierro y los tipos de ofrendas. Sugiriendo probablemente que las "tumbas de élite"
no aparecieron repentinamente, sino que formaron parte de las relaciones sociales en curso, entre los
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Estos procesos variaron a través del tiempo a través del entorno cultural e histórico en Mesoamérica.

286

Introduction

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Figure 23.1.
Map of Southern Maya Area.

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energy expended on mortuary practices and burials

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mortuary practices

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Figure 23.2.

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Burial samples in this study.

289

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Correlations between grave form and grave furniture
Figure 23.3.
Diachronic change of size of grave.

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LQFUHDVHVRYHUWLPHDQGWKHQXPEHURIEXULDOVZLWKQRJUDYHIXUQLWXUHGHFUHDVHVRYHUWLPH 7DEOH ,QWKH(DUO\3UHFODVVLFSHULRG %& LWLVGL൶FXOWWRLGHQWLI\FOHDUGL൵HUHQFHEHWZHHQEXULDOV,QWKH0LGGOH3UHFODVVLF
WKHJUHDWHUYDULDWLRQRIPRUWXDU\SUDFWLFHVDSSHDUVEXW
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RIJUDYHIXUQLWXUHEHWZHHQHDFKJUDYHW\SHDUHELJJHU290

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Comparative data with other Maya sites

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Correlations between grave form and limited access

VXJJHVWVWKDW(DUO\&ODVVLF7LNDOPLJKWEHPRUHVWUDWL¿HG

goods

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LQWKH0D\DDUHD$W$OWXQ+D%HOL]HHODERUDWHJUDYHV

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Table 23.2.
Correlations between grave form and kinds of graves furniture.

291

Discussion

7KHGHYHORSPHQWRIVRFLDOFRPSOH[LW\LQWKH6RXWKHUQ7KHUHVXOWVSUHVHQWHGKHUHSURYLGHSDWWHUQVRIPRUWXDU\

0D\D$UHDEHJLQVIURPWKH(DUO\DQG0LGGOH3UHFODVVLF

SUDFWLFHVLQWKH6RXWKHUQ0D\D$UHDIRUH[DPLQLQJZKHQSHULRGV HJ/RYH 'XULQJWKHVHSHULRGVODUJH

DQGKRZWKHHOLWHWRPEHPHUJHGLQWKHDUHD7KHFRPSOH[LW\public buildings and stone monuments, often considered

RIJUDYHIRUPDQGGLYHUVLW\RIJUDYHIXUQLWXUHLQFUHDVHGLQGLFDWRUVRIVSHFL¿FLQGLYLGXDOVRUHOLWHVDSSHDUHGDFURVVWKURXJK WLPH 7KLV VXJJHVWV WKDW PRUWXDU\ SUDFWLFHVWKH6RXWKHUQ0D\D$UHD+RZHYHUGXULQJWKH(DUO\

EHFDPHPRUHFRPSOLFDWHGPRUHHQHUJ\ZDVH[SHQGHG

0LGGOH3UHFODVVLFSHULRGWKHUHLVQRPDMRUGL൵HUHQFH

DQGFKDQJHVLQWKHPHDQLQJDQGLPSRUWDQFHRIWKHGHFHDVHGDPRQJEXULDOVLQGLFDWLQJWKDWWKHERXQGDULHVEHWZHHQ

IRUWKHFRPPXQLW\PHPEHUVRFFXUUHGWKURXJKWLPH

HOLWHVDQGFRPPRQHUVZHUHOHVVPDUNHGWKDQWKH\ZHUHLQ

Figure 23.4.
Correlation between grave form and limited access goods in Southern Maya Area.

292

Figure 23.5.
Quantity of kinds of grave goods in the Maya Lowlands sites.

293

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Conclusion
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S 7KHGDWDVXJJHVWVWKDW¿UVWVRFLDOVWUDWL¿FDWLRQ

because it reinforced a sense of identity and opportunity

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WRLQWHJUDWHVRFLHW\ DOVRYLFHYHUVD )XUWKHUPRUHLWLVJURXSVVXFKDVWKHHOLWH7KHQH[FOXVLYHHOLWHUXOHUVHPHUJHZRUWKPHQWLRQLQJWKDWDOWKRXJKVLPSOHEXULDOVDUHJHQHUDOO\LQGLFDWHGE\WKHSRODUL]DWLRQRIFRUUHODWLRQRIJUDYHIRUP

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Method and Theory, 2  SS
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6XJL\DPDIRULQYLWLQJPHWRMRLQWKHLQWHUQDWLRQDOPHHWLQJ

and archaeology in classic maya mortuary
ceremonialism. >'RFWRUDO'LVVHUWDWLRQ+DUYDUG
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ULWXDO$FDVHVWXG\IURPWKHDQFLHQW0D\DJournal0(;7.$.(1+, -3+ )LQDOO\,DPGHHSO\of Anthropological Archaeology,SS

grateful to Claudia Garcia-Des Lauriers and Errin Weller+RGGHU,  Symbols in action: Ethnoarchaeological

IRUHGLWLQJWKLVUHVHDUFKSDSHUDQGXVHIXOVXJJHVWLRQV$Q\studies of material culture.&DPEULGJH8QLYHUVLW\PLVWDNHVDQGRULQFRQVLVWHQFLHVZLWKLQWKLVZRUNDUHWKRVH

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3UHFODVVLFVRXWKHUQ0HVRDPHULFD$QWLTXLW\ SS

References Cited$JULQLHU 3    The archaeological burials at
Chiapa de Corzo and their furniture.3DSHUVRIWKH
1HZ:RUOG$UFKDHRORJLFDO)RXQGDWLRQ1R
%LQJKDP<RXQJ8QLYHUVLW\$R\DPD.  &ODVVLF0D\DVWDWHXUEDQLVPDQG
H[FKDQJH&KLSSHGVWRQHHYLGHQFHRIWKH&RSDQYDOOH\DQGLWVKLQWHUODQGAmerican Anthropologist,  SS

.LGGHU$-HQQLQJV-DQG6KRRN0  Excavationsat Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala&DUQHJLH,QVWLWXWLRQ
RI:DVKLQJWRQ
/RYH 0   (DUO\ VWDWHV LQ WKH VRXWKHUQ 0D\D
UHJLRQ,Q7D[OHU/DQG6KDUHU5 (GV The
origins of maya statesSS3HQQV\OYDQLD
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VWXG\,Q&KDSPDQ5.LQQHV,DQG5DQGVERUJDQG WKHLU SRWHQWLDO Approaches to the social/ (GV The archaeology of death,SS

dimensions of mortuary practices0HPRLUVRIWKH

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3HDUVRQ 0   The archaeology of death and%XUJHU5DQG5RVHQVZLJ0  (arly new world

burial WK3ULQWLQJ 7H[DV$ 08QLYHUVLW\3UHVVmonumentality. 8QLYHUVLW\ RI )ORULGD 3UHVV

3RSHQRHGH+DWFK0  Kaminaljuyu/San Jorge:%UXPILHO ( DQG (DUOH 7   Specialization,evidencia arqueológica de la actividad económica

exchange and complex societies. Cambridge

en el valle de Guatemala,D&DG&

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5X]$  Costumbres funerarias de los antiguos
mayas.)RQGRGH&XOWXUD\(FRQRPtD
6PLWK /   Archaeological reconnaissance incentral Guatemala. Carnegie Institution of:DVKLQJWRQ
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Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory
YROSS$FDGHPLF3UHVV:DVRQ3  The archaeology of rank&DPEULGJH
8QLYHUVLW\3UHVV:HOVK%  An analysis of classic lowland maya
burials.%$5,QWHUQDWLRQDO

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