232 Midterm

Olmec

The earliest-known Mesoamerican civilization, which flourished around 1200 B.C. Many argue the Olmec are predecessors of the Maya. First large scale identifiable group by a suite of characteristics. Olmec calendar, blood letting rituals, and mesoamerican ball game.

52 year cycle (the calendar round)

The Calendar Round combination of Tsolk'in and Haab cycles. 18,980 days long (about 52 years per cycle). Mix of ritual calendar and solar calendar. There's a third ring which has 13 numbers (valid every 20 days - ritual month vs solar month).

K'uhul Ajaw

K'uhul Ajaw or Ahau is a political title meaning divine/holy king. It is also the name of the 20th day of the tzolk'in, the Maya divinatory calendar, on which a king's k'atun-ending rituals would fall. This name went from ajaw to K'uhul ajaw in late classic to establish more power and authority to make more people buy into a King being a royal deity.

K'an Hoy (or Joy), holy lord of Palenque

King of Palenque when there was a star war (destined war) between them and Tonina on 13 akbal 16 yax. K'an Hoy was possibly captured (rumored he wasn't), but the Tonina monument 122 was created which shows that he was captured in a depiction.

K'inich Ajaw

Kinich Ahau is the 16th-century Yucatec name of the Maya sun god, designated as God G when referring to the codices. Depicted as head in glyphs. Part of the 20 day names of the Maya ritual calendar (Tsolk'in)

K'iché (or Quiché)

Language of the Popol Vuh. Indigenous prose, K'iche', or Quiché, is a Maya language of Guatemala, spoken by the K'iche' people of the central highlands. Has over a million speakers. Written with European alphabet.

San Bartolo

Late preclasic site famous for polychrome mural paintings which were heavily influenced by Olmec tradition, site includes 85 foot pyramid

Cenote

Limestone sinkhole with fresh water at the bottom; place of sacrifice. One at Chichen Itza is popular. Water was hard to come by so this was a large source of water for some regions.

Lintels of Yaxchilan

Lintel 24: Lady K'abal Xook Ix kaloomte drawing barbed rope through her tongue (bloodletting/sacrifice) the blood is spilled on paper and then burned as offering in preparation for him to battle glyph says "it is her doing baah" Lintel 25 having vision of serpent. She conjured up something and a reference to warfare Snake visions were common themes of sacrifice.

winik

'person'/'man', 20 fingers/toes, and month (20 days in mayan month)

Joventud Red pottery

Middle Preclassic pottery style; tecomate form found at K'axob looks like squash, pumpkin, or cut off gourd

sajal

Military nobles/generals Many had subtitles like "Head Spear"

naah or nah

"house" or "lineage" residentially expressed with multi-family residential compounds (corporate groups) can be extended family of several generations or affinal (related by marriage) Houses stable over many generations (continuous occupation). House possesses an embodied vital force.

siyaj or sih-aj

"was born" glyph. Used for royal births. You are born by the water and enter it when you die.

Bak'tun

144,000 days or 20 katunob (k'atun). First number on Mayan long count date.

Friar Ximénez

1701 French priest who (with the help of Carl Scherzer a Austrian physician) transcribed and translated the Popol Vuh in Guatemala City and published it. The original Popol Vuh is now in Chicago

Yuri Knorosov

1958 Was the first to "crack the code" of Maya glyphs. Recognized the syllabic nature of glyphs, came up with principle of synharmony, used Landas work to confirm glyph readings, and applied glyphic substitution in codices. Russian linguist who proved the Mayans had 2 forms of writing (glyphs and written), deciphered one of them which was symbols standing for syllables. He helped expand the knowledge of the Mayans because we can now learn much more about them with a set of their writing deciphered.

Winal

20 k'ins (k'inob) (20 days) in long count (month) 4th digit in the Long Count

Jasaw Chan K'awiil

26th ruler of Tikal. AD 682 to 734. K'awiil means serpenty/bird god. Capped north acropolis with temple. Waged war on Calakmul and took their patron deity captive. Celebrated defeat of Calakmul on 260th anniversary of defeat of spearthrower owl. Buried under temple 1 by his son - stela 116. Temple 1 Lintel: depicts his defeat of Calakmul's holy lord and says he was buried there.

Tikal Stela 29

292 AD. Earliest long count date in Maya lowlands on a monument. Associated with Foliated Jaguar.

Linguistics of Maya

32 languages total. Modern groups speak a lot of these languages today. Rooted in Proto-Mayan. Some have shared words, others completely different in words and grammar. Yukatec, Wastek, Ch'ol, Q'eqchi', k'iche', tzotzil still spoken today.

Tun

360 days or 18 winalob (winal). Third number on long count date.

Popol Vuh

A book containing a version of the Mayan story of creation. Popol Vuh is a cultural narrative that recounts the mythology and history of the K'iche' people who inhabit the Guatemalan Highlands northwest of present-day Guatemala City. (read a summary online)

Mesoamerica

A geographic region in the western hemisphere that was home of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. One of the earliest civilizations to emerge without precedent (emerged from nothing). One of the cradles of civilization. Compromised of many areas, but has a group of shared characteristics that are cultural. Stretches from southwestern US to El Salvador. Shared practices: Some history of hieroglyphic text or written language, reliance on calendrical system, Mesoamerican ball game, t=ritual sacrifice (bloodletting, beheading), polytheistic religious system (gods were often part human, animal, and supernatural), cardinal orientation of the universe (tree of life at center), dependence on maize cultivation, highly specialized market and distant trade (obsidian was traded a lot).

K'atun

A k'atun is a unit of time in the Maya calendar equal to 20 tuns (tunob) or 7,200 days. It is the 2nd digit on the normal Maya long count date.

emblem glyph

A set of Maya hieroglyphs; generally, each emblem glyph is specific to a given Classic Maya city. Generally contain royal court with featured monumental architecture (palaces, pyramids, shrines, etc.)

Lowe projectile point

Archaic (5000-2000/1000 BC). Look somewhat like fishtail (similar to arrowhead). Used for hunting smaller animals. Significant because it's nearly impossible to find Archaic/Early Preclassic Maya remains. First discovered in 1980s near Lowe Ranch.

Nixtamalization

Boiling maize in a solution of water and mineral lime to break down compounds in the kernels, increasing their nutritional value.

Landa's syllabary

Diego De Landa (bishop), 16th century missionary started to discover the syllabary for Mayan hieroglyphs. Worked with Yucatec Maya scribes to create alphabet (Yucatec Maya alphabet). Syllabary between Roman letters and Maya glyphs. Conducted Spanish style inquisition. Burned countless codices and icons: auto de fe: ritual act of penance for writing in hieroglyphs or speaking Maya in a place where it was not allowed (resulted in burning at the stake, torture, etc.)

Maya concept of zero

Earliest known example of use of zero in world

El Manatí

Earliest water shrine in Mesoamerica. Waterlogged site with the earliest greenstone, earliest rubber ball (12 cm), and earliest wooden sculpture. (rubber for rubber balls comes from a rubber tree)

Paso de la Amada

Located in Mexican State of Chiapas; Oldest Mesoamerican ball court (~1500 BC) for being "the best evidence" for Olmec contacts in the Soconusco region, and for presenting early evidence of social stratification. pottery looked like gourds (tecomate)

Spanish Entradas

Entrance of Spanish into Belize (colonial period & Spanish conquest) explorers noted impressive stone constructions of monumental scale with complex iconography and hieroglyphs/ The entrada from Guatemala frightened the scattered remaining Mayan communities in the Peten and the population of Tipu in western Belize swelled with refugees.

were-jaguar

Face with downturned mouth. A supernatural half human half jaguar, possibly a diety; a common motif in Olmec art. Shamanic transformation (people who transform into jaguars) or spirit co-essence are some possible representations of the were-jaguar.

Maya ball game

Game in which Maya peoples used a hard rubber ball to propel through a ring without using their hands (used hips). Often used for ritual and ceremonial purposes. Losers usually died. Used for political battle. Ball players were often warriors. Maya ballgame was played with big stone courts. The ball court itself was a focal point of Maya cities and symbolized the city's wealth and power. The playing arena was in the shape of an I with high platforms on either side of the court allowing for large numbers of spectators. Portable stone court markers known as hacha usually depicting animals or skulls were placed around the arena.[2] The game was played for 2 weeks.

El Mirador

Located in northern Guatemala. Pyramid known as el tigre (55M build in 300 BC) world's largest by volume. Made triadic temple complexes. Abandoned in 200 AD. Late preclassic Danta complex.

vigesimal

Maya number system related to or based on the number 20 (because there are 20 fingers and toes on a winik- "person" in Maya). i.e. sixty-eight would be (3x20) + (8x1) written 3.8

Tikal (or Yax Mutal)

Mayan City - Location: Southern Lowlands. Archaeological region of Petén Basin (Northern Guatemala); Royal court during the Late Classic period - and also the Classic Period - they had a large political sphere; 50,000 - 60,000 people lived in the urban zone and rural periphery; Presence of causeways (sak beh- white road) and Corbelled Arches Mundo perdido complex: birthplace of first royal dynasty of Tikal. Interaction with Teotihuacan in 4th-5th century First ruler (founder of dynasty): Yaxehb' xook (ad 90). Son: Foliated Jaguar Notable rulers: Chak Tok Ich'aak (14th ruler celebrated katun ending in mundo perdido), Jasaw Chan k'awiil 1 (waged war on Calakmul), Yik'in Chan K'awiil (27th ruler son of Jasaw and greatest Tikal builder/military hero) End of Tikal (Yax mutal) dynasty: last recorded date is ad 869. Population dwindled, but remained place to go and make tribute (but not to live) One of the places where we have a complete archaeological record due to a long term project by the university of Pennsylvania in 60's and 70's - best understood; "Tikal Hiatus" - For approx 125 years, between the late 6th to late 7th century or 9-10 Bak'tun, there was a lapse in the writing of inscriptions and large-scale construction at Tikal...means something bad went on during this period. (coincides with growth of Calakmul). There was a war between Tikal and Caracol, Tikal lost 562. Tikal was then defeated by Calakmul in 679 (K'an fam led Calakmul at this point). Then Jasaw Chan K'awiil brought Tikal back in 695 by defeating Calakmul.

Dresden, Madrid, Paris & Grolier codices

Mayan books not destroyed during the Spanish conquest written in Maya hieroglyphic script Sacred books of priests; Aided in decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic language. Astronomy, divination, and ritual cycles all in them. Fanfolded, painted on bark paper. These were basically holy books for priests to read. Made for select audiences, usually only scribes, aristocrats, priests, and later colonial authorities. Creative license for each scribe. Dresden was 11 feet long and found in the 12th century.

Dancing (ak'taj)

Mayan dance thought to open portals of communication with the deities and ancestors. Performed with a deity mask on. Was a way for people to buy into a shared group identity (religion) and maintain hierarchy.

Haab

Mayan solar calendar. 365 days total (solar year minus the leap year correction). 18 months of 20 days and one month of 5 unlucky days (wayeb). Specific activities associated with each month (i.e. beekeeping, gardening, etc.) Yaxk'in means the first or green in this calendar.

Maya numerology

Numbers are personified, considered to be living beings with influence on people's lives (where you're born on the solar cycle).

K'axob

On edge of many environments (river, swamp, woods). Secondary burial (buried dug up reburied when just bones to save space). Naming convention Ii used to show that one structure was built ontop of another. Social stratigraphy of residential ancestor interments: people buried almost on top of each other after generations creates stratification in soil.

Calakmul

One of four Mayan capitals during the classic Mayan era. Dominated the maya region along with Tikal (it's rival). Tikal king defeated Calakmul and monumental construction reached its peak. One of the largest Mayan cities. 45 meter high pyramid (one of tallest Mayan pyramids built by building onto existing structure) It is in Mexico very close to the Guatemalan border, one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities. This was the seat of what was known as Snake Kingdom.

Hunahpu

One of the Mayan hero twins from the Popol Vuh who defeated seven macaw and won the ball game in the underworld (Xibalba). Never died, simply continued walking from the underworld to the sky with his twin after winning the ball game.

Glyphic substitution

Picture of what is trying to be said. Word is written in glyph form but also in a physical drawing accompaniment. Exemplified in the post-classic Dresden codex.

Kaminaljuyu

Possibly earliest Maya site known. Guatemalan highland late preclassic site occupied during 1500 BC till AD 1200. Has 200 platforms. Stela 10 shows there was a class of rulers and there's a long count date on it.

Themes of the Popol Vuh

Respect for dieties: dieties can't be challenged, blood sacrifice. Learning from past. Humility/learning through humor/humiliation. Trials for heroes defeating evil. Failing the first time, later succeeding. Ancestry/blood relationships and ties. Cosmology (very important).

Tsolk'in

Ritual cycle of Maya calendar round. 260 days long (length of human gestation). 20 day names and 13 numbers used in cycle (day names always shown within a cartouche: little frame on a glyph). Specific lucky and unlucky days. Used by K'inche' Maya day keepers today. Tsolk'in birthdate used as middle name often. The day name ik (wind) often appears on palaces

Tatiana Proskuriakov

Russian-American. Used the theories of Yuri Knorozov, to discover that the writing on a monumental stela and other buildings was actually historical, dealing with the birth, accession, and death dates for the Maya rulers.(that they were history stories). Contributed to deciphering of Maya glyphs.

Dos Pilas

Site found near Tikal. Emblem glyph early identical to Tikal and later flipped on side with 2 bars. Dos Pilas was established later on by Balaj Chan K'awiil and went on to defeat Tikal several times. Site has inscription that tells the story of a prolonged and bloody war between the enemy cities of Tikal and Calakmil.

K'in

Smallest part of Maya long count date, represents one day. Represented by a dot.

3,114 B.C.

Start of the long count. Start of 13th Bak'tun. Maya creation date. Bak'tun beginnings were very important often pyramids or other things were built on the start of a new Bak'tun.

Bonampak Murals

The site, located in southern Chiapas, Mexico, houses one of the most famous painted murals in the entire Maya world. Bonampak literally means "painted wall." Depicts walking tribute bundles described as Y-beet (bird messengers) without royal titles or names. Used Maya blue.

Xbalanque

Twin of Hunahpu; His brother and he perform heroic deeds in defeating the lords of the underworld and eventually become the sun and the moon. Jaguar spots on face.

Stela

Upright stone slab decorated with inscriptions or pictorial carvings

cacao or ka-ka-w(a)

Valuable resource consumed (liquid form) by Mayan royalty. Sacks of cacao offered as tributes and may have been used as a form of currency and typically marked every important rite of passage; Grows in lowland riverine region of Belize. made into cuisine. Chemical properties found in ancient pots -- help to discover usage of pottery types. Chocolate residue can be found from at least 500 B.C. popular in wet, tropical regions. lords & ladies drinking and making cacao. marriage, death, anniversary of death. fish symbol used for cacao Only grows in certain areas, desire for cacao prompted trade/tribute The Bonampak Mural is significant in relation to chocolate because it showed the scene of 5-pik kakaw or 40,000 beans (big white cotton cloth bag) with glyph for cacao on it which showed us that cacao was used economically and as tributes in Mayan society

Deity Impersonation

When dancing (ak'taj) occured thought to open portals to communicate to deities and ancestors. Royals would dress up in masks of deities and "become" them (transform).

Sierra Red pottery

Widespread ceramic style in Late Preclassic that lost popularity in Early Classic. Means that living became sedentary, they were not moving around very much no other point in mayan time where the same type of pottery was made over such a long period of time; Duck (a domesticated animal for mayans) pot from K'axob OP11 - elsewhere found to contain residue of cacao - common across mayan lowlands (from Chiapa de Corzo to Caribbean) - vertical spout served some function other than pouring... blow into spout to aerate liquid chocolate?

Naj/nahil

a house

phonetic complement

a phonetic symbol used to disambiguate logograms that have multiple possible readings (multiple glyphs with same pronunciation are called allographs) i.e. adding another glyph onto the side of a head variant to specify what it means if it could mean more than one thing Can sometimes be used to make up an entire word by themselves.

logo-syllabic writing

consists of logograms and syllables LOGOGRAMS: stand for whole words or word-stems i.e. picture of a face means pakal in one image syllabograms (syllable signs): phonetic signs that represent syllables as well as the "pure vowels" unaccompanied by any consonant. i.e. two glyphs that mean mo (one syllable) and ka (another syllable) which make up mo ka together. words often written in syllabic form; logograms were difficult, considered for elite, and represented culture

apsidal dwellings

rectangular center with rounded ends (oval) middle preclassic - bodies placed under floor of apsidal house at k'axob ~800 BC; typical maya commoner dwelling thatched roof.

Principle of synharmony

the first vowel of the first syllabogram matches the second (vowel harmony). When there is synharmony it tells you the length of the first vowel (how to pronounce it). You do not pronounce the second vowel usually. Knorosov's second rule Example: ku-ts(u) = kuts pom = copal resin (incense) written phonetically at po-mo

Izapa stelae (5)

~ 300-100 BC. "Tree of Life" stone; Mesoamerican world tree connecting sky & water or underworld possibly a creation myth (someone emerging from the tree of life); found in ancient Mesoamerican site of Izapa in Chiapas, Mexico. Possible link between Izapa and Olmec cultures.