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Domestic and Political Lives of Classic Maya Elites: The Excavation of Rapidly Abandoned Structures at Aguateca, Guatemala

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Takeshi Inomata ,
Daniela Triadan ,
Erick Ponciano ,
Estela Pinto ,
Richard E. Terry  and
Markus Eberl
Takeshi Inomata
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Daniela Triadan
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Erick Ponciano
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
Estela Pinto
Affiliation:
Escuela de Historia, Universidad de San Carlos, Ciudad Universitaria, Zona 12, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Richard E. Terry
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Brigham Young University, Provo UT 84602
Markus Eberl
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
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Abstract

The Aguateca Archaeological Project conducted extensive excavations of elite residences at the Maya center of Aguateca, which was attacked by enemies and abandoned rapidly at the end of the Classic period. Burned buildings contained rich floor assemblages, providing extraordinary information on the domestic and political lives of Classic Maya elites. Each elite residence served for a wide range of domestic work, including the storage, preparation, and consumption of food, with a relatively clear division of male and female spaces. These patterns suggest that each of the excavated elite residences was occupied by a relatively small group, which constituted an important economic and social unit. In addition, elite residences were arenas where crucial processes of the operation of the polity and court unfolded through political gatherings, artistic production, and displays of power.

El Proyecto Arqueológico Aguateca llevó a cabo excavaciones extensivas en residencias elitistas en el centro maya de Aguateca, el cual fue atacado por enemigos y abandonado rápidamente a fines del período Clásico. Edificios quemados contenían ricos conjuntos de artefactos completos y reconstruibles, los cuales proveen información extraordinaria sobre la vida doméstica y política de la élite maya clásica. Cada residencia elitista fue un lugar para varias actividades domésticas, incluyendo el almacenaje, la preparación, y el consumo de comida, teniendo una división relativamente clara de espacios para hombres y mujeres. Las funciones de los cuartos de cada estructura elitista fueron complementarias. Estos patrones sugieren que cada una de las residencias elitistas excavadas fue ocupada por un grupo relativamente pequeño, el cual constituyó una importante unidad económica y social. A la vez, estos edificios fueron lugares para actividades políticas, incluyendo reuniones de cortesanos, producción artística, trabajo de escribanos, y la presentación de poder. Residencias de elites fueron escenarios donde se desarrollaron procesos críticos de la operación de la unidad política y de la corte.

Type
Articles
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , September 2002 , pp. 305 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2002

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