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Cache Complexes in Tikal, Petén, Guatemala (800 BC–AD 950)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2025

Johann Begel Open the ORCID record for Johann Begel [Opens in a new window]
Johann Begel*
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas, Centro de Estudios Mayas, Circuito Mario de la Cueva, Ciudad Universitaria, Alcaldia de Coyoacán, Mexico City
*
Email: johann.sinan.begel@gmail.com
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Abstract

For almost a century, caches have been regular discoveries at most Preclassic and Classic Maya sites (ca. 800 BC–AD 950). As early as the 1960s, William Coe noticed a number of recurring patterns (Tikal Report No. 27A). Fifty years after the end of the Tikal Project's excavations, it was nonetheless necessary to review the data from all the successive projects to identify new deposits and reanalyze contexts deemed problematic. As a result, 343 caches are now identified at Tikal, of which 97% can be assigned to a recurrent Ritual Cache Complex on the basis of a combination of etic criteria including content, context of discovery, and chronology. Their study confirms a link between architectural and depositional sequences but also probable functions as gift offerings and agentive tools used by the whole population for ceremonies closely related to the type of structure in which they were performed. Finally, the repetition of cases provides a cautious basis for emic interpretations, thanks to the support of ethnographic comparisons. This organization of rituals into recurring patterns goes beyond Tikal and even the Maya area. This article is thus a first step toward a future larger-scale study.

Resumen

Resumen

Desde hace casi un siglo, se han descubierto regularmente escondites en la mayoría de los sitios mayas del Preclásico y del Clásico (ca. 800 aC–950 dC). Ya en la década de 1960, William Coe observó una serie de modelos recurrentes (Tikal Report No. 27A). Cincuenta años después del final de las excavaciones del Tikal Project, fue sin embargo necesario revisar los datos de todos los proyectos sucesivos, con el fin de identificar nuevos depósitos y reanalizar contextos considerados problemáticos. Como resultado, ahora se han identificado 343 escondites en Tikal, de los cuales el 97% puede asignarse a un Complejo Ritual de Escondites recurrente sobre la base de una combinación de criterios éticos que incluyen el contenido, el contexto de descubrimiento y la cronología. Su estudio confirma un vínculo entre las secuencias arquitectónicas y deposicionales, pero también probables funciones como ofrendas y herramientas agentivas utilizadas por el conjunto de la población para ceremonias estrechamente relacionadas con el tipo de estructura en las que se realizaban. En el estado actual del corpus, se han identificado 23 complejos recurrentes, 10 de los cuales se dividen en un total de 27 variantes. Sólo 10 escondites siguen siendo casos únicos. Por lo tanto, parecía importante destacar los procesos de repetición, codificación y normalización de estas prácticas rituales. Por último, la repetición de casos proporciona una base cautelosa para interpretaciones émicas, gracias al apoyo de las comparaciones etnográficas. Esta organización de los rituales en patrones recurrentes va más allá de Tikal e incluso del área maya. Por eso este artículo, centrado en los datos de Tikal, es un primer paso hacia un futuro estudio a mayor escala que pueda servir de base comparativa.

Keywords

cacheTikalritual depositofferingrepetitionesconditeTikaldepósito ritualofrendarepetición
Type
Article
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 35 , Issue 4 , December 2024 , pp. 870 - 888
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for American Archaeology

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