Publication Date

1995

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Fash, William Leonard

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Anthropology

LCSH

Mayas--Costume--History; Costume--Honduras--History; Maya sculpture--Honduras--Copán Site; Indians of Central America--Clothing--Honduras--History

Abstract

The ancient Maya of Copan left a legacy of human representational sculpture which provides a means of understanding the religious and political organization of their past society. Through the study of costume, it is possible to detect changes in their ritual behavior as punctuated by changes in administration. Through the analysis of the costume on the human figural sculpture from the reigns of the last four rulers of the Yax K'uk' Mo' dynasty, it is possible to correlate thematic shifts in ritual with the political organization of each of these rulers. In addition to the further understanding of ancient Copanec Maya society, a systematic method for the analysis of ritual can be applied to archaeological data. Although it is understood that ritual was an important part of ancient Maya lifeways, it has been difficult to systematically assess because of its abstract nature. Through the analysis of ritual's representation on the public monuments of the ancient Maya rulers of Copan, and the conjunctive integration of epigraphic, ethnohistoric and archaeological data, it is possible to interpret thematic shifts in past ritual behavior.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages 117-135)

Extent

xi, 169 pages, 1 folded page of plates

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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