Maya Pilgrimage to Ritual Landscapes: Insights from Archaeology, History, and Ethnography

392 Pages·2014·59.94 MB·English

by  Joel W. Palka

6.8125 × 10.5 SPINE: 1.0625 FLAPS: 0
w w
anthropology • archaeology • latin america palka
Maya Pilgrimage Ritual Landscapes
to
Insights from Archaeology, History, and Ethnography
pilgrimage to ritually significant places is a part of daily life in the Maya world.
These journeys involve important social and practical concerns, such as the maintenance of
food sources and world order. Frequent pilgrimages to ceremonial hills to pay offerings to
spiritual forces for good harvests, for instance, are just as necessary for farming as planting
fields. Why has Maya pilgrimage to ritual landscapes prevailed from the distant past, and why
are journeys to ritual landscapes important in Maya religion? How can archaeologists recog-
M
nize Maya pilgrimage, and how does it compare to similar behavior at ritual landscapes
a
around the world? The author addresses these questions and others through cross-cultural
y
comparisons, archaeological data, and ethnographic insights. Palka also discusses the broad a

importance of Maya ritual landscapes and pilgrimage for native society in Mesoamerica as a P
whole. i
l
g
r
“In this fascinating book, Joel Palka marshals an impressive amount of archaeological, histor-
i
m
ical, and ethnographic information from all of Mesoamerica to answer why Maya pilgrimage
across ritual landscapes has been so important throughout their history. This book is a valu- a
g
able addition not only to the literature on Mesoamerica, but also to pilgrimage studies
e
worldwide.”
t
o
—john kantner, author of Ancient Puebloan Southwest and coeditor of The Evolution
R
of Leadership: Transitions in Decision Making from Small-Scale to Middle-Range Societies
i
t
u
JOEL W. PALKA is an associate professor of anthropology and Latin American and Latino a
l
studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the author of Unconquered Lacandon Maya:
L
Ethnohistory and Archaeology of Indigenous Culture Change.
a
n
cover photograph: Maya ritual cliff at Lake Mensabak, Chiapas, Mexico, courtesy of Joel W. Palka. d
s
c
archaeologies of landscape in the americas series a
p
e
s
ISBN 978-0-8263-5474-7
90000
.
university of new mexico press joel w palka
unmpress.com | 800-249-7737
9 780826 354747 >
Maya Pilgrimage to Ritual Landscapes
archaeologies of landscape in the americas series
Jerry D. Moore, Series Editor
The Archaeologies of Landscape in the Americas Series explores the dynamic inter-
actions and creations of place and space in human societies. Incorporating diverse
approaches of landscape archaeology and investigating prehistoric, historic, and
modern societies, the series includes case studies from North America, Mesoamerica,
and South America. Although these works principally focus on prehistoric and his-
toric sites, current and recent archaeological studies examining the material traces of
modern landscapes will also be considered for publication.
Maya Pilgrimage Ritual Landscapes
to
Insights from Archaeology, History, and Ethnography
.
joel w palka
University of New Mexico Press • Albuquerque
© 2014 by the University of New Mexico Press
All rights reserved. Published 2014
Printed in the United States of America
19 18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5 6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Palka, Joel W., 1962–
Maya pilgrimage to ritual landscapes : insights from archaeology,
history, and ethnography / Joel W. Palka.
pages cm. — (Archaeologies of landscape in the Americas)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8263-5474-7 (hardback) — ISBN 978-0-8263-5475-4 (electronic)
1. Mayas—Rites and ceremonies. 2. Mayas—Religion. 3. Sacred space—Mexico.
4. Sacred space—Central America. 5. Pilgrims and pilgrimages—Mexico.
6. Pilgrims and pilgrimages—Central America. I. Title.
F1435.3.R56P35 2014
299.7'842—dc23
2014001245
cover photograph: Maya ritual cliff at Lake Mensabak, Chiapas, Mexico
Courtesy of Joel W. Palka
cover and interior design: Catherine Leonardo
Set in Minion Pro 10.25/13.5
Display is ITC Clearface Regular
For my wife, Nilda, and kids, Elena, Diana, and Julian,
who made this work possible.

Contents
Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xv
Chapter One
Ritual Landscapes, Pilgrimage, and
Cultures in the Southern Maya Region 1
Chapter Two
Pilgrimage, Ritual Landscapes, and Material Culture 37
Chapter Three
Ritual Landscapes, Communicating Places, and Community 100
Chapter Four
Homes of the Earth Lords: Maya Caves,
Ruins, and Boulders 153
Chapter Five
Creation and the Moon Goddess:
Maya Islands and Ritual Waters 201
Chapter Six
Mountains of Sustenance and Cliffs of Paradise
in Maya Pilgrimage 242
Chapter Seven
Conclusions: Interpreting Maya Ritual Landscapes
and Pilgrimage 299
References Cited 321
Index 361
vii

Illustrations
Figures
1.1. Lacandon Maya ceramic incense burner 2
1.2. Island in a ritual lake 3
1.3. Stained glass showing the pilgrimage shrine of Lourdes 8
1.4. Nazca ceramic pilgrimage scene 9
1.5. P ilgrimage to a Spanish church on an ancient Maya temple,
Chichicastenango 12
1.6. Lacandon Maya youth visiting a Preclassic Maya temple 15
1.7. Map of Mesoamerica 16
1.8. M ap showing the ethnic groups and pilgrimage sites of the Southern
Maya Region 17
1.9. Map of the Southern Maya Region 20
1.10. Map of the archaeological sites and pilgrimage shrines, Mensabak 21
1.11. Maya temple or effigy mountain, Tikal 26
1.12. Southern Lacandon Maya pilgrims at the Classic Maya ruins of Yaxchilan 30
1.13. Tzeltal Maya men praying at a ritual cliff for rain 34
1.14. Ch’orti’ Maya festival and the great horned rain serpent Noh Chih Chan 36
2.1. Ritual mountain shrine of Machu Picchu 39
2.2. Composite drawing of Ancient Pueblo rock art 44
2.3. Footprints in pilgrimage iconography 45
2.4. Maya metal votive offerings and clay pilgrims’ tablets 49
2.5. Maya pilgrim road at the entrance to Kabah 57
2.6. Pilgrims at the shrine of Chalma 66
2.7. Pilgrims bathe in the springs at the shrine of Chalma 67
2.8. The apparition of Christ above pilgrims at the cave shrine of Chalma 68
2.9. Aztec pilgrims ascend Mount Tlaloc 69
2.10. Aztec ancestors leave the island of Aztlan 70
ix