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Water and Ritual: The Rise and Fall of Classic Maya Rulers (The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies) PDF

271 Pages·2006·3.79 MB·English
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00A-T3558-FM 12/20/05 4:41 PM Page i Water and Ritual 00A-T3558-FM 12/20/05 4:41 PM Page ii The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies This series was made possible through the generosity of William C. Nowlin, Jr., and Bettye H. Nowlin, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and various individual donors. 00A-T3558-FM 12/20/05 4:41 PM Page iii Water and Ritual The Rise and Fall of Classic Maya Rulers lisa j. lucero University of Texas Press Austin 00A-T3558-FM 12/20/05 4:41 PM Page iv Copyright © 2006 by the University of Texas Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America First edition, 2006 Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to: Permissions University of Texas Press P.O. Box 7819 Austin, TX 78713-7819 www.utexas.edu/utpress/about/bpermission.html (cid:1)(cid:1)The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence of Paper). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lucero, Lisa Joyce. Water and ritual : the rise and fall of classic Maya rulers / Lisa J. Lucero.— 1st ed. p. cm. — (The Linda Schele series in Maya and pre-Columbian studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn0-292-70999-4 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Mayas—Politics and government. 2. Mayas—Kings and rulers. 3. Mayas— Rites and ceremonies. 4. Water rights—Central America. 5. Water rights— Mexico. 6. Water—Religious aspects. 7. Central America—Economic conditions. 8. Mexico—Economic conditions. I. Title. II. Series. f1435.3.p7l83 2006 305.897(cid:2)42—dc22 2005028167 00A-T3558-FM 12/20/05 4:41 PM Page v For my parents, Jim and Ida Lucero THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 00A-T3558-FM 12/20/05 4:41 PM Page vii Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xiii Introduction:The Rise and Fall of Classic Maya Rulers 1 1. Water and Ritual 5 2. Classic Maya Political Histories 33 3. Maya Rituals:Past and Present 54 4. Community and the Maya:The Ritual History of Saturday Creek 67 5. Local Rulers and the Maya:The Ritual History of Altar de Sacrificios 114 6. Regional Rulers and the Maya:The Ritual History of Tikal 145 7. The Rise and Fall of Classic Maya Rulers 175 8. Water,Ritual,and Politics in Ancient Complex Societies 196 Notes 201 References Cited 203 Index 239 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 00A-T3558-FM 12/20/05 4:41 PM Page ix Preface In 1999 I published a paper (Lucero 1999b) on water systems and Maya ruler- ship at Tikal and other comparable centers (large centers in areas without per- manent water sources such as lakes and rivers). This paper, as well as questions from colleagues and students and a perusal of cross-cultural cases, made me wonder about the role of water at other centers in the southern Maya lowlands, particularly those located in areas with rivers and lakes. I realized that the level of reliance on and scale of reservoirs had a significant impact on the degree of rulers’ political power. The more I delved into research on water issues and Maya rulership, however, the more I also realized that water management is inadequate in and of itself to explain completely the ability of a few to exact tribute from the majority. One only has to look around each Maya center to no- tice a missing piece of the puzzle—monumental public architecture and large plazas. These settings served as competitive arenas to integrate people through ceremonies and feasts, particularly during the dry season. They also served to highlight the fact that the average commoner was an active participant and had some say in the amount of tribute paid as well as to whom. Commoners were willing to contribute surplus because rulers offset problems that arose as a re- sult of seasonal vagaries—not enough or too much water. Annual water shortages in the tropical jungles of the southern Maya low- lands dramatically affected the livelihood of the Maya like no other natural re- source shortage. Even in areas where water was plentiful, seasonal water issues impacted settlement decisions and agricultural practices. By about 1000 bc Maya had relocated to interior areas away from the major rivers and coastal ar- eas. Pioneers found plentiful fertile agricultural land but not much permanent surface water. The first farmers had a definite advantage over succeeding gen- erations of immigrating families who needed to farm to support themselves. The first settlers or founders—the earliest elites—did not offer the use of their land for free. In return for homestead privileges, they demanded, and were

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In the southern Maya lowlands, rainfall provided the primary and, in some areas, the only source of water for people and crops. Classic Maya kings sponsored elaborate public rituals that affirmed their close ties to the supernatural world and their ability to intercede with deities and ancestors to
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