article

Kingship in the Late Preclassic Maya lowlands: the instruments and places of ritual power

American anthropologist • 90 • Published In 1988 • Pages: 547-567

By: Freidel, David A., Schele, Linda.

Abstract

In this article, Freidal and Schele explore the Preclassic origins of Mayan kingship, the institution of AHAW. They argue that the institution developed in the first century B.C. to accommodate contradictions between an egalitarian ethos and emerging elite. This change happened prior to the collapse of Preclassic society and manifested itself in the sudden surge of construction that occurred in the Late Preclassic lowland centers. Freidal and Schele surmise that Late Preclassic society collapsed because it failed to develop principles and a system for succession. The authors also read into the Late Preclassic iconography the Classic symbols associated with AHAW, such as the QUINCUNX glyph, a symbol for ruling office, and the Jester God, a semantic determinative of AHAW.

HRAF PubDate

2001

Region

Middle America and the Caribbean

Sub Region

Maya Area

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Archaeologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 2000

Field Date

not specified

Coverage Date

2350-1900 BP

Coverage Place

Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico

Notes

David A. Freidel and Linda Schele

Includes bibliographical references (p. 564-567)

LCCN

17015424

LCSH

Mayas--Antiquities