Archaeology of Performance: Theaters of Power, Community, and Politics (Archaeology in Society)

Performances in the premodern communities shaped identities, created meanings, generated and maintained political control. But unlike other social scientists, archaeologists have not worked much with these concepts. Archaeology of Performance shows how the notions of theatricality and spectacle are as important economics and politics in understanding how ancient communities work. Without sacrificing conceptual rigor, the contributors draw on the wide-ranging literature on performance. Without sacrificing material evidence, they try to see how performance creates meaning and ideology. Drawing on evidence from societies large and small, Archaeology of Performance offers an important new ways of understanding ancient theaters of power. Contents 6 Series Editor’s Foreword 8 PROLOGUE 10 Prologue: Behind the Scenes: Producing the Performance • Lawrence S. Coben and Takeshi Inomata 12 ACT I: CONCEPTS AND APPROACHES 18 Scene I: Overture: An Invitation to the Archaeological Theater • Takeshi Inomata and Lawrence S. Coben 20 ACT II: SENSES, SPECTACLE, AND PERFORMANCE 54 Scene 2: “The Indians Were Much Given to Their Taquis”: Drumming and Generative Categories in Ancient Andean Processions • Jerry D. Moore 56 Scene 3: The Spectacle of Daily Performance at Çatalhöyük • Ian Hodder 90 Scene 4: Representational Aesthetics and Political Subjectivity: The Spectacular in Urartian Images of Performance • Adam T. Smith 112 Scene 5: Impersonation, Dance, and the Problem of Spectacle among the Classic Maya • Stephen D. Houston 144 ACT III: PUBLIC PERFORMANCE OF POWER AND COMMUNITY 166 Scene 6: Dancing Gods: Ritual, Performance, and Political Organization in the Prehistoric Southwest • Daniela Triadan 168 Scene 7: Politics and Theatricality in Mayan Society • Takeshi Inomata 196 Scene 8: Other Cuzcos: Replicated Theaters of Inka Power • Lawrence S. Coben 232 Scene 9: Public Ceremonial Performance in Ancient Egypt: Exclusion and Integration • John Baines 270 Scene 10: Visible and Vocal: Sovereigns of the Early Merina (Madagascar) State • Susan Kus and Victor Raharijaona 312 Index 340 About the Contributors 346 An invitation to the archaeological theater / Takeshi Inomata and Lawrence S. Coben "The Indians were much given to their taquis" : drumming and generative categories in ancient Andean funerary processions / Jerry D. Moore The spectacle of daily performance at Atalhyk / Ian Hodder Representational aesthetics and political subjectivity : the spectacular in urartian images of performance / Adam T. Smith Impersonation, dance, and the problem of spectacle among the classic Maya / Stephen D. Houston Dancing gods : ritual, performance and political organization in the prehistoric Southwest / Daniela Triadan Politics and theatricality in Maya society / Takeshi Inomata Other Cuzcos : replicated theaters of Inka power / Lawrence S. Coben Public ceremonial performance in ancient Egypt : exclusion and integration / John Baines Visible and vocal : sovereigns of the early Merina (Madagascar) state / Susan Kus and Victor Raharijaona. Collection of original articles exploring theatricality in the ancient world and how it affected social life and politics.