Maya Palaces and Elite Residences: An Interdisciplinary Approach (The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies)

Maya "palaces" have intrigued students of this ancient Mesoamerican culture since the early twentieth century, when scholars first applied the term "palace" to multi-room, gallery-like buildings set on low platforms in the centers of Maya cities. Who lived in these palaces? What types of ceremonial and residential activities took place there? How do the physical forms and spatial arrangement of the buildings embody Maya concepts of social organization and cosmology? This book brings together state-of-the-art data and analysis regarding the occupants, ritual and residential uses, and social and cosmological meanings of Maya palaces and elite residences. A multidisciplinary team of senior researchers reports on sites in Belize (Blue Creek), Western Honduras (Copan), the Peten (Tikal, Dos Pilas, Aguateca), and the Yucatan (Uxmal, Chichen-Itza, Dzibilchaltun, Yaxuna). Archaeologist contributors discuss the form of palace buildings and associated artifacts, their location within the city, and how some palaces related to landscape features. Their approach is complemented by art historical analyses of architectural sculpture, epigraphy, and ethnography. Jessica Joyce Christie concludes the volume by identifying patterns and commonalties that apply not only to the cited examples, but also to Maya architecture in general. Elite Residences At Blue Creek, Belize / Thomas H. Guderjan, Robert J. Lichtenstein, And C. Colleen Hanratty -- At Court In Copan / Loa P. Traxler -- A Multipurpose Structure In The Late Classic Palace At Copan / E. Wyllys Andrews V ... [et Al.] -- Palaces Of The Royal Court At Tikal / Peter D'arcy Harrison -- The Political Acquisition Of Sacred Geography : The Murciélagos Complex At Dos Pilas / Arthur Demarest ... [et Al.] -- Where Did Elites Live? : Identifying Elite Residences At Aguateca, Guatemala / Takeshi Inomata And Daniela Triadan -- Access Patterns In Maya Royal Precincts / Rodrigo Liendo Stuardo. Evidence For The Functions And Meanings Of Some Northern Maya Palaces / Jeff Karl Kowalski -- The Function Of A Maya Palace At Yaxuna / James N. Ambrosino -- Palace And Society In The Northern Maya Lowlands / Edward B. Kurjack -- The Tripartite Layout Of Rooms In Maya Elite Residences : Symbolic Centering, Ritual Mediating, And Historical Governing / Jessica Joyce Christie. Edited By Jessica Joyce Christie. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Elite residences at Blue Creek, Belize / Thomas H. Guderjan, Robert J. Lichtenstein and C. Colleen Hanratty At court in Copan : palace groups of the early classic / Loa P. Traxler A multipurpose structure in the late classic palace at Copan / E. Wyllys Andrews V ... [et al.] Palaces of the Royal Court at Tikal / Peter D'Arcy Harrison The political acquisition of sacred geography : the Murciélagos complex at Dos Pilas / Arthur Demarest ... [et al.] Where did elites live? Identifying elite residences at Aquateca, Guatemala / Takeshi Inomata and Daniela Triadan Access patterns in Maya royal precincts / Rodrigo Liendo Stuardo Evidence for the functions and meanings of some northern Maya palaces / Jeff Karl Kowalski The function of a Maya palace at Yaxuna : a contextual approach / James N. Ambrosino Palace and society in the Northern Maya Lowlands / Edward B. Kurjack The tripartite layout of rooms in Maya elite residences : symbolic centering, ritual mediating and historical governing / Jessica Joyce Christie.