Royal Courts of the Ancient Maya: Volume I: History, Comparison, and Synthesis

The two volumes of Royal Courts of the Ancient Maya provide current archaeological perspectives on Maya courts conceived as vital, functioning social groups composed of lords, courtiers, scribes, priests, and entertainers, among many others. In addition to archaeological data on the architecture and other spatial attributes of courts, the studies in the two volumes bring to bear on the topic the most recent evidence from inscriptions, vase paintings, murals and friezes, and ethnohistoric records in order to flesh out a portrait of the actors and roles that made up Maya courts through time and across space. The attributes of courts are explored in the Maya highlands and lowlands, from the origins of early kingship through the Classic period to the Postclassic and Terminal epochs. Pertinent comparisons are also drawn from the Aztecs and other ancient and contemporary societies. Volume 1: Theory, Comparison, and Synthesis establishes a carefully considered framework for approaching the study of courts and their functions throughout the world of the ancient Maya. Volume 2: Data and Case Studies provides authoritatively current data and insights from key Maya sites, including Copán, Tikal, Caracol, Bonampak, and Calakmul. V. 1. Theory, Comparisons And Synthesis. Opening The Royal Maya Court / Takeshi Inomata And Stephen D. Houston ; King's People : Classic Maya Courtiers In A Comparative Perspective / Takeshi Inomata ; Peopling The Classic Maya Court / Stephen D. Houston And David Stuart ; Perspectives On Actors, Gender Roles And Architecture At Classic Maya Courts And Households / Patricia A. Mcanany And Shannon Plank ; Spatial Dimensions Of Maya Courtly Life : Problems And Issues / David Webster ; Court And Realm : Architectural Signatures In The Classic Maya Southern Lowlands / Simon Martin ; Classic Maya Concepts Of The Royal Court : An Analysis Of Renderings On Pictorial Ceramics / Dorie Reents-budet ; Aztec Noble Courts : Men, Women And Children Of The Palace / Susan Toby Evans -- V. 2. Data And Case Studies. The Architecture Of Early Kingship : Comparative Perspectives On The Origins Of The Maya Royal Court / John E. Clark And Richard D. Hansen ; The Royal Court Of Early Classic Copan / Loa P. Traxler ; Thrones And Throne Structures In The Central Acropolis Of Tikal As An Expression Of The Royal Court / Peter D. Harrison ; The Royal Court Of Caracol, Belize : Its Palaces And People / Arlen F. Chase And Diane Z. Chase ; Palaces And Thrones Tied To The Destiny Of The Royal Courts In The Maya Lowlands / Juan Antonio Valdés ; The Buenavista-cahal Pech Royal Court : Multi-palace Court Mobility And Usage In A Petty Lowland Maya Kingdom / Joseph W. Ball And Jennifer T. Taschek ; Life At Court : The View From Bonampak / Mary Miller ; Triadic Temples, Central Plazas And Dynastic Palaces : A Diachronic Analysis Of The Royal Court Complex, Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico / William J. Folan [and Others] ; Post-classic And Terminal Classic Courts Of The Northern Maya Lowlands / William M. Ringle And George J. Bey Iii ; Post-classic Maya Courts Of The Guatemalan Highlands : Archaeological And Ethnohistorical Approaches / Geoffrey E. Braswell ; Edited By Takeshi Inomata And Stephen D. Houston. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book provides theory, comparison, and synthesis to establish a carefully considered framework for approaching the study of courts and their functions throughout the world of the ancient Maya. It is based on the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association.