Mayan Artifacts
The Mayan civilization is curious. When we look back on our discoveries, we realize that the Mayans are significantly distinctive from their surrounding neighbors.
Why is that?
They were a peaceful empire, focusing their resources and time on scholarly research (Strayer and Nelson 2016, 65). The Mayans enjoyed studying the night sky, expanding and revising their theology, playing sports, and crafting artistic statues (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2019) (Strayer and Nelson 2016, 65).
Here see a wonderful example of the rich artistic and religious aspects of Mayan culture. The intricate designs seen on this statue depict members of the civilization’s theology.
What do we know about the symbolism present on this statue?
The largest figure is the Mayan sun God Kinich Ahau also known as Kinich Ajaw (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2019) (Mark 2012). Kinich was commonly called the “Face of the Sun” and was believed to oversee matters of healing and medicine (Mark 2012). Kinich is standing between representations of the Bolontiku: underworld chthonic connected to regeneration (Mark 2012). These three figures stand atop the earth which is portrayed as a giant turtle following the pantheistic religious model observed in the Americas (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2019) (Mark 2012).
What was this statue used for?
It is safe to assume this statue is a healing totem, most likely discovered where a healing temple or worship temple once. When doing a healing ritual or worshipping Kinish, incense would be lit in the top bowl while reciting a ritual of praying for health from the Mayan sun god.
The Mayans were fond of ceramic cultural accents using them for many occasions and purposes.
The is a ceramic statue that was fashioned to resemble a Mayan official. At the bottom of the statue is a bowl much like the bowl on the healing totem.
Who is this statue depicting and what is his significance?
This statue is most likely from the fourth century and depicts a ruler of that era (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2019). Mayans believed that those who attained ranks of leadership had a special connection to the supernatural world and could directly commune with its inhabitants (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2019). In Mayan civilization, when a leader passed away they were believed to transform into the supernatural world as a God (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2019).
What was the purpose of this statue?
This statue would have been used to worship and commune with a beloved leader who had moved on to the supernatural world. Worshiping the respected dead was a large part of Mayan religious culture.
The Mayans respected with fear a tribute death. They grieved for their dead as well as practiced ritual suicide and sacrifice. The Maya believed if a person died by suicide, sacrifice, childbirth, or in battle, their souls would directly to Xibalba: the afterlife. The Mayans buried and cremated their dead depending on culture and status.
Here we have a Mayan burial urn, dated between 650–850 C.E.The Mayans would wrap and fold a deceased person to fit into this urn, and then place the urn in a cave of another sacred area. This urn is four feet tall by two feet wide and ornately decorated with multiple faces.
Who are these faces?
At the very of the urn is a depiction of the maize deity named Hun Hunahpu, holding an ear of maize in each hand. This figure is a Xoc: a hole through which the soul exits the urn to go to Xibalba. Though we do not know for certain who the other faces are one could assume that they are representations of the recently deceased or other deities.
What cultural significance does maize have?
Maize was primary in the Mayan diet, as well as an important symbol. In the Mayan creation story, Popol Vuh humans were created from maize.
Mayan culture was very interpretive and art was used as an expression of status and wealth.
These two jade beads are dated between 250–900 C.E.
What cultural significance does jade have?
Jade was a valuable material in Mayan civilization that only came from trade along the Motagua River Valley in Guatemala. Jade symbolized timelessness, longevity, and the breath of the living. During Mayan funeral rituals jade and maize were often put into the mouth of the deceased. The tribute of jade was believed to grant eternal life and provide currency to enter Xibalba and maize was meant to nourish the deceased on their journey to Xibalba.
In an attempt to gain mystic powers to have control over life and death, scholars took up the practice of bloodletting to increased their knowledge of dark magic (Strayer and Nelson 2016, 65). This dark mysticism incorporated art and trade which stirred conflict. Eventually, violent conflict broke out among the different city-states that made up the empire (Strayer and Nelson 2016, 65).
Works Cited
“10 Bizarre Customs For Entering The Afterlife.” Listverse. June 26, 2016. Accessed February 22, 2019. https://listverse.com/2016/06/26/10-bizarre-customs-for-entering-the-afterlife/.
Gregorev, Nina. Lang-Chapin Congo Expedition, AMNH. Accessed February 22, 2019. https://anthro.amnh.org/anthropology/databases/projects/mca_objects.cfm?case_number=14.
Henderson, Lucia, Sylvia C, and Pamela Coleman Fellow. The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. 2015. Accessed February 22, 2019. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/310513.
Mark, Josh J. 2012. “The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, July 7: https://www.ancient.eu/article/415/the-mayan-pantheon-the-many-gods-of-the-maya/.
Strayer, Robert W, and Eric W Nelson. 2016. Ways of the World a Brief Global History With Sources. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2019. Maya Art. Accessed February 21, 2019. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/keywords/maya-art/.
Wertheimer, Jeremy. “Mayan Artifacts on Display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.” February 23, 2001. Accessed February 22, 2019. http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/Other student web sites/Jeremy G Wertheimer/main.htm.
