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King Pacal’s Sarcophagus Lid - Palenque, Classic Period

Kingship in the Late Preclassic (c. B.C.) Maya Lowlands: The Instruments and Places of Ritual Power By Linda Schele & David Freidel. We know for sure the Classic Maya practiced the institution of ahaw, kingship or “KING”. Characteristics, regarded as: 1) Divine supernatural

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King Pacal’s Sarcophagus Lid - Palenque, Classic Period

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  1. Kingship in the Late Preclassic (c. B.C.) Maya Lowlands: The Instruments and Places of Ritual Power By Linda Schele & David Freidel We know for sure the Classic Maya practiced the institution of ahaw, kingship or “KING”. Characteristics, regarded as: 1) Divine supernatural 2) Equal w/ ancestor, dec & liv 3) Center of ritual practice 4) Common theology DERIVED FROM EVID.

  2. Supernatural Forces… Objects propelling status… King King Pacal’s Sarcophagus Lid - Palenque, Classic Period Freidel and Schele propose that the institution of King originated in the fist century B.C. (the Late Preclassic). Invented to accommodate the ethos of egalitarianism and the condition of flourishing elitism brought on by advances in trade a social relations. Contrary to the belief that kingship originated in the Early Classic. By this time, the institution was fully functioning, accordingly.

  3. Evidence for the institution of kingship…Late Preclassic Jester helmet Supernatural Forces… King E. Flares; objects that propel status… Lower west panel on Structure 5C-2nd - Cerros

  4. Evidence for the institution of kingship…Late Preclassic Jester God Glyph, 3 strand • Dumbarton Oaks Pectoral • Dates to Late Preclassic • 3 Strand Jester God, is worn or held, seen heavily in the classic period. • Tikal Burials • 3 Strand Jester pendants found in burials, also date to Late Preclassic. • Cache at Cerros • Green stone pendants, pierced for suspension. Also with Jester strands. • PROCEED TO EVID. Pendants, Prophecy stones? Dumbarton Oaks Pectoral

  5. Evidence for the institution of Kingship… 2 • Cache at Cerros (Structure 6B) • Green stone pendants, pierced for suspension. Also with Jester strands. • Pendants could have been sewn on or suspended from bands. In arrangement as seen on the Dumbarton Oaks Pectoral. • Additional Evidence • Found in a quadripartition “four directions”. Supported by sites in Rio Azul, Pomona Flare in Belize, and Peddler gods of the Classic. • Schele concluded the pendants, were part of a royal crown. • PROCEED TO STONES OF PROPHECY… 1 3 Pierced 2 1 3

  6. Evidence for the institution of Kingship… 2 The Stones of Prophecy… “The following day physicians and sorcerers assembled in their house… They opened the bundles of their medicine, in which they kept little trifles, little idols of their gods. Of the kind which they used for casting lots”. Evidence now seen in the ethnographic record Given the scenario, Schele states the royal pendants found in the Late Preclassic could be so called stones of prophecy. Which would mean kings had extended shamanist powers. FINAL CONCLUSION Successful king institutions built ritual & theoretical practices that made king supernatural & divine. Sadly concludes by applauding her methods and not the material. 1 3 Pierced 2 1 3

  7. Strengths Weakness • Data was relevant, consistent and abundant. Rich all around… • Method was well implored “Text Analysis”. Looks for patterns in text and symbols… • Good job of tackling a dark issue in Maya studies, as far as the Late Preclassic is concerned. A vital contribution to Maya studies… • With all the data examined, maybe the study could have encompassed other Maya regions. • Conclusion was a bit pre-mature, not that it mattered…

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