Fiery pool: the Maya and the mythic sea

Abstract

"Maya art and hieroglyphs constitute one of the world's most fascinating, visually striking, and complex systems of expression. Most scholarly interpretations of Maya art and culture have emphasized that this ancient civilization was oriented toward inland centers and preoccupied with the blood of royal lineage and ritual sacrifice. Drawing on recent archaeological discoveries and developments in deciphering Maya glyphs, this volume presents a revisionist reading that shifts the emphasis of interpretation to the mythic power of the sea as the basis of a larger, deeper cultural narrative and history for the Maya." "Surrounded by the sea in all directions, the Maya viewed water as a source of both life and danger. Through the artworks presented - including acknowledged masterpieces and many never before exhibited in the United States - readers will gain a new appreciation for water's influence on Maya cosmology, its role in their interpretation of the supernatural, as well as its impact on Maya cross-cultural contacts, trading practices, and power dynamics. Essays by prominent scholars provide an interdisciplinary context for understanding Maya art as well as new interpretations of traditional iconography and symbolism."--BOOK JACKET.

Contents

Foreword / Dan L. Monroe and Lynda Roscoe Hartigan -- Statements from international contributors -- Acknowledgments / Daniel Finamore and Stephen D. Houston -- Introduction / Daniel Finamore and Stephen D. Houston -- Visual glossary -- Map of Maya sites -- The worlds of the ancient Maya and the worlds they made / Mary E. Miller and Megan O'Neil -- Drowned landscapes / Heather McKillop -- The wide waters of Palenque / David Stuart -- Plates 1-19 -- Living waters and wondrous beasts / Stephen D. Houston -- Symbols of water management at Copan, Honduras / Barbara W. Fash -- The music of shells / Marc Zender -- Plates 20-52 -- Navigating the Maya world / Daniel Finamore -- The dark lord of Maya trade / Simon Martin -- The Maya ports Isla Cerritos and Uaymil / Rafael Cobos -- Plates 53-70 -- Where earth and sky meet: The sea and sky in ancient and contemporary Maya cosmology / Karl A. Taube -- Offerings to the rain gods: The archaeology of Maya caves / James E. Brady -- Objects cast into cenotes / Luis Alberto Martos Lopez -- Plates 71-99 -- Coda: The sea and art / Daniel Finamore -- Catalogue of the exhibition.