[Aztlan] Re: The Highlands vs. The Peten

[borgsted at sas.upenn.edu]

Regarding the ubiquity of the stela-altar complex in the highlands vs. the
Peten, it is undoubtedly true that, based on current evidence, the practice was
much more common in the southern lowlands during the Classic period than in the
Maya highlands at the same time. In a recent survey in the western Guatemalan
highlands, of about 50 sites that date to the Late or Terminal Classic, only 5
had evidence of stelae erection (all of these uncarved stelae). This is despite
the fact that this region is one of the few in the highlands to have a known
corpus dating to the Late/Terminal Classic period (nearby sites with carved
stela include Chinkultic and sites in the Chacula zone, the latter having
initial series dates in the 10th Baktun). For earlier and later periods
(Preclassic and Postclassic), the relative abundance (highlands vs. lowlands)
of stelae-altars is debatable.
   If the question regarding these--"the setting up of stelae and altars in
plazas on structures..."--is the "on structures" component, some stelae were
placed on top of platforms or acropoli in the highlands, although it was more
common to have them in plazas (during the Classic period).

Greg Borgstede, Ph.D.


> question for all,
>
>   Is this arguement true, "The setting up of stelae and altars in plazas
on structures  was a common practice in the Peten but rare in the
Highlands". Stelae and Alters  in plaza structures had been found in the
site of Nebaj.