[Aztlan] Question about Stone Chaac Mask in the NorthernAcropolis(Tikal)

[David Hixson]

--- Henry Avila <hwavila at tutopia.com> wrote:
 
> Time ago we believe the mask was the god of rain
> "Chac".  But now we believe
> the mask depicts a bird deity "Itzanm Yeh".  How
> come the change of deity?

While this question actually would require quite a
long essay to properly answer, I think the most
essential point is:

Many scholars for a period of a many decades were
uncritically using the term "Chac" for any long-nosed
architectural "mask".  They related such faces to the
codical depictions of Chac from the Dresden and Madrid
codicies (and to the modern prevelance of Chac in
northern Maya religious practice).  Around the early
1990's (following Linda Schele's and other's advances
in understanding both epigraphic and iconographic
data), recent researchers began to question such
assumptions.  Smaller elements (other than the long
noses) were examined in detail, such as the styles of
ear spools, eye treatments, and other items that had
previously been explained away as adornments.

On a side note (and in response to Justin's note), I
do think that Linda Schele missed some important
clues, which are the profile examples of "chac" masks
(often executed in bas-relief on either side of a
frontal mask), and the Chenes facades (which are often
grand representations of the same long-nose masks). 
These argue against her notion that the masks
represent Itzam Yeh.  However, this observation is not
nearly as important as Linda's overall efforts, which
finally broke through the notion that all long-nosed
masks represent the deity "Chac".

-Dave

__________________________________________________
David R. Hixson
Aztlan Moderator &
Doctoral Candidate
Tulane University
Dept. of Anthropology
__________________________________________________
"Nothing more useless than a bored archaeologist."
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