[Aztlan] Vase K 594 and the Origin of the Marimba

[Steffen Haurholm-Larsen]

Listeros,
 
The posts about the origin of the marimba made me curious. 
Obviously it is a topic of much nationalist tension among the modern national states of the region. I imagine that for some it would be a great honor to be able to proove that this beautifully sounding traditional instrument was conceived precisely in their back yard. 
 
I think that the vase referred to in the article in Prensa Libre is K 594. It can be seen in detail in the link below, or through www.famsi.org in the Kerr Maya Vase database (search for K 594)
 
 
http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=594
 
Looking at this vase, even though I can see the marimba-like contours of the object carried by the person just behind the ruler, I don't think that this is proof that the marimba originates from Chama, or even that the instrument which the guy on the vase is carrying, works the same way as a marimba or, say, a xylophone.
 
Best regards,
 
Steffen Haurholm-Larsen
 
State University of New York at Albany

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