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

[David Hixson]

I must first admit that I am not a musicologist, nor an ethnomusicologist, however, as both a Maya scholar and someone who has studied music (focusing upon percussion, including the marimba), I have a different view of this discussion.

The question should not be polarized as to the exact “origin” of the instrument (New World / Old World).

First there are archaeological / cultural / historical issues regarding the use of sonorant / tonal / melodic percussion instruments in Ancient America…  Second, there are issues of the specifics of the marimba we know today.  Anthropologically, I don’t believe anyone can argue that this must have been a syncretism, much like other cultural or religious syncretisms during the contact and colonial periods.  It is likely that no single area can claim primacy.

The Maya surely had tonal percussion instruments with multiple notes using resonating chambers that could be used to create a musical phrase, motif or melody.  One basic example that has already been provided in this discussion - a hollowed log with two tonal “tongues” - was clearly of pre-columbian origin.  However, it is very likely that much more complex tonal percussion instruments were in use prior to the arrival of the Spanish.

That being said, the tonal scales used by historic and modern Guatemalan marimbas adhere to a particular scale that is certainly western in origin.  For an additional example of cross-cultural scales, the pentatonic scale of Asia is closer to the “black notes” of a modern western piano.  Those used in Guatemala for modern melodies often conform to what western musicians call a “major” rather than “minor” scale (consider using only white notes on a modern piano).  We still do not know what scales the ancient Maya used.

I believe it is clear from archaeology, art history and ethnohistory that the Maya had a well developed repertoire of musical instruments, including melodic percussion instruments very similar to the marimba.  Therefore, the technology was already in place.  However, the melodies, manufacture, and scales used in historic and modern marimbas are likely not of Maya origin.  Therefore, the merging of African, European and Native American traditions likely created the wonderful and enduring instrument now known as the marimba – made that much more appealing due to the long tradition of melodic percussion in Mesoamerica.

I strongly encourage those of you working in museums with access to ancient musical instruments, including whistles, flutes, etc. of the ancient Maya to publish the exact tones of your instruments.  It would be a fascinating study to develop the scales of pre-hispanic Mesoamerica.

-Dave
_____________________________
David R. Hixson
Ph.D. Candidate
Tulane University
Department of Anthropology
chunchucmil at yahoo.com