Ninth-Century Stelae of Machaquilá and Seibal

Stela 17

Stela 17's (Figure 21, shown right) scene of interaction between distinctly rendered individuals has garnered much scholarly attention vis-à-vis theories of foreign presence at Seibal. The figures on Stela 17 epitomize John Graham's 'Facies A and B' figural dichotomy, depicting, according to his assessment, the interaction of a traditionally 'Classic' Maya lord and a foreign, 'non-Classic' individual.21  Further, his interpretation of the gesture of the right figure as one of 'submission,' a reading subsequently adopted by Arlen Chase, supported theories of foreign invasion and takeover of Seibal by foreigners as an explicit image of the surrender of a Maya lord.22  However, the actual implications of the hand-across-chest gesture and the visual prominence given the 'Classic' figure suggest the reverse social hierarchy. David Stuart characterized the left figure as subordinate to the right, though he considered it equally likely that this figure was simply a distinctly dressed, Classic Maya individual of lower status as opposed to a foreigner.23

Click on image to enlarge.

However, this costume finds no parallels in depictions of second-tier nobility in Classic Maya Southern Lowland art. Given the breadth of qualities and elements in Seibal's late corpus without Southern Lowland precedent, the 'non-Classic' identification of this individual seems more plausible. Unlike other Seibal stelae that blend traditionally Classic Maya and 'non-Classic' elements in the rendition of single individuals, Stela 17 used such elements to distinguish its two figures. One is presented as thoroughly Classic Maya and the other not.

The 'non-Classic' figure cannot be associated with any specific culture group. The presence of a cigar may identify the figure as a merchant, in which case the curved implement may be a merchant's walking stick. The Classic Maya God L characteristically carries a walking stick and is also associated with tobacco.²⁴  In the Epiclassic (A.D. 800-1000) period, depictions of God L and, more generally, of merchants, appear with greater frequency throughout much of Mesoamerica. Given that Seibal was likely the westernmost 'Maya' node on an extensive trade network, interaction with non-Classic merchants was quite likely and may be the theme of Stela 17.  Merchants may have served as the primary representatives at Seibal of the social groups from which they came. In general, the 'non-Classic' figure on Stela 17 and other Seibal sculptures suggests an interest among Seibal's artists and/or patrons in current visual trends outside the Southern Lowlands, with particular affinities to the art of the Northern Lowlands and possibly the Pacific piedmont region of Southern Guatemala. Such non-Classic features, however, were incorporated in sculptures that consistently maintained strong links to the Southern Lowland, Classic Maya tradition. In this sense, the 10.2.0.0.0 stelae at Seibal share the Structure A-3 program's incorporative tendency, although the inspiration for the adopted features was geographically and culturally more encompassing, including both Southern Lowland and more distant, 'non-Classic' references.

Endnotes

21. J. Graham 1973:215-216.

22. Graham 1971:147-148; Greene et al. 1972:240; J. Graham 1973:215; Chase 1985:108. Graham (1990:71) subsequently modified his reading to a "gesture of peace and friendship."

23. Stuart 1993:337.

24. Miller and Taube 1993:112, 147, 169. Alternatively, cigars are sometimes used in Classic Maya art to indicate that the depicted event occurred at night (Stephen Houston, personal communication via email, June 14, 2005).

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