A Study of Early Classic Maya Ritual at Copán, Honduras

Discussion

The macroscopic, microscopic, and chemical analyses funded by FAMSI suggest three important points, which have significant implications not only for the interpretation of data related specifically to the Copán deposits but also for future research carried out at Copán and other Maya sites. First, these analyses, which indicated the presence of two minerals (jarosite and goethite) not normally found under conditions of extreme heat, have elucidated possible additional steps in the deposition of objects during the termination ritual on top of the Motmot marker and hence in the behaviors that produced the archaeological record. This will be considered in the on-going analysis of the sequence of Motmot deposits as a whole.

Second, while the use of cinnabar and hematite as red-colored pigments is not uncommon or unknown at Classic Maya sites (e.g., Chase and Chase 1998; Fash 2001; Vázquez and Velázquez 1996; Wells et al. 2000), the detection, by chemical analysis, of both minerals in a single deposit suggests that there may have been different uses for the two minerals. Whether these different uses pertain to differences in the hues and tones of the two colors produced by the minerals or in other physical properties and/or meanings attached to the minerals remains to be determined.

Third, the results of the analyses point to the importance of interdisciplinary research that balances archaeological observation with material science techniques. Specifically, the detailed and meticulous excavation of the termination debris on top of the Motmot marker performed by Barbara Fash and colleagues revealed numerous areas of color concentrations visible to the naked eye. However, chemical analysis of these sampled areas often indicated a different, dominant pigment, primarily cinnabar. For example, a yellowish (goethite) area on the ground was revealed chemically to be composed primarily of (red) cinnabar. By the same token, chlorite green, which was not visible during excavation, turned up in the chemical analysis.

The new data revealed by this FAMSI-funded project contributes to the comprehensive study of the structural form and depositional history of the Copán materials. Two publications currently in preparation by the grantee correlate these new data with epigraphic and archaeological evidence to create a more complete picture of the relationship between political events, religious beliefs, and ritual activities at Copán. Our understanding of Classic Maya kingship has been greatly expanded by an appreciation for the role of ritual and religion in the political legitimation of ancient sovereigns. Through epigraphic, iconographic, ethnographic, and archaeological research, scholars now have a general idea of the religious concepts and beliefs underlying Classic Maya political structure as well as of historically contingent symbols and meanings particular to different city-states. In the case of the Motmot ritual assemblages in Copán, we have an opportunity to explore both specific politico-religious practices of Copanec kings and broader behavioral patterns related to the legitimation of Maya political authority.

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