Fifty Shades of Green: Interpreting Maya Jade Production, Circulation, Consumption, and Value

Abstract

This work addresses varying interpretations of the production, circulation, and consumption of jades in the Maya area from the Preclassic through the Postclassic periods (600 b.c.–a.d. 1697). Traditionally, exchange of jades has been seen as a dyadic relationship between elites (gifting and tribute). Some have argued for gradations of value in the circulation of jades, which probably circulated in both elite and commoner spheres. More recent research argues that jade blanks were commoditized because they could be standardized. In this article, we evaluate this last claim, concluding there is no evidence for standardization and commodification of jade blanks, and a dearth of jade blanks in archaeological deposits. We critique the expectation that commodities in some nonindustrial economies should be standardized, and make suggestions about what kinds of jade objects, if any, have greatest potential to become commodities in the Maya area.

The Life and Death of Homes at Noh K'uh: The Cosmological Ceremonies of Late Preclassic Corporate Maya Households

“…The intact pot in the same unit may convey a similar practice, in which a fully functional personal item was buried under a household floor. Kovacevich (2013) argues that intact and functional objects may have had an inalienable relationship with their owner, and their inclusion in commemorative rituals would have imbued the constructed space with the memory of that person. Increased investment in household spaces carried multiple meanings, which included establishing the permanency of household identities, communicating the durability of the household to future generations, and commemorating the memory of important ancestors (Harrison-Buck 2004; McAnany 1995).…”

Demystifying jadeite: an underwater Maya discovery at Ek Way Nal, Belize

“…2017). During the Classic Period (AD 300–900), the use of high-quality translucent jadeite was typically reserved for unique and elaborate jadeite plaques, figurines and earplugs (earrings) for royalty and other elites (Kovacevich & Callaghan 2018). Craft workers closely affiliated with Maya royalty probably finished making these jadeite objects in either palace workshops or household workshops in lowland Maya cities.…”

“…In contrast, beads and celts made from jadeite and other greenstones of varying quality were widely distributed at Tikal, Cancuen and other lowland cities, being found in archaeological contexts associated with both elites and commoners (Masson & Freidel 2012; Kovacevich & Callaghan 2018). Even at small Maya communities, such as Ceren, nearly every household had a greenstone celt (Sheets 2000).…”

Quantitative and Qualitative Correlation of CL and X-ray Signals in Cr-bearing Jade from Chichén-Itzá Archaeological Zone, Mexico

“…While the 2.3 eV and 3.7 eV images have reduced contrast relative to the 1.6 eV feature, the coarse-scale zoning in the 2.8 eV feature, relative to the oscillatory 1.6 eV zoning, may represent crystal growth-induced imperfections in the jadeite structure. These microscale imaging and analytical results show significant promise for forging links between archaeological dedicatory jadeite offerings that are often difficult to group [9]. CL and X-ray microanalysis may also aid archaeologists seeking to determine the relationship between such cultural objects and the ancient trade networks responsible for transportation from their point of origin to the site of discovery.…”