Símbolos de prestigio y poder entre los gobernantes del Clásico Tardío en las Tierras Bajas mayas del sur: los datos arqueológicos de Yaxchilán, Chiapas

Abstract

Studies on the Maya elite mention the existence of titles, objects, gestures, and attitudes that symbolized the status and power of an individual or a social group, which are represented in Classic Maya monuments and objects. This paper briefly discusses the conceptualization of this kind of symbols and based on the studies that have been developed on the subject, the main characteristics that these symbols had among the Mayas of the southern lowlands during the Late Classic period are presented; this serves as a referential framework to evaluate the existence of social status indicators in the elite tombs explored in Yaxchilán between 1978 and 1985.