Time tested: re-thinking chronology and sculptural traditions in Preclassic southern Mesoamerica

Inomata, Takeshi; Henderson, Lucia

doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.23

Cited by 33 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Izapa is renowned for its mounds measuring up to 20m in height and for its plazas filled with elaborately carved stone monuments depicting mythological and political narrative scenes (Figure 2; Guernsey 2006). Stelae carved in the so-called ‘Izapa-style’ are also known, albeit in smaller quantities, from other cities in the region (Lowe et al 1982: 17–18; Inomata & Henderson 2016). Once posited as the link between the Olmec and Maya art styles (Coe 1962), public art at Izapa is now understood as one example among many kingdoms that emerged during the first millennium BC (Clark 2016).…”

Section: The Izapa Region Of Southern Mexicomentioning

confidence: 99%

Lidar reveals the entire kingdom of Izapa during the first millennium BC

Rosenswig

López-Torrijos

2018

Antiquity

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Section: The Izapa Region Of Southern Mexicomentioning

confidence: 99%

Lidar reveals the entire kingdom of Izapa during the first millennium BC

Rosenswig

López-Torrijos

2018

Antiquity

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“…We speculate that wetter conditions after 850 BCE might have been unfavorable for a further development of intensive agriculture in the CML. This is supported by palynological evidence, indicating that widespread land clearance and agriculture activity did not occur before ~400 BCE (Wahl et al, 2007;Galop et al, 2004;Leyden et al, 1987), despite some early local agricultural activity (Wahl et al, 2014;Rushton et al, 2013;McNeil et al, 2010;Galop et al, 2004 with an expansion of maize-based agriculture in the CML, and communities within the Maya Lowlands show a strong and steady development with relatively uniform ceramic and architectural styles (Hansen, 2017;Inomata and Henderson, 2016). Hence, major development of Maya civilization in the Central Maya Lowlands occurred only after the onset of the Late Pre-Classic period, when climate became progressively drier, in line with earlier findings that drier conditions were favorable for agricultural development in the CML (Wahl et al, 2014).…”

Section: Precipitation Versus Human Development In the CMLmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The records span the Pre-Classic period (1800 BCE -250 CE), when Maya societies in the CML transformed from predominantly mobile hunter-gatherers in the Early Pre-Classic Period (e.g. Inomata et al, 2015;Coe, 2011;Lohse, 2010), to complex sedentary societies that founded impressive cities like El Mirador by the later part of the Pre-Classic period (Hansen, 2017;Inomata and Henderson, 2016). The period of rapid growth in these centralized societies likely occurred much later than previously thought, likely sometime after the start of the Late Pre-Classic period around 400 BCE (Inomata and Henderson, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inomata et al, 2015;Coe, 2011;Lohse, 2010), to complex sedentary societies that founded impressive cities like El Mirador by the later part of the Pre-Classic period (Hansen, 2017;Inomata and Henderson, 2016). The period of rapid growth in these centralized societies likely occurred much later than previously thought, likely sometime after the start of the Late Pre-Classic period around 400 BCE (Inomata and Henderson, 2016). This raises the question for the reason behind the delayed development of societies in this area, which was to become the core area of Maya civilization during the following Classic period (250 -900 CE).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reply on “Climate impact on the development of Pre-Classic Maya civilization” (RC-2)

Nooren¹

2018

Preprint

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The impact of climate change on the development and disintegration of Maya civilization has long been debated. The lack of agreement among existing palaeoclimatic records from the region has prevented a detailed understanding of regional-scale climatic variability, its climatic forcing mechanisms, and its impact on the ancient Maya. We present two new palaeo-precipitation records for the Central Maya Lowlands, spanning the Pre-Classic period (1800 BCE-250 CE), a key epoch in the development of Maya civilization. Lake Tuspan's diatom record is indicative of precipitation changes at a local scale, while a beach ridge elevation record from world's largest late Holocene beach ridge plain provides a regional picture. We identify centennial-scale variability in palaeo-precipitation that significantly correlates with the North Atlantic δ 14 C atmospheric record, with a comparable periodicity of approximately 500 years, indicating an important role of North Atlantic atmospheric-oceanic forcing on precipitation in the Central Maya Lowlands. The Early Pre-Classic period was characterized by relatively dry conditions, shifting to wetter conditions during the Middle Pre-Classic period, around the well-known 850 BCE (2.8 ka) event. We propose that this wet period may have been unfavorable for agricultural intensification in the Central Maya Lowlands, explaining the relatively delayed development of Maya civilization in this area. A return to relatively drier conditions during the Late Pre-Classic period coincides with rapid agricultural intensification in the region and the establishment of major cities. 1. Introduction During the last decades, a wealth of new data has been gathered to understand human-environmental interaction and the role of climate change in the development and disintegration of societies in the Maya Lowlands (e.g.,

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“…(e) A composite crocodile-shark creature on Kaminaljuyu Sculpture 2. Length = 2.66 m. Redrawn and reversed from sketch by Henderson in Inomata and Henderson (2017:Figure 6b).…”

Section: Crocodiles and Sharks In Ancient Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crocodiles, Sharks, and Some Speculations on Central Peten Preclassic History

Rice

2019

Ancient Mesoam

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The first part of this two-part essay discusses the important roles crocodiles and sharks played in Preclassic (and later) political geography and myths of cosmogenesis in Mesoamerica. They are associated with sacrifices resulting in creation of the world and births of some major gods. Crocodiles are also associated with fertility, rebirth, and renewal of seasonal and temporal/calendrical cycles. Recent investigations at Nixtun-Ch'ich’ show that its gridded urban landscape, established in the Middle Preclassic period (ca. 800–400 b.c.), was likely modeled on a crocodile's back. The second part of the essay presents some speculations on the early role of this site and crocodiles in central Peten. At Tikal, archaeology and retrospective texts indicate that crocodiles appeared in early versions of the site's emblem glyph and in the name of an early ruler. Nixtun-Ch'ich’ might be the legendary chi place, important in the dynastic foundations of several lowland Maya centers.

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Time tested: re-thinking chronology and sculptural traditions in Preclassic southern Mesoamerica

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 33 publications

References 11 publications

Lidar reveals the entire kingdom of Izapa during the first millennium BC

Lidar reveals the entire kingdom of Izapa during the first millennium BC

Reply on “Climate impact on the development of Pre-Classic Maya civilization” (RC-2)

Crocodiles, Sharks, and Some Speculations on Central Peten Preclassic History

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