Two Classic Maya ballplayer panels from Tipan Chen Uitz, Belize

Recent archaeological investigations at Tipan Chen Uitz, Belize, yielded two remarkable Classic Maya ballplayer panels. Iconographic and glyphic analysis of these panels within a regional context provides new insights into large-scale socio-political relationships, demonstrating that the ballgame wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAntiquity Vol. 91; no. 359; pp. 1285 - 1298
Main Authors Andres, Christopher R., Helmke, Christophe, Morton, Shawn G., Wrobel, Gabriel D.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.10.2017
Subjects
Archaeology
Architecture
Ball games
Caves
Excavation
Games
Iconography
Inscriptions
Mayan civilization
Mayan culture
Memorials & monuments
Observations
Paneling
Panels and panelling
Political aspects
Politics
Social archaeology
Social aspects
Sociopolitical factors
Belize
Tipan Chen Uitz
Maya
Belize
Late Classic
ballgame
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Summary:Recent archaeological investigations at Tipan Chen Uitz, Belize, yielded two remarkable Classic Maya ballplayer panels. Iconographic and glyphic analysis of these panels within a regional context provides new insights into large-scale socio-political relationships, demonstrating that the ballgame was an important means and mechanism for macro-political affiliation in the Maya Lowlands. The panels suggest that Tipan was part of a wider system of vassalage that tied it to other Maya centres, including Naranjo, a regional capital under the dominion of Calakmul where the Snake-Head dynasty held sway. The data presented here underpin a more general discussion of archaeological approaches to ancient interaction spheres.
ISSN:0003-598X
1745-1744
DOI:10.15184/aqy.2017.85