Maya Dwellings in Hieroglyphs and Archaeology

Description

This study considers a set of buildings in the Lowland Maya area of Mexico and Central America defined by its association with the indigenous architectural classification otoot, “dwelling.” These have proven resistant to archaeologists’ attempts to develop effective classifications and to address their functions and roles in Classic Maya society. This investigation takes as a point of departure the terms attached to the structures by the ancient Maya elites themselves. Because hieroglyphic texts that contain architectural terms occur on lintels, doorjambs, monumental stairways, etc.; and because the terms typically refer to the structure in which the monument is mounted, it becomes possible to link specific buildings and building groups with ancient Maya ways of classifying, constructing, and imagining inhabited space. A bridge can therefore be built between the hieroglyphic and the archaeological records in a very specific set of contexts.