Pre-Colombian Maya statues found at archaeological site in Mexico

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Pre-Colombian Maya statues found at archaeological site in Mexico


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Ocosingo - Mexican researchers have found in the archaeological zone of Toniná, State of Chiapas, two stone sculptures representing captive warriors belonging to the allied Maya states of Palenque, Mexico and Copán, Honduras.
Researchers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico reported that the finding took place in May 2011 at the Toniná archaeological site, located in the municipality of Ocosingo, Chiapas. The two stone sculptures have been dated to approximately 1300 years ago and the inscriptions found on them confirm previous knowledge of a war alliance that existed between the rulers of Copán in Honduras, and Palenque, not far from Toniná in the State of Chiapas, in the Southeast of Mexico bordering Guatemala.
In addition to the human figures, each measuring about 1,50 metre high, two stone platforms were also discovered which are deemed to be markers of a field pertaining to the ball games traditionally played by Maya warriors.

    "Everything was broken, the two platforms in 30 fragments, and the sculptures in more than 20 pieces. One of the statues is complete, but the other one is headless,"

explains Juan Yadeun, head of the INAH Toniná archaeology research team in a report at the INAH website (in Spanish).
According to the archaeologist, the two figures are prisoner warriors possibly representing the victory of Toniná against the allied forces of Palenque and Copán. The Mayan tribes battled during 26 years (688 -714 AD) for supremacy in the control of the waters or the Usumacinta River of Ocosingo, Chiapas.
Both prisoners are seated with their legs crossed and their hands tied behind the back. The hair of the captive with head is shown collected towards the back. Collecting the hair was a customary ritual among the Maya before beheading a prisoner. The sculptures show hieroglyph inscriptions on the chest and the loin-cloth telling that the captive warriors belonged to the army of K’uy Nic Ajaw, the warlord of Copán who ruled the region between 680 and 800 AD.
Based on the appearance of the statues and the text shown in the inscriptions on the figures and on the platforms, the researcher believes that the captives were sacrificed with fire and smoke during a celebration at the pitch of a ball game about the year 695.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/308864

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INAH - Gov't of Mexico
Statues of captive Maya warriors found at the Ruins of Toniná, Chiapas, Mexico.

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Jacobolus
The Usumacinta River, at the border between Chiapas, Mexico (near side) and Guatemala (far side). Mayan groups disputed the control of the waters of this river in wars lasting more than two decades.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/308864

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Researchers Uncovering Much More Than Monuments at Ancient Maya Site of El Pilar

By Dan McLerran   Tue, Jul 05, 2011



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Discoveries at the ancient Maya site of El Pilar may portend a new model for doing archaeology and set a standard for sustainability for the world.

Archaeologists and other research scientists and academicians have been eagerly engaged in uncovering the secrets that may, at least in part, explain how ancient densely populated Maya cities and communities sustained their monumental centers and large settlements in their seemingly inhospitable jungle environments. Their work goes far beyond developing answers to this question, however. The research portends the development of a whole new paradigm for archaeological investigations and conservation, and may suggest a useful new model for global sustainability.   

The site of the investigations is a large Maya monumental center called El Pilar, Spanish for "watering basin" because of the plentiful water resources in the area. Straddling the border of Belize and Guatemala, 12 kilometers north of the Belizean town of San Ignacio, it boasts approximately 100 acres of plazas (more than 25), temples, palaces, residential structures, and causeways, ranking it easily among the major Maya centers of the ancient Lowland Maya. It contained a population at its height of more than 20,000 people and a history spanning a period of 1,800 years, from 800 BCE to 1,000 CE.  What makes it different from the other major and perhaps better-known monumental centers such as Tikal, Palenque, and Chichén Itzá, however, is its trademark jungle shroud, leaving most of its structures purposefully encased in the vegetative overgrowth that marked its appearance when first discovered in the 1970's. El Pilar is the focus of an archaeological investigative and conservation approach called "Archaeology Under the Canopy", a strategy for exploration, study and presentation that is designed to ensure the preservation of ancient structures in their natural "found" state even while work continues to uncover the mysteries that lie beneath and around.

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Plaza Jobo of the restricted northern H'Mena acropolis at El Pilar. Courtesy Adalaide Sadler, El Pilar Project.

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Says Anabel Ford, Director of the Mesoamerican Research Center at University of California, Santa Barbara, and a long-time key visionary and expert on El Pilar programs and research: "The very recent discovery of El Pilar offers the opportunity to pursue a different kind of conservation strategy called Archaeology Under the Canopy, where the natural forest and surrounding environment of the monuments are maintained to protect the site's fragile structures from the elements. Living biofilms attack the limestone where exposed, which rapidly deteriorates the vulnerable limestone facades. It is tree cover that reduces exposure to sunshine and rain and maintains an even temperature that will preserve the monuments."

A goal of the approach is to ensure that the visiting public and others experience a more truthful and genuine encounter with the excitement of discovery most often reserved for the original explorers and scientists who first come across ancient Maya sites. (See Xikna, the eastern temple of Plaza Copal, right, still appearing much as it did when first discovered at El Pilar). "El Pilar is a place of introspection and reflection," says Ford. "Gently shaded by forest canopy and full of a palpable mystery that evokes its enigmatic past, it demonstrates an authentic archaeological discovery rather than a naked city."

More important than the glamour and sensation that accompanies the discovery and exposure of great pyramids, temples, palaces and ball courts, scientists at El Pilar are focusing on the traditional ancient agricultural practices and life-ways of the common masses who provided the supporting foundation for the kingships and ruling aristocracy that the popular press and literature have so often highlighted. They are exploring the practices and traditions that, according to their findings, had built and sustained the Maya civilization for centuries and, by extension, the abandonment of which would have led to their decline, with implications for environmental management today.  According to Ford, no practice was more critical to this than the widespread use of a landscape management system called the "Maya Forest Garden", based on findings that showed that the landscapes within the immediate vicinity of Maya settlements were composed of a systematically managed biosphere of plants and animals that had significant subsistence and economic value to sustaining an expanding population. "Extensive evidence exists on the management of forest resources, the flora and fauna, and the subtleties of Maya ecological knowledge," maintains Ford. "Traditional [Maya] practices of forest gardening support a model of long-term, sustainable management of natural resources by the Maya. This view acknowledges the Maya as managers rather than as destroyers.  The research that underlies the principles of archaeology practiced at El Pilar is based upon the premise that the ancient Maya worked with their tropical environment, as opposed to transfiguring it, and by doing so created a flourishing civilization sustained by the natural rainforest ecosystem."

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Ford and others have taken steps to present their findings by establishing, in conjunction with the objectives, planning and efforts of the Belizean and Guatemalan governments and local community resources, an organizational infrastructure supporting the promotion and preservation of the Maya forest, forest garden, the archaeological resources of El Pilar, and the related ancient Maya community traditions. This institutional framework has been instrumental in the ongoing development of the "El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for May Flora and Fauna", the park that contains the archaeological remains of El Pilar and its surrounding natural environment. Here, modern Maya Forest Gardens and other partially and fully exposed architectural features demonstrate, collectively as a living museum, the ancient Maya life-ways for visiting scholars and the public. Pathways navigable by visitors wind around impressive monumental structures and features, most of which are still enshrouded in the protective tropical vegetation. One ancient house structure has been completely excavated so that visitors can enjoy a full view of an example of residential construction within its Forest Garden context. Visitors are introduced to little-known plants that populated the Forest Garden, plants that played a critical role in sustaining the households and communities that constituted the foundation of ancient Maya society.

The work at El Pilar addresses issues beyond those related to archaeology, cultural resources and conservation. The site crosses the border between Belize and Guatemala, two countries that have a history of differences. Program planners and managers hope that the development of the reserve, through cooperative efforts between the two countries, will create an effective "peace park" that will facilitate a better understanding between the two countries and promote common interests for a peaceful coexistence. Moreover, continuing investigations and site development are said to hold promise for boosting the local economies and communities associated with the reserve area by providing new opportunities for the people of both countries.

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Entrance to El Pilar. Photo courtesy Adalaide Sadler, Pilar Project.

"Tourism is the only product where the consumer must journey to the source to appreciate it," says Ford, "and the most recent statistics demonstrate that tourism accounts for a growing proportion of income in the Central American Region. The model of Archaeology Under the Canopy practiced at El Pilar has attracted local involvement, student class visits, regional university interns, international permaculture enthusiasts, and world-wide environmental educators. With effective models based on the inherent value of a traditional people's conservation strategies like those of the Maya, we see increasing acknowledgement that the preservation of living cultures and regional economic development are mutually dependent elements of sustainability.  Cultural heritage is thus an asset that is indispensable to the achievement of a sustainable future."

More detailed information about El Pilar and the research and development programs related to the site discoveries can be found at the following websites and articles:

The BRASS/El Pilar Program

Exploring Solutions Past - The Maya Forest Alliance

Legacy of the Ancient Maya: The Maya Forest Garden

El Pilar (the blog)

Cover Photo, Top Left:  Anabel Ford welcomes visitors to the Tzu'un Maya house and forest garden. Photo courtesy Adalaide Sadler, El Pilar Project.

http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/june-2011/article/researchers-uncovering-much-more-than-monuments-at-ancient-maya-site-of-el-pilar

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By Dan McLerran

Dan McLerran

As Managing Editor of Popular Archaeology Magazine, Dan is a freelance writer and journalist specializing in archaeology.  He studied anthropology and archaeology in undergraduate and graduate school and has been an active participant on archaeological excavations in the U.S. and abroad.  He is the creator and administrator of Archaeological Digs, a popular weblog about archaeological excavation and field school opportunities.  He is also the creator and administrator of ArchaeologyNet, a business-oriented social network for archaeologists, students, volunteers, and educators.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvVUr28ST5Y&feature=player_embedded

Enjoy the ancient wonders of Greece, Italy and Turkey by land and by sea as led by expert professionals in their fields. Small group explorations of fascinating sites will provide not only a real sense of adventure, but a first-rate educational experience along with first-class accommodations.  Many of these expeditions involve travel by gulet, a unique Turkish sailing vessel that affords a perspective that no other tour can offer. Visit www.petersommer.com for more information.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkdcHArwczY&feature=player_embedded

Experience where fiction meets fact at the exciting new exhibition, Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology, beginning April 28, 2011 at the Montreal Science Center.  This will be like an amusement park of learning for the whole family, with a rare collection of artifacts on loan from the National Geographic Society and the Penn Museum.