The Ritual Reuse of Maya Cave Shrines after Abandonment

Summary

Caves are among the most sacred geographic features in Mesoamerica and have been used throughout history as the setting for multiple ritual events. In this paper, the author looks at several shrines in central Guatemala that were rediscovered long after they were abandoned by the original ritual practitioners and regained importance. The renewed activity often reflects very different functions of the rituals performed there—in caves along a major trade route cutting through the region, for example, later ritual focuses on public performance and community cohesion instead of earlier petitions for safe passage. The ritual practitioners involved in the latter ceremonies do engage with the paraphernalia from earlier ceremonies, however, performing ceremonies and leaving dedicatory offerings adjacent to ancient caches and occasionally removing objects, likely to serve as heirlooms to be venerated.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Caves, Sinkholes and Chultuns: New Evidence for the Importance of Earth Openings in Ancient Mesoamerica Religion   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage