Maya Graffiti and Sacred Spaces

Summary

This paper explores the nature and possible implications of graffiti identified inside presumably abandoned Maya architecture. There exists a wealth of ancient iconographic graffiti scattered throughout the Maya world. It has been argued that such graffiti was, in many cases, created after the spaces in which it is found had ceased to be used for their original purposes. Therefore, graffiti in this context is a possible example of the repurposing of Maya architecture by members of a society with ever changing needs and intentions.

Through a comparative study of various examples of these images, along with the newfound graffiti at the site of Xultún, an attempt will be made to draw inferences on the significance of Maya graffiti and how it contributed to the repurposing of "sacred" spaces. Consideration will be given to the possible ways in which this practical change in artistic space is related to the constant and often volatile shifts in the history of Maya society.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Interpreting Changes in Ancient Maya Society: From Landscape and Architecture to Everything in Between

Keywords

Spatial Coverage