Modeling Hands: Photogrammetric Analysis of Hand Imprints in Ceramic Vessels from Copán, Honduras

Summary

In A.D. 756, Ruler 15 of Copán, Honduras—a Classic Maya settlement—erected Stela M in front of the Hieroglyphic Staircase as a permanent marker of a calendrical event – the 9.16.5.0.0 Period Ending. As part of the ritual ceremony conducted at the time of the stela’s dedication, offerings were placed under the stela to activate or ensoul the monument. In a recent study of the ceramics from this offering conducted at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, the authors discovered handprints impressed into the interior bases of two coarseware ceramic vessels. To further explore these impressions and their implications, the authors utilized photogrammetry to create three-dimensional computer models of these ceramics’ interiors, allowing for greater analysis of their shape, size, depth, and detail. Through a more holistic analysis of these impressions, the authors hope to gain an understanding of the production setting, including the individuals involved in the production of these ritual objects.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17093