Classic Maya Politics and the Spirit of Place: Controlling Architectural Discourse at Uxul, Campeche, Mexico

Summary

Settlements are both product and site of innumerable, multi-layered, and constantly changing interactions between humans and the material world. At any given moment, the quintessence of a place reflects the prevailing meanings that are associated with it. In this sense, quintessence is inextricably linked to power—over discourse, material, and space. This talk explores the role played by political power in defining the character of the Classic Maya settlement of Uxul, Campeche, Mexico. After establishing itself as an important regional center in the Early Classic period, Uxul fell under the control of the Kaan or "Snake-head" dynasty of nearby Calakmul in the first half of the seventh century A.D. This talk suggests that the esprit du lieu of Late Classic Uxul was defined by a tension embodied in the built environment of the site. This tension originated from the juxtaposition of "local" places—sites of memory, ritual, and identity—and new public spaces that signaled the incorporation of Uxul into the Calakmul regional state.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Quintessential Places: Analyzing the Character of Precolumbian Sites   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16441