Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures: The Birds on the Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars at Chichen Itza

Author(s): Cecelia Klein

Year: 2019

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Animal Symbolism in Postclassic Mesoamerica: Papers in Honor of Cecelia Klein" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

All sixteen birds carved on the sides of the Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars at Chichen Itza have been traditionally identified as eagles. Because each pair of birds flanks a large relief of a seated jaguar holding a heart, it has been assumed in the past that the platform celebrated military orders like those honored by the later Aztecs, whose most valiant warriors were associated with either the eagle or the jaguar. Arguing that not all of the sixteen birds are eagles, and exploring the implications thereof, this paper proposes a new interpretation of the platform’s meaning and function.

Cite this Record

Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures: The Birds on the Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars at Chichen Itza. Cecelia Klein. Presented at The 84th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Albuquerque, NM. 2019 ( tDAR id: 451657)

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Keywords

General
Chichen Itza • Iconography and Art • Iconography and epigraphy • Maya: Postclassic

Geographic Keywords
Mesoamerica: Maya lowlands

Spatial Coverage

min long: -94.197; min lat: 16.004 ; max long: -86.682; max lat: 21.984 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25655