The Ear Ornaments of the Ancient Maya

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

More than mere accessories, the earflares that ancient Maya peoples donned were essential. Nothing indicates this more than the fact that their ornamental use was not limited ears; indeed, elite bodies dripped with them. Stelae from Tikal and Cobá depict rulers with long strings of them around their necks. Some earflares, as with an example from Pomona, are too large to be worn, while others are shown secured to headdresses, masks, belt assemblages, wrists, and ankles. While the ubiquity of these objects is evident, a comprehensive understanding of them is lacking. In order to address this deficiency, this study will attempt a systematic collection and interpretation of earflare data from a large sample of Maya sites. The data collected will include details that have been made available in archaeological reports, such as the materials, sizes, contexts, and decorative features of earflares, along with information that can be gleaned from the way earspools are represented—i.e., how they appear in the hieroglyphic and visual record. The analysis and interpretation of earflare data that is achieved here will support the study's central claims about their value, production, distribution, and social meaning.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33038