Classic Maya Ceramics: Considerations of Text, Space, and Place

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper explores relationships between hieroglyphic texts and Classic period Maya ceramics, delving into how inscriptions on vessels provide insight into social, political, and ritual practices of ancient Maya culture. By examining hieroglyphic texts found on particular vessel shapes, such as plates, bowls, and cache vessels, this research seeks to understand how the intentional placement and manner of likely physical interaction with such objects impart meaning. Additionally, I analyze the contexts from which these objects were excavated, particularly in the Southern Lowlands. This session aims to broaden our understanding of how ancient Maya people used the intentional placement of ceramics as communicative tools, not only for the functional aspects of daily life but also as objects imbued with agency, symbolic meaning, and power.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53739