Ritual change at the end of the Maya Classic Period : a study of incense burners from the southern lowlands
The thesis aims to better understand Maya ritual practices associated with the burning of aromatic substances and the use of incense burners in the southern Maya lowlands during the Classic (A.D. 250 - 900) to Postclassic (A.D. 900 - A.D. 1200) transition. Incense burners are considered as important components of Maya ritual and religious paraphernalia through which communication with supernatural beings was enacted. Their forms and decoration were the products of specific principles of design and iconography which were commonly imbued with symbolic and religious meaning. The study involves an analysis of the form and decoration of these vessels as well as their contexts of recovery and use through time. The changes and continuities in the forms and decoration of incense burners, their contexts and their use sheds light into the continuation and/or innovation of ritual and religious ideas which are linked to broader social, economic and political factors in Maya society during the end of the Classic period. The study is based on a sample of incense burner materials excavated by the following projects in Guatemala: Proyecto ArqueolĂłgico Regional PetexbatĂșn, Proyecto Atlas ArqueolĂłgico de Guatemala, Tikal
Tobias, M. D.
Ritual change at the end of the Maya Classic Period : a study of incense burners from the southern lowlands. The thesis aims to better understand Maya ritual practices associated with the burning of aromatic substances and the use of incense burners in the southern Maya lowlands during the Classic (A.D. 250 - 900) to Postclassic (A.D. 900 - A.D. 1200) transition. Incense burners are considered as important components of Maya ritual and religious paraphernalia through which communication with supernatural beings was enacted. Their forms and decoration were the products of specific principles of design and iconography which were commonly imbued with symbolic and religious meaning. The study involves an analysis of the form and decoration of these vessels as well as their contexts of recovery and use through time. The changes and continuities in the forms and decoration of incense burners, their contexts and their use sheds light into the continuation and/or innovation of ritual and religious ideas which are linked to broader social, economic and political factors in Maya society during the end of the Classic period. The study is based on a sample of incense burner materials excavated by the following projects in Guatemala: Proyecto ArqueolĂłgico Regional PetexbatĂșn, Proyecto Atlas ArqueolĂłgico de Guatemala, Tikal
ritual change end maya classic period study southern lowland aim well maya ritual_practice associate burn substance use southern maya_lowlands classic transition consider_important component maya ritual religious communication supernatural being enact form_decoration product specific principle design iconography commonly imbue symbolic religious meaning study involve analysis form_decoration vessel well contexts recovery use time change_continuity form_decoration context use shed_light continuation and innovation ritual religious idea link broad_social economic_political factor maya society end classic period study_base sample material excavate follow project regional atlas