Two Classic Maya ballplayer panels from Tipan Chen Uitz, Belize

TY - JOUR

T1 - Two Classic Maya ballplayer panels from Tipan Chen Uitz, Belize

AU - Andres, Christopher R.

AU - Helmke, Christophe

AU - Morton, Shawn

AU - Wrobel, Gabriel D.

PY - 2017/10/1

Y1 - 2017/10/1

N2 - Recent archaeological investigations at Tipan Chen Uitz, Belize, yielded two remarkable Classic Maya ballplayer panels. Iconographic and glyphic analysis of these panels within a regional context provides new insights into large-scale socio-political relationships, demonstrating that the ballgame was an important means and mechanism for macro-political affiliation in the Maya Lowlands. The panels suggest that Tipan was part of a wider system of vassalage that tied it to other Maya centres, including Naranjo, a regional capital under the dominion of Calakmul where the Snake-Head dynasty held sway. The data presented here underpin a more general discussion of archaeological approaches to ancient interaction spheres.

AB - Recent archaeological investigations at Tipan Chen Uitz, Belize, yielded two remarkable Classic Maya ballplayer panels. Iconographic and glyphic analysis of these panels within a regional context provides new insights into large-scale socio-political relationships, demonstrating that the ballgame was an important means and mechanism for macro-political affiliation in the Maya Lowlands. The panels suggest that Tipan was part of a wider system of vassalage that tied it to other Maya centres, including Naranjo, a regional capital under the dominion of Calakmul where the Snake-Head dynasty held sway. The data presented here underpin a more general discussion of archaeological approaches to ancient interaction spheres.

U2 - 10.15184/aqy.2017.85

DO - 10.15184/aqy.2017.85

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0003-598X

VL - 91

SP - 1285

EP - 1298

JO - Antiquity

JF - Antiquity

IS - 359

ER -