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An unfinished temple at the Classic Maya centre of Aguateca, Guatemala

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2015

Takeshi Inomata ,
Erick Ponciano ,
Oswaldo Chinchilla ,
Otto Román ,
Véronique Breuil-Martínez  and
Oscar Santos
Takeshi Inomata
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. (Email: inomata@u.arizona.edu)
Erick Ponciano
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
Oswaldo Chinchilla
Affiliation:
Museo Popol Vuh, Universidad Francisco Marroquín, 6a Calle final, Zona 10, Guatemala
Otto Román
Affiliation:
Escuela de Historia, Universidad de San Carlos, Guatemala
Véronique Breuil-Martínez
Affiliation:
CEMCA-Guatemala, 16 Calle 4–53, Zona 10, Guatemala
Oscar Santos
Affiliation:
Corporación Antigua, 5a Ave. Sur 15, Antigua, Guatemala
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Abstract

The authors demonstrate that a temple examined at the Classic Maya site of Aguateca, Guatemala, was still in the process of construction when it was attacked and abandoned at the beginning of the ninth century AD. Study of the ruin has provided valuable information on Maya building methods and processes, as well as guidance on how unfinished buildings may be identified.

Keywords

MayaAguatecaunfinished templeconstruction methodscollapse
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 78 , Issue 302 , December 2004 , pp. 798 - 811
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2004

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