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Guardian of the Acropolis: The Sacred Space of a Royal Burial at Piedras Negras, Guatemala

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

James L. Fitzsimmons ,
Andrew Scherer ,
Stephen D. Houston  and
Héctor L. Escobedo
James L. Fitzsimmons
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of New Hampshire, Durham NH 03824-3532
Andrew Scherer
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 77843-1352
Stephen D. Houston
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Brigham Young University, Provo UT 84602
Héctor L. Escobedo
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Universidad del Valle, Guatemala
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Abstract

Excavation of a small Maya ceremonial structure at the site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala, has revealed a Late Classic period (ca. A.D. 600–900) vaulted tomb containing the remains of a young member of the royal family whom we identify as “Night-time Turtle.” The artifact assemblage from the burial included a modest quantity of carved jade jewelry (38 pieces), an incised vessel dating to the early Yaxché (ca. A.D. 630–680) ceramic phase, and a ceremonial “bundle” of bloodletting implements. Although the sex of this adolescent was not determined during osteological examination, hieroglyphic evidence from a recovered stingray spine suggests that this was a prince, probably the son of Ruler 2 or 3. Placed at an entrance to the royal precinct atop its monumental staircase, his funerary structure was an integral part of the sacred landscape, accessed by visitors to the precinct or to the palace beyond. Following a description of the site, tomb, osteology, and artifacts, we discuss the nature of this landscape and the role in it played by this “guardian” of the Acropolis.

La excavación de una pequeña estructura ceremonial en el sitio Maya Piedras Negras, Guatemala, ha revelado una tumba del Clásico Tardío (ca. d.C. 600–900) que tenía los restos de un miembro de la familia real. Los artefactos del entierro-incluyendo joyas de jade, unplato tallado en su base en la forma de un sobrenatural, y un bulto ceremonial de materiales para tomar sangre-estaban enterrado con los huesos de un adolescente que identificamos como “Noche Tortuga,” un individual que vivía durante el reino del Gobernante 2 o 3 de Piedras Negras. Aunque el sexo de este adolescente no fue determinado durante el análisis osteológico, podemos proponer que este individual fue una persona real y probablemente masculina: las inscripciones sobre una espina de raya en la tumba describen el dueño de la raya como un ch'ok (adolescente) ajaw (señor), posiblemente el hijo de un gobernante. Ubicado cerca de la entrada mayor de la Plaza del Grupo Oeste y el Acrópolis más allá, la estructura funeraria de “Noche Tortuga” era una parte crítica del paisaje sagrada, pasado por visitadores a la plaza y el palacio también.

Type
Reports
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , December 2003 , pp. 449 - 468
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2003

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References

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