- Tulane University, Anthropology, Alumnusadd
- Household Archaeology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Maya Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Settlement Patterns, and 35 moreArchaeology of Architecture, Archaeological Method & Theory, Behavioral Archaeology, Mesoamerica (Anthropology), Landscape Archaeology, Termination Rituals (Archaeology), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Archaeological Fieldwork, Archaeological Site Formation Processes, Mesoamerican Archaeology, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Archaeology of Ritual, Community Archaeology, Archaeological Illustration, Settlement Abandonment, Belize archaeology, Architectural reconstruction, Archaeological GIS, Archaeological Science, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Maya Epigraphy, Mesoamerica, Preclassic Maya Archaeology, Archaeological Decipherment, Architecture, Iconography, Classic Maya (Archaeology), Maya Art, Anthropology of Religion, Palaces, Palaces and City Archaeology, Court Studies, Palace, Landscape Archaeology, Field Archaeology, Archaeological GIS, and Maya Historyedit
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, UNC-Asheville George Stuart Residential Scholar, Boundary End Center (2018-19) Director ... moreAdjunct Assistant Professor, UNC-Asheville
George Stuart Residential Scholar, Boundary End Center (2018-19)
Director of Publications, American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR)
Additional Affiliation: Middle American Research Institute
Ph.D., Anthropology, Tulane University
M.A., Anthropology, Trent University.
B.Sc., Anthropology, Université de Montréal.edit
Scholarship on premodern ruling elites tends to minimize the complexity of ancient politics and to focus on the decisions of individual kings and their charismatic swaying of entire populations. This dissertation departs from this... more
Scholarship on premodern ruling elites tends to minimize the complexity of ancient politics and to focus on the decisions of individual kings and their charismatic swaying of entire populations. This dissertation departs from this tendency by investigating the exercise of power by the governments of premodern complex societies, or how ancient politicians organized their institutions. I argue the politics of ancient civilizations may best be studied by focussing on their regime: the political community which coalesced when rulers assembled their allies within the seat of government. This approach emphasizes practices of communication between a ruling body and its political network, as reflected by the exchange of information and goods.
Among premodern complex societies ruled by divine kingship, the regime is best described as a royal court, whose architectural institution corresponds to a regal palace. In order to address this anthropological political model, I examine the multi-dimensional archaeological record of the regal palace of La Corona, a small polity of northwest Guatemala that emerged during the Classic Period of Maya civilization (AD 250-950). I rely on an assemblage of complementary datasets – architecture, macro-artifacts, hieroglyphic monuments, micro-artifacts, geochemical elements, and macro-botanical remains – to study how the La Corona royal court exercised political power.
I study the last three construction phases of the north section of the La Corona regal palace and their two-century-long occupation to address a set of pragmatic questions. By examining residences, political stages, passageways, administrative space,
ancillary buildings, and middens, I seek to understand how Classic Maya politicians relied on economic and ritualized exchanges to effectively manage their regime. In addition, thanks to the rich historical record of La Corona and to a fine-tuned architectural sequence, I explore how the changing historical and geopolitical contexts of this polity transformed its government.
Through this rich diachronic empirical case-study, I build upon and contribute to an anthropological archaeology of politics, to ancient political economy, and to Classic Maya historical archaeology. In addition, I wish to highlight why the study of ancient politics may be relevant for us today, and perhaps, our near future.
Among premodern complex societies ruled by divine kingship, the regime is best described as a royal court, whose architectural institution corresponds to a regal palace. In order to address this anthropological political model, I examine the multi-dimensional archaeological record of the regal palace of La Corona, a small polity of northwest Guatemala that emerged during the Classic Period of Maya civilization (AD 250-950). I rely on an assemblage of complementary datasets – architecture, macro-artifacts, hieroglyphic monuments, micro-artifacts, geochemical elements, and macro-botanical remains – to study how the La Corona royal court exercised political power.
I study the last three construction phases of the north section of the La Corona regal palace and their two-century-long occupation to address a set of pragmatic questions. By examining residences, political stages, passageways, administrative space,
ancillary buildings, and middens, I seek to understand how Classic Maya politicians relied on economic and ritualized exchanges to effectively manage their regime. In addition, thanks to the rich historical record of La Corona and to a fine-tuned architectural sequence, I explore how the changing historical and geopolitical contexts of this polity transformed its government.
Through this rich diachronic empirical case-study, I build upon and contribute to an anthropological archaeology of politics, to ancient political economy, and to Classic Maya historical archaeology. In addition, I wish to highlight why the study of ancient politics may be relevant for us today, and perhaps, our near future.
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This thesis explores the abandonment of the ancient Maya site of Minanha, situated in the North Vaca Plateau of west-central Belize. The purpose of this research is to study, through a behavioral-contextual approach, the 12 on-floor... more
This thesis explores the abandonment of the ancient Maya site of Minanha, situated in the North Vaca Plateau of west-central Belize. The purpose of this research is to study, through a behavioral-contextual approach, the 12 on-floor assemblages that were excavated across the entire social spectrum of the Minanha community, from commoners to royal elites. The research methods include a careful "type-attribute: mode" ceramic analysis, and detailed contextual, architectural observations. Specifically, this thesis explores the timing of the abandonment for each segment of the Minanha community, as well the differential abandonment processes responsible for the creation of each of the 12 on-floor assemblages excavated at the site. Additionally, intra- and inter-site comparisons, will allow for a regionally integrated reconstruction of the abandonment scenario for the broader Minanha community. Finally, this settlement abandonment study will serve to inquire into ancient Maya rituals and social organization, and into the socio- political dynamics ongoing at Minanha during its last phase of occupation.
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The most archaeologically visible dimension of the Classic Maya Collapse is the abandonment of monumental royal courts. Yet, in some cases, non-elite populations lived for centuries in and around Classic Maya centers without rulers.... more
The most archaeologically visible dimension of the Classic Maya Collapse is the abandonment of monumental royal courts. Yet, in some cases, non-elite populations lived for centuries in and around Classic Maya centers without rulers. Processes of abandonment among Classic Maya commoners are detectable and reflect their own ritual and social practices divorced from the ritual performances undertaken by the ruling elite. We study the abandonment context and chronology of three domestic groups from the Contreras Valley, an agricultural community located on the outskirts of the Classic Maya center of Minanha, Belize. There, several artifact assemblages were deposited at the time of abandonment, representing termination rituals. This study goes beyond the ideological dimension of termination rituals, as we examine how these ceremonies helped reshape the identity of social groups who were about to abandon their home. We explore how the last inhabitants of a mostly abandoned landscape lived through this process of gradual depopulation. Moreover, we evaluate potential explanations for the archaeological processes behind the occurrence or non-occurrence of termination rituals in different domestic groups.
El aspecto arqueológico más visible del colapso Maya Clásico es el abandono de las cortes reales monumentales. Sin embargo, en algunos casos, poblaciones que no pertenecían a la élite vivieron por siglos en centros Mayas Clásicos sin la presencia de gobernantes. Los procesos de abandono de la gente común durante el periodo Clásico pueden ser discernibles y reflejar sus propias prácticas rituales y sociales, las cuales fueron distintas de la élite. En este artículo estudiamos el contexto de abandono y la cronología de tres grupos domésticos del Valle de Contreras, los cuales formaron parte de una comunidad agrícola ubicada en los alrededores del centro Maya Clásico de Minanha, Belice. Varios conjuntos de artefactos fueron depositados durante el abandono de este valle, los cuales representan rituales de terminación. Este estudio va más allá de las dimensiones ideológicas para examinar cómo estas ceremonias transformaron la identidad de los grupos sociales que estuvieron a punto de abandonar sus casas. Exploramos cómo estos últimos habitantes de un paisaje prácticamente abandonado vivieron este proceso de despoblación gradual. Además, evaluamos explicaciones potenciales para los procesos arqueológicos responsables de la presencia o ausencia de rituales de terminación en diferentes grupos residenciales.
El aspecto arqueológico más visible del colapso Maya Clásico es el abandono de las cortes reales monumentales. Sin embargo, en algunos casos, poblaciones que no pertenecían a la élite vivieron por siglos en centros Mayas Clásicos sin la presencia de gobernantes. Los procesos de abandono de la gente común durante el periodo Clásico pueden ser discernibles y reflejar sus propias prácticas rituales y sociales, las cuales fueron distintas de la élite. En este artículo estudiamos el contexto de abandono y la cronología de tres grupos domésticos del Valle de Contreras, los cuales formaron parte de una comunidad agrícola ubicada en los alrededores del centro Maya Clásico de Minanha, Belice. Varios conjuntos de artefactos fueron depositados durante el abandono de este valle, los cuales representan rituales de terminación. Este estudio va más allá de las dimensiones ideológicas para examinar cómo estas ceremonias transformaron la identidad de los grupos sociales que estuvieron a punto de abandonar sus casas. Exploramos cómo estos últimos habitantes de un paisaje prácticamente abandonado vivieron este proceso de despoblación gradual. Además, evaluamos explicaciones potenciales para los procesos arqueológicos responsables de la presencia o ausencia de rituales de terminación en diferentes grupos residenciales.
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Within the field of architectural studies, regal palaces represent an endless source of information. What differentiate palaces from the majority of buildings is their tendency to reunite many characteristics and functions, such as... more
Within the field of architectural studies, regal palaces represent an endless source of information. What differentiate palaces from the majority of buildings is their tendency to reunite many characteristics and functions, such as residential, administrative, religious, and storage. In the context of Classic Maya regal palaces, workshops specialized in the creation of jade implements, fine ceramics, and textile production were also detected. These economic activities have been related to strategies of the royal court that aim to control the creation and distribution of luxury goods.
Recent excavations in the regal palace of La Corona, Guatemala, have revealed distinct architectural spaces associated with five different construction phases. Each of these areas has particular architectural characteristics. This paper focuses on the study of these architectural spaces, on the interpretation of their functions, and on the creation of a chronology for the five construction phases of this regal palace.
Recent excavations in the regal palace of La Corona, Guatemala, have revealed distinct architectural spaces associated with five different construction phases. Each of these areas has particular architectural characteristics. This paper focuses on the study of these architectural spaces, on the interpretation of their functions, and on the creation of a chronology for the five construction phases of this regal palace.
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Towards the end of the Classic Maya period, many southern lowland city-states were abandoned. It is now well known that abandonment played itself out in many different ways across this region. This paper addresses the abandonment of the... more
Towards the end of the Classic Maya period, many southern lowland city-states were abandoned. It is now well known that abandonment played itself out in many different ways across this region. This paper addresses the abandonment of the site of Minanha, west-central Belize, and argues that the best markers for studying abandonment are on-floor assemblages, which represent the very last occupation of sites.
At Minanha, a dozen of on-floor assemblages were recovered, and represent contexts spanning the entire social spectrum, from commoners to royal elites. The contextual-behavioral analysis of this dozen of assemblages indicates that the different segments of the community of Minanha were abandoned at different times and in different ways. The nature of these on-floor assemblages ranges from secondary refuse to exposed offerings, representing termination rituals.
Gradual abandonment has not figured prominently in ancient Maya settlement abandonment studies. However, this paper argues that abandonment, even if gradual, provides us with the opportunity to glimpse at a very critical moment of ancient Maya culture-history, where many aspects of their ideology and social structure played themselves out.
At Minanha, a dozen of on-floor assemblages were recovered, and represent contexts spanning the entire social spectrum, from commoners to royal elites. The contextual-behavioral analysis of this dozen of assemblages indicates that the different segments of the community of Minanha were abandoned at different times and in different ways. The nature of these on-floor assemblages ranges from secondary refuse to exposed offerings, representing termination rituals.
Gradual abandonment has not figured prominently in ancient Maya settlement abandonment studies. However, this paper argues that abandonment, even if gradual, provides us with the opportunity to glimpse at a very critical moment of ancient Maya culture-history, where many aspects of their ideology and social structure played themselves out.
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Lamoureux-St-Hilaire, Maxime 2018 Estudio económico multifacético de la sección norte del Palacio de la Corona. In PRALC: IF 2017, edited by Marcello Canuto, Tomás Barrientos, Marissa Lopéz, and Eduardo Bustamante, pp.479-500. Proyecto... more
Lamoureux-St-Hilaire, Maxime
2018 Estudio económico multifacético de la sección norte del Palacio de la Corona. In PRALC: IF 2017, edited by Marcello Canuto, Tomás Barrientos, Marissa Lopéz, and Eduardo Bustamante, pp.479-500. Proyecto Regional Arqueológico La Corona (PRALC), Guatemala City.
2018 Estudio económico multifacético de la sección norte del Palacio de la Corona. In PRALC: IF 2017, edited by Marcello Canuto, Tomás Barrientos, Marissa Lopéz, and Eduardo Bustamante, pp.479-500. Proyecto Regional Arqueológico La Corona (PRALC), Guatemala City.
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Lamoureux-St-Hilaire, Maxime 2017 Cuarta temporada de investigaciones en la sección norte del palacio real de La Corona. In Proyecto Arqueológico La Corona: Informe Final, Temporada 2016, edited by Marcello Canuto, Tomas Barríentos, and... more
Lamoureux-St-Hilaire, Maxime
2017 Cuarta temporada de investigaciones en la sección norte del palacio real de La Corona. In Proyecto Arqueológico La Corona: Informe Final, Temporada 2016, edited by Marcello Canuto, Tomas Barríentos, and Eduardo Bustamante, pp. 37-74, PRALC, Guatemala City.
2017 Cuarta temporada de investigaciones en la sección norte del palacio real de La Corona. In Proyecto Arqueológico La Corona: Informe Final, Temporada 2016, edited by Marcello Canuto, Tomas Barríentos, and Eduardo Bustamante, pp. 37-74, PRALC, Guatemala City.
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A summary of the results published in my M.A. Thesis from Trent University.
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This paper explores data produced by the Atlas Arqueologico de Guatemala concerning the South-Eastern Petén region. The period corresponding to the Terminal Classic is thus investigated, with the objective of providing some comparative... more
This paper explores data produced by the Atlas Arqueologico de Guatemala concerning the South-Eastern Petén region. The period corresponding to the Terminal Classic is thus investigated, with the objective of providing some comparative data for archaeologists working on the Belizean side of this Maya region of the Vaca Plateau and its river basins.
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This short papers discusses and presents the architectural and artefactual reconstruction in which the author was involved three years of participation to the Social Archaeological Research Program, directed by Dr. Gyles Iannone.
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Results of the 2014 field season of the investigations in the Northern section of the La Corona Palace. English version available upon request.
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The report on the third season of the excavation program in the northern section of the regal palace of La Corona.
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Classic Maya royal courts are best known for the maginificent art they produced and for hosting lavish ceremonies in huge plazas surrounded by monumental pyramids. Yet, for all its grandiosity, the Classic Maya royal court was a political... more
Classic Maya royal courts are best known for the maginificent art they produced and for hosting lavish ceremonies in huge plazas surrounded by monumental pyramids. Yet, for all its grandiosity, the Classic Maya royal court was a political institution which required a formal architectural setting to administer the state, host meetings, store resources, and to provide living space for the ruler's household. This type of architectural setting has come to be recognized as a regal palace, and is one of the landmarks of all Classic Maya polities. Excavations led across the Maya Lowlands in the last few decades illustrate how regal palaces vary in size, shape, and organization both geographically and chronologically. This regional and temporal diversity indicates that the nature and organization of royal courts varied significantly. What does this variation imply? How different were the many Classic Maya states? What commonalities did they share?
This paper explores these questions at the regal palace of the Classic Maya center of La Corona, located in Northwestern Petén. This regal palace, which has been investigated for eight field seasons, is the largest construction at the site and comprises four major phases of construction, all dating to the Late Classic Period (600-830 A.D.). These phases will be described and investigated with a particular attention given to architectural organization and the functions of the many sections of the palace. Moreover, the evolution of the regal palace will be addressed in order to explore the changes and continuities of the royal court of La Corona. Finally, these archaeological data will be tentatively combined with the rich epigraphic record of La Corona, featuring the recent discovery of new fascinating hieroglyphic panels.
This paper explores these questions at the regal palace of the Classic Maya center of La Corona, located in Northwestern Petén. This regal palace, which has been investigated for eight field seasons, is the largest construction at the site and comprises four major phases of construction, all dating to the Late Classic Period (600-830 A.D.). These phases will be described and investigated with a particular attention given to architectural organization and the functions of the many sections of the palace. Moreover, the evolution of the regal palace will be addressed in order to explore the changes and continuities of the royal court of La Corona. Finally, these archaeological data will be tentatively combined with the rich epigraphic record of La Corona, featuring the recent discovery of new fascinating hieroglyphic panels.
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Thanks to the development of archaeology, epigraphy, and iconography in the past decades, we know that ancient Maya kings and their courts ruled over cities and states. These courts were centered in regal palaces, where the kings and... more
Thanks to the development of archaeology, epigraphy, and iconography in the past decades, we know that ancient Maya kings and their courts ruled over cities and states. These courts were centered in regal palaces, where the kings and their household dwelled and worked along great many retainers and officials. While we know who were the agents and where those political theaters were located, we only have a partial understanding of their workings. This presentation tackles questions relative to the economic underpinnings of the Maya political system: What economic activities took place inside palaces? What resources did those involve? Where and how were they acquired? Where were they stored? In other words: What were the economic foundations for the political power of ancient Maya regal courts?
In order to begin answering to these questions historical, ethnoarchaeological, and archaeological literature from the Maya area and elsewhere is examined. Finally, new data from the investigation of the regal palace of the Classic Maya center of La Corona, Guatemala, are exposed and discussed.
In order to begin answering to these questions historical, ethnoarchaeological, and archaeological literature from the Maya area and elsewhere is examined. Finally, new data from the investigation of the regal palace of the Classic Maya center of La Corona, Guatemala, are exposed and discussed.
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What did the regal palace of a small Classic Maya polity consist of? What type of activities took place in such an institution? Who lived and worked there? This paper presents the results of two seasons of work on the terminal... more
What did the regal palace of a small Classic Maya polity consist of? What type of activities took place in such an institution? Who lived and worked there?
This paper presents the results of two seasons of work on the terminal architecture of the palatial acropolis of La Corona, Guatemala. There, both elaborate corbel-vaulted masonry buildings and perishable structures have been excavated. Thanks to good architectural preservation and artifactual context, the functions of several buildings are proposed. Finally, the context and date of abandonment for the La Corona palace are discussed.
This paper presents the results of two seasons of work on the terminal architecture of the palatial acropolis of La Corona, Guatemala. There, both elaborate corbel-vaulted masonry buildings and perishable structures have been excavated. Thanks to good architectural preservation and artifactual context, the functions of several buildings are proposed. Finally, the context and date of abandonment for the La Corona palace are discussed.
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The ancient Maya center of La Corona was a major polity in the northwestern Petén during the Classic Period. The larger polity encompassed a handful of minor centers, two of which, La Cariba and El Jobillo, were surveyed during the past... more
The ancient Maya center of La Corona was a major polity in the northwestern Petén during the Classic Period. The larger polity encompassed a handful of minor centers, two of which, La Cariba and El Jobillo, were surveyed during the past two field seasons. These two sites exhibit markedly different layouts. La Cariba is quite nucleated and appears to have been carefully planned. On the other hand, El Jobillo is segmented in several groups and seems to have grown in a decentralized way. Using settlement patterns, preliminary archaeological and architectural data, and elements of geography, we discuss differential site planning strategies from a regional perspective, which may reflect on different developmental histories. This discussion leads to the broader question of the socio-political organization of the La Corona polity.
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A process replete with recursivity, complexity, and equifinality, detachment from place remains an under-theorized topic that, nonetheless, is central to the hermeneutics of archaeology. Mobility is deeply rooted within human DNA and... more
A process replete with recursivity, complexity, and equifinality, detachment from place remains an under-theorized topic that, nonetheless, is central to the hermeneutics of archaeology. Mobility is deeply rooted within human DNA and often cited as a factor in the success of our species; but among peoples characterized as “sedentary”, detaching from place is more often characterized as societal failure. Adopting an agent-focused approach to detachment from place, we examine cycles of habitation, detachment, re-attachment elsewhere, changing perception/use of earlier places of habitation and, finally, the archaeological hermeneutics of this process. Two triggers are thought to stimulate detachment from place: stressors and enablers. Next, the process is negotiated with family and community. Whether abandonment is total or partial, agents negotiate change in reference to the prevailing stressors and enablers. A prime concern of abandoners is establishment at a different locale, which initiates a new cycle of community. Abandoners alter their perception of a previously inhabited landscape in reference to the motivation for abandonment as well as the frequency of re-visitation. Popularly known detachments from place are discussed to facilitate deeper archaeological engagement with the hermeneutics of this process.
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Abandoned landscapes have powerful semiotic values which variably affect different types of agents. Sedentary households surrounded by abandoned architecture would have had many ways to conceive this abandoned/occupied dichotomy.... more
Abandoned landscapes have powerful semiotic values which variably affect different types of agents. Sedentary households surrounded by abandoned architecture would have had many ways to conceive this abandoned/occupied dichotomy. Commoners who settled near abandoned domestic and ceremonial structures – whether humble or elite – were aware that their current state of settlement may have to be seriously altered. The ancient Maya city-state of Minanha, Belize, was gradually abandoned over a period of three centuries. Indications are that Minanha's elite epicenter was first abandoned, early in the Terminal Classic (ca. 810 AD), while several non-elite household groups remained living around that area for centuries. Several burials were placed in site core groups after their abandonment, and Postclassic (900-1200 AD) ceramic sherds were retrieved from site-core locations. This paper investigates the identity and motives of the agents who buried their dead in these loci, and revisited the functions of this vacant constructed landscape. We suggest that remaining inhabitants from the surrounding hinterlands reused the abandoned administrative and religious elite site-core for mnemonic and ritual purposes. This paper further contrasts the use of this vacant monumental site-core by these agents with their management of the surrounding, omnipresent abandoned commoners' households.
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The best archaeological correlate for the collapse is likely settlement abandonment following the Late Classic Period, which is sometimes recognizable in the very last occupation of structures, or 'on-floor artifactual assemblages'.... more
The best archaeological correlate for the collapse is likely settlement abandonment following the Late Classic Period, which is sometimes recognizable in the very last occupation of structures, or 'on-floor artifactual assemblages'. Unfortunately, the taxonomy for abandonment-related assemblages varies widely among scholars, ranging from 'problematical deposits' or 'de-facto refuse', to 'termination caches'. This paper proposes a methodical approach to on-floor assemblages based on site-formation processes theory, and anchored in a thoroughly contextual archaeology. This behavioral-contextual approach examines the vertical and horizontal architectural context of artifacts, the relative completeness of ceramic vessels, and the represented vessel forms, in order to produce quantitative and qualitative data which may be complemented by multivariate statistical analyses. The resulting interpretive framework allows for distinct settlement abandonment scenarios to be reconstructed in a systematic, replicable fashion, while using a specific contextual terminology. This model accounts for rapid and gradual abandonment, abandonment with anticipated return, mundane and ritual abandonment practices, and post-abandonment behaviors, which correspond to various socio-political contexts and differential resiliency. Case studies from the sites of Minanha, Belize, La Corona, Guatemala, and Escalera al Cielo, Yucatan – all abandoned in distinct fashions – serve to illustrate the operation of this methodological approach.
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The study of the ancient Classic Maya collapse is fascinating and may lead us towards research avenues involving novel, multi-disciplinary approaches. However, when in the field, this collapse process is hard to identify. The best... more
The study of the ancient Classic Maya collapse is fascinating and may lead us towards research avenues involving novel, multi-disciplinary approaches. However, when in the field, this collapse process is hard to identify. The best archaeological correlate for the collapse is likely settlement abandonment following the Late Classic Period, which is sometimes recognizable in the very last occupation of structures, or 'on-floor artifactual assemblages'. Unfortunately, the taxonomy for abandonment-related assemblages varies vastly among scholars, ranging from 'problematical deposits' or 'de-facto refuse', to 'termination caches'. This paper proposes a methodical approach to on-floor assemblages based on site-formation processes theory, and anchored in a thoroughly contextual archaeology. This behavioral-contextual approach examines the vertical and horizontal architectural context of artifacts, the relative completeness of ceramic vessels, and the represented vessel forms, in order to produce quantitative and qualitative data which may be complemented by multivariate statistical analyses. The resulting interpretive framework allows for distinct settlement abandonment scenarios to be reconstructed in a systematic, replicable fashion, while using a specific contextual terminology. This model accounts for rapid and gradual abandonment, abandonment with anticipated return, mundane and ritual abandonment practices, and post-abandonment behaviors, which correspond to various socio-political contexts and differential resiliency. The proposed approach was designed for studying the abandonment of the center of Minanha, Belize. The study of the 12 on-floor assemblages from Minanha revealed that its population detached itself from the site in a gradual and reverential fashion over a period of four centuries (ca. AD 810-1200).
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Les Mayas anciens nous ont laissé comme héritage archéologique des milliers de ruines parsemées à travers le Sud-Est de la Mésoamérique. Mais il y a plus de mille ans, ces cités anciennes étaient bien peuplées. Ce n’est qu’au commencement... more
Les Mayas anciens nous ont laissé comme héritage archéologique des milliers de ruines parsemées à travers le Sud-Est de la Mésoamérique. Mais il y a plus de mille ans, ces cités anciennes étaient bien peuplées. Ce n’est qu’au commencement du Classique Terminal, au neuvième siècle de notre ère, que ces cités commencèrent à être massivement abandonnées.
Tel fut le cas de Minanha, au Belize, qui fut progressivement abandonnée durant cette période de déclin. Cette présentation explore les dynamiques socio-politiques qui caractérisaient la communauté de Minanha durant cette période sombre de son histoire culturelle.
Comment ces Mayas anciens procédèrent-ils à l’abandon de leur paysage architectural et social ? Quelles furent leurs réponses sociologiques face à cette crise identitaire ?
Les auteurs présenteront deux catégories de rituels performés dans des contextes architecturaux au moment de l’abandon du site de Minanha, et ce, au sein de différents segments sociaux de cette ancienne communauté. Ces rituels de terminaison nous donne l’opportunité d’observer les Mayas archéologiques à un moment critique, où plusieurs aspects cruciaux de leurs croyances et structure sociale se manifestèrent.
Tel fut le cas de Minanha, au Belize, qui fut progressivement abandonnée durant cette période de déclin. Cette présentation explore les dynamiques socio-politiques qui caractérisaient la communauté de Minanha durant cette période sombre de son histoire culturelle.
Comment ces Mayas anciens procédèrent-ils à l’abandon de leur paysage architectural et social ? Quelles furent leurs réponses sociologiques face à cette crise identitaire ?
Les auteurs présenteront deux catégories de rituels performés dans des contextes architecturaux au moment de l’abandon du site de Minanha, et ce, au sein de différents segments sociaux de cette ancienne communauté. Ces rituels de terminaison nous donne l’opportunité d’observer les Mayas archéologiques à un moment critique, où plusieurs aspects cruciaux de leurs croyances et structure sociale se manifestèrent.