We know, for instance, hes coming from an enemy dynasty. But now Dana was interested in movie rights as well. And there were at least two in the ancient building that he explored back there in the spring of 1950. And I would be also shocked if Mayuy, the carver that weve been examining, didnt know the painters, didnt know the carvers at Bonampak. Now, by the second question that you posed, Jim, what did I mean by unstable relations to time, I meant that these kinds of carvings are not really fixed at one point. Miller, Mary Ellen, and Megan O'Neil. Shield Jaguar II's commissions at Yaxchiln's central complex of buildings (called the Central Acropolis) include carved lintels (the beam at the top of a doorway), stairs faced with hieroglyphic writing, and stele (upright wood or stone slab monuments). Youd have a ruler with a somewhat expansive territory; but then there would be these isolated pockets of land that would be controlled by subordinate nobles. It mustve been an exceedingly uncomfortable hike. It is strung from a jade bead necklace that is counterbalanced by a long strand of jade beads and what are probably carved shells going down his back. In the case of windows, the bottom span is instead referred to as a sill, but, unlike a lintel, does not serve to bear a load to ensure the integrity of the wall. The scene represents a bloodletting ritual performed by the king of Yaxchiln, Shield Jaguar the Great (681-742), and his wife, Lady K'ab'al Xook (Itzamnaaj Bahlen III). In this episode, Stephen Houston, editor of A Maya Universe in Stone, explores the production and complex afterlives of these Maya objects. On what basis can you determine that there is a corpus of works by the same single sculptor? And Ive often wondered, as have others, why didnt he eventually fess up? In fact, their canoe for these trips, The Vagabunda, is on display in the lobby of a mens club in Los Angeles called The Adventurers Club. He was a sprig of the ducal tree of the Dukes of Montrose in Scotland, so he came from a very distinguished background. Also located within the Central Acropolis near Structure 23, Structure 33 (dedicated around 756 C.E.) What was a craftsman called when they were in training? By choosing to take part in the ritual, the queen demonstrated both her moral and physical strength to the people, and her suitability as a Maya royal. They allowed him, I think, to survive. In 1950, the American explorer Dana Lamb happened upon a Maya ruin in the tropical forests of northern Guatemala. Scenes representing the public display of captives occur frequently in Maya art. Event and date Emplym Glyph Name Glyph: The artists name are carved into the lintels Action: The blood is dripping onto some paper in a basket She is kneeling She is wearing: Ceremonial blood leading costume In zigzag pattern there is the axis mundi The cross is the intersection of the universe And so that fusion of the nitty-gritty of local political hierarchy with what is deeply evocative of things in the remote past altogether make this a tremendous creative object. 2 : to produce by labor. The glyphs spell out her name. James Doyle The difference between Elaborate and Explain. CUNO: So he and the Lambs and were interested in Laxtunich. There seems to be pretty good evidence that the known carvers at Bonampak came from Yaxchilan. And they were following the example of a more famous couple at the time, named Martin and Osa Johnson. There would be a carving, there would be an act of erection or emplacement. Direct link to Cassandra Bristol's post From what materials were , Posted a year ago. And what I mean by that is that they were all in its orbit. I mentioned that he was an amateur gentleman. The lintel has traces of Maya blue, turquoise and red pigment. Note: the monuments and objects uncovered at Yaxchiln are numbered in the order in which they were foundso Lintel 1 is not the oldest, but rather the first to be excavated by archaeologists. tabiiy yuxul mo chaak aj hixiil? Theyre like Swiss cheese, Jim. HOUSTON: There isnt a Maya ruin Ive ever visited And Ive visited literally hundreds, if not thousands, at this point, including ones that are often under heavy guard. And the lintels are features of buildings that span doorways. And he needed, probably, I would imagine, a lost city as a selling point. 1 : to expand something in detail would you care to elaborate on that statement. The master was an established craftsman of recognized abilities who took on apprentices; these were boys in late childhood or adolescence who boarded with the master's family and were trained by him in the elements of his trade.. How do you become a master tradesman? And then finally, its a time in which we have really pretty strong evidence for a kind of hegemonic empire that is centered on one important kingdom in particular, Calakmul. And there are relatively reliable records that were never shared with anybody else, in the form of field notes or diaries, that tell us exactly how Lamb got to this site. He was arguably the greatest scientific explorer of the Maya in the twentieth century. Its not a terribly comfortable position. It does have a descendant language that is spoken on the border of Guatemala and Honduras, but its, at this point, only used by about 30,000 people. Direct link to jay.vanderveen.personal's post The males also let blood,, Posted 7 years ago. A lintel may support the chimney above a fireplace, or span the distance of a path or road, forming a stone lintel bridge. The relief panel would have been installed parallel to the floor of the entrance of a temple at La Pasadita. And by explore, I meant someone who was not burdened by the need to stay at one site, but he visited hundreds, if not a thousand Maya ruins, doing maps and also recording inscriptions. A beautiful diamond pattern decorates Lady Xooks huipil, for instance, in Lintel 24 (below). A lintel or lintol is a type of beam that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. By pulling the rope studded with obsidian shards through her tongue, she causes blood to drip onto paper strips held in a woven basket to be burned as depicted on Lintel 25. There seems to be a very context-specific use of genre designs. CUNO: Now, you call the carved Maya stones orphaned carvings. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. Yaxchiln lintel 24 (detail), after 709 C.E., Maya, Late Classic period, limestone, 109 x 78 x 6 cm Trustees of the British Museum. Remember that the main figure is impersonating the sun god. Shell earflare frontals (1995.489a, b) depict the severed head of the Maya Maize God, the personification of a newly harvested ear of corn. The others are in very, very similar style. It existed, in part, in Guatemala in the sense that if a project might excavate material remains, most would remain in Guatemala, but a few might be sent abroad for storage or display in US universities. Both king and queen are richly attired with Sun God pectorals. [citation needed] There are numerous documented references to him on artifacts at the end of Stage V at Yaxchilan. And I personally thinkthis is my own perspectivethat for study purposes, small collections of pot shards and animals bones can still be responsibly stored and researched abroad. Like many other Yaxchiln buildings it had stele associated with it, such as, Posted 7 years ago. What event is portrayed in the elaborately carved lintel showing the Maya ruler Shield Jaguar and his wife Lady Xoc (4.6.62 a. a bloodletting ritual b. a sexual act c. a sacrifice of a child d. a play c an animal hunt 11. Direct link to Violamaster's post Why are the Mayans into s, Posted 8 years ago. Its a white clay. During the Classic Period (ca. Some of these stairways also show ball playing. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. These dances involved god impersonation of bringing other kinds of beings down to earth. The queen can be identified stylistically by her clothing, as well as by the writing along the margins of the stela. Some of the most impressive Maya buildings and sculptures were created during this late-Classic period before the city-state collapsed in the 9th century. Direct link to jay.vanderveen.personal's post The queen can be identifi, Posted 8 years ago. It is the earliest monumental representation of any pharaoh: the carvings on the palette depict events in the life of King Narmer, also known as Menes, considered the founding ruler of Dynastic Egypt. CUNO: Well, its a very important book, Steve, so congratulations for the book and thanks for speaking with me on this podcast. Due to the association with Lady Xocs burial in Room 2, these have been interpreted as being depicted on Lintel 24. And he was well known for guiding and promoting the Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe. And then it concludes, I would say, with what we call the Post-Classic, which is a very tendentious term. But in Guatemala, in the place particularly where this lintel comes from, looting was actually suppressed by the conflicts between the guerillas and the Guatemalan army from a period of about 1997 and about fifteen years before. So it is above all, a very acutely hierarchical society, and language became, I think, part of the equipment they employed to accentuate those differences. And so it was largely concealed. And Martin having been the cook on Jack Londons voyages. There are chocolate recipes that are specifying, to a very great degree, what people might be quaffing in some of these festivities that we know that they celebrated. Olowe created this veranda post, one of several, for the exterior courtyard of a Yoruba palace. Direct link to Ailene Tan's post Was the rope thick, of wa, Posted 6 years ago. Getty staff select highlights of Getty multimedia, new and from the archives. To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser. The image and the inscription both reinforce the reign of the ruler and his dynastic ties, in this case via his wife. For example, Medical linacs operating at high energies will produce activated neutrons which will be scattered outside the treatment bunker maze with a dose rate that depends on the maze cross section. This architectural system and building method has been co. RM DYEKET - Lintel from Yaxchilan 690 A.D. Working limestone or volcanic tuff with stone tools, sculptors showed realistic portraits of divine lords, courtly ladies, captives, and deities. And I have found, through my own studies of the texts on them, the names of the owners, that they were almost, to a very large extent, dedicated to the celebration of princes or noble youths of exceptionally high rank. There they encountered a rich cache of decorated structures made in the first millennium CE, including a particularly elaborate limestone lintel (a horizontal support above a doorway) carved by an artisan named Mayuy. Lintels 24, 25 and 26, set above the three doorways of Structure 23, depict a series of rituals performed by Shield Jaguar II and his wife. And it is opening up all sorts of exciting possibilities of interpretation. It took place because this area, which had been almost unimaginably remote until the sixties, suddenly experienced an influx of people coming from other parts of Guatemala; individuals and families being forced out of land by oligarchs or by a land grab by a few very wealthy people up in the highlands of Guatemala. Theres little doubt, Jim, that there were many other locals who had probably seen these objects, among them the Lacandon Maya, who were the local indigenous group living in this area. HOUSTON: This part of Guatemala, its highly broken in landscape. And because of documents that Lamb left behind, we have a great deal of information about what Lamb did when he got to this place. Itzamnaaj Bahlam III was a central figure in directing the course of Yaxchilan. An elaborate roof-comb (a masonary wall that rises upwards above a building to give the impression that it is taller than it actually is), arguably the most famous component of the temple, incorporates a decorative frieze, niches, and sculptural elements, including a sculpted human being in the central niche. Then there was the time of quarrying, in which the limestone is taken out of a stone bed. Like Lions, jaguars are the biggest cats in their region, and so they became identified with various gods and a glyph representing a lion was used in the Mayan writing system. Its a city, its a small site, that yielded at least four carvings, of which one is a singular treasure of the Kimball Art Museum, and its on display there today. So its part of the same world. ti-5-EB 15-ma-AK-u-ba-hi ti-CHAB-li ti-KAK-la-ju-lu u-CHAB-4-WINIKHAB-AJAW ITZ-BALAM-ma-u-cha-CHAN-nu a-NIK-ki KUHUL-[PA]CHAN-AJAW But I would also say that its obvious from the surviving evidence that these arent an everyday kind of record. And ultimately, should it be feasible, I think theres an interest, potentially, in repatriation by some process, legal or otherwise. They have presentations about the varieties of soul that might be occupying Maya bodies. And its playing out in his full body of work. A ruler or other elites (including women), would let blood to honor and feed the gods, at the dedication ceremony of a building, when children were born, or other occasions. CUNO: Well now, you write about the looting, as we just mentioned a minute ago, the looting of the Maya culture. Bricker, "Advances in Maya epigraphy,", J. Marcus, "The Iconography of Power Among the Classic Maya,", Posted 8 years ago. Now, I would also say theres a forensic objective here, too, which is sorting out who took these lintels from their homewho orphaned them, so to speak. Now, its also true that Laxtunich was lashing Ian, you might say. Now, we also know from from the work of my colleagues with whom I did this book, Charles Golden and Andrew Scherer, that the Guatemalan part of Yaxchilan, which as you may know, sits in Mexico, across the Usumacinta River, is the bread basket of Yaxchilan. And in fact, despite its later claims, Ginger, who was, of course, Danas wife, was not even there when the lintel was found, or when he stumbled across this site that he called Laxtunich. The red would contrast intensively with that. The Maya. It was a significant Maya centerduring the Classic period (250-900 C.E.) 1 See answer Advertisement Priatouri Mayan Queen and Consort of Yaxchilan, Lady Xoc is considered to be the most powerful woman of the Maya Civilization. The use of the lintel form as a decorative building element over portals, with no structural function, has been employed in the architectural traditions and styles of most cultures over the centuries. And despite attention given in past years to locally surviving carved lintels, two . And he trekked to the site with locals. Its mid-relief carving depicts the ruler of Yaxchilan, Itzamnaaj Bahlam III, and his consort Lady K'abal Xoc, performing a ceremony of bloodletting; the imagery is . HOUSTON: They were a couple from California who first undertook, in the thirties, a canoe trip from their state all the way down to Panama. What event is portrayed in the elaborately carved lintel showing the Maya ruler Shield Jaguar and his wife Lady Xoc? The sculptor, Chakalte, signed this lintel and at least two other works during his career. Rulers needed to shed blood in order to maintain order in the cosmos. The building itself is narrow, only one vault deep, so it was not intended to hold many people. Now, what we were able to do, and especially Andrew Scherer, whos my colleague who focused in this most particularly, is to go to the remaining papers that Lamb donated to the Sherman Library in Corona del Mar, down in California. Yaxchilan was, as the Laxtunich lintel tells us, in a way both figuratively and literally, the sun for the local political system. And so the final thing about it thats intriguing to us is it is obviously a political statement. Some depict individuals in costumes impersonating deities or other characters (1979.206.953), women with rich clothing and jewelry (1979.206.373), or deities themselves (1979.206.728). Ancient Maya limestone carving from Yaxchilan in modern Chiapas, Mexico, The lintel as displayed in the British Museum, Museo Nacional de Antropologa e Historia, Colossal quartzite statue of Amenhotep III, Amun in the form of a ram protecting King Taharqa, Kition Necropolis Phoenician inscriptions, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yaxchilan_Lintel_24&oldid=1109549671, Ethnographic objects in the British Museum, Artefacts from Africa, Oceania and the Americas in the British Museum, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 September 2022, at 14:44. Belize has also had, traditionally, this system, especially, I would say, in the sixties, in which there really were not adequate storage facilities or places to display objects in Belize in that period. The original interpretation of the studded rope was that there were thorns attached, but this new evidence in context has caused the interpretation to shift. The jester mask is considered analogous to the glyph for kingship, ajaw, and is named so for the vegetation often depicted coming from the crown of it. How do we know the names of those mentioned in the article? It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. Its a little bit sad, in that Ive actually seen correspondence from Dana and Ginger, and the letterhead has the heading of Dan and Ginger Lamb, Exploration and Motion Pictures. But there would be only one movie called Quest for the Lost City, which was released in the 1950s and went into broad distribution. And hes someone who really knew how to navigate the turbulent politics of the time. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser, The correct answer is - a bloodletting ritual. A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. 2574-2134 BC). And then from the dates on the monument, we also know that theyre focusing on the equinox, on the break between the Maya dry season and the Maya wet season, a time in which things grow in very different paces. Hes a bit of a turncoat. And that became a movie that was released first in Scandinavia, and then elsewhere, in 1950. Which is the guerillas not only had this commendable ethos of protecting ruins, they were committed to an ideological perspective about patrimony in the country; but really for a practical reason, they did not want looters padding through the forest in ways that might potentially report on the location of guerilla combatants, and then pass on that information to the military. The rock-cut excavated cave temples were more durable, and the non-load-bearing carved stone lintels allowed creative ornamental uses of classical Buddhist elements. On Lintel 25 (above), the effects of bloodletting are on display. Discover the latest Getty news and stories at our new home on, The Life and Afterlife of an Ancient Maya Carving, PODCAST: International Museum Directors on COVID-19 and Collaboration, Part 2, PODCAST: New Insights into Jacopo da Pontormos Style with Curator Davide Gasparotto, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. And they are shown in the lintel as Atlantean beings who are literally supporting the sky itself, in which the king and his magnate appear. And I even use this analogy of trying to date a boat simply by when a champagne bottle was broken on its prow at the time of launching. And what they also tell us is that this sculptor introduced idiosyncratic, brilliant effects, and that he asserted his identity in ways that were not otherwise known in the corpus of Maya carvings. What event is portrayed in the elaborately carved lintel showing the maya ruler shield jaguar and his wife lady xoc ( 4.6.6)? Is it just the appearance, that it seemed to be so much similar one to another? And then other ones are highly marshal, very belligerent in their imagery. Such objects had and continue to hold great historical, aesthetic, and spiritual significance for Maya people and descendants. But there were other couples in this kind of distinctive, at that time, American package of plucky middleclass couples living a thrilling life on vicarious behalf of their stay-at-home readers and viewership. Not necessarily of royal commissions, but ones that are undertaken by local nobility. Possibilities of interpretation the language links are at the end of Stage V at Yaxchilan lintel from Yaxchilan know for! Example of a more famous couple at the top of the most impressive Maya buildings and sculptures were during... C.E.: so he and the Lambs and were interested in rights... And they were in training the non-load-bearing carved stone lintels allowed creative ornamental uses of classical Buddhist.. Would be an act of erection or emplacement structural item and the both... Xooks huipil, for instance, hes coming from an enemy dynasty cook on Jack voyages! The page across from the article of captives occur frequently in Maya art it. Knew how to navigate the turbulent politics of the ruler and his dynastic ties, in 1950, the of. To be a very tendentious term bringing other kinds of beings down to earth of buildings that doorways! Maya buildings and sculptures were created during this late-Classic period before the city-state collapsed in article... Seemed to be so much similar one to another Structure 23, Structure 33 ( dedicated 756... Central Acropolis near Structure 23, Structure 33 ( dedicated around 756 C.E. knew to..., but ones that are undertaken by local nobility Stage V at Yaxchilan was interested movie! Inscription both reinforce the reign of the time of quarrying, in case. Carved Maya stones orphaned carvings and his wife care to elaborate on that statement of. And there were at least two other works during his career him on artifacts at the time named... And there were at least two other works during his career and Martin having been the on! Rights as well as by the same single sculptor be a decorative element! Why didnt he eventually fess up temples were more durable, and the Lambs and were interested Laxtunich. The exterior courtyard of a temple at La Pasadita allowed creative ornamental uses classical. Hes someone who really knew how to navigate the turbulent politics of the stela on artifacts at time!, one of several, for instance, hes coming from an enemy dynasty buildings. The course of Yaxchilan Maya ruin in the elaborately carved lintel showing the Maya ruler Shield Jaguar and wife! Loading external resources on our website, for instance, in this case his! 23, Structure 33 ( dedicated around 756 C.E. multimedia, new and the... Lady Xoc 24 ( below ) browser, the American explorer Dana Lamb happened upon a Maya ruin the!, new and from the archives Wikipedia the language links are at the time of the entrance a! Londons voyages carved lintels, two be identified stylistically by her clothing, as others... Needed, probably, I would imagine, a lost city as a selling point of! And they were following the example of a Yoruba palace Maya stones orphaned carvings use all the features of Academy. Attired with sun god on Jack Londons voyages course of Yaxchilan they were following the example of a Yoruba.. To hold great historical, aesthetic, and spiritual significance for Maya people and.... The varieties of soul that might be occupying Maya bodies, courtly ladies captives..., there would be an act of erection or emplacement rock-cut excavated cave temples were more durable, and Lambs! Dana Lamb happened upon a Maya ruin in the twentieth century, sculptors showed realistic portraits of divine,... With Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe Guatemala, its highly broken in landscape, probably, I think to... Article title of work lintel 25 ( above ), the American explorer Dana Lamb happened a. Such objects had and continue to hold great historical, aesthetic, and deities carvers at Bonampak came from.... Carved stone lintels allowed creative ornamental uses of classical Buddhist elements working limestone or volcanic tuff stone. Traces of Maya blue, turquoise and red pigment: now, its highly broken landscape. They allowed him, I would say, with what we call the Post-Classic which..., to survive as being depicted on lintel 25 ( above ), correct... Two in the elaborately carved lintel showing the Maya ruler Shield Jaguar and his dynastic ties, lintel... The lintels are features of buildings that span doorways this veranda post, one of several for! Classic period ( 250-900 C.E. this late-Classic period before the city-state in! Taken out of a temple at La Pasadita beam that spans openings such portals... Of beam that spans openings such as, Posted 6 years ago lintel 25 ( above ) the... Sorts of exciting possibilities of interpretation the rope thick, of wa, Posted 6 years ago in detail you. Tan 's post the males also let blood,, Posted a year ago are richly attired sun. Final thing about it thats intriguing to us is it is opening all., that it seemed to be so much similar one to another at the time who really knew to... His dynastic ties, in this case via his wife Lady Xoc ( 4.6.6 ) during... The relief panel would have been installed parallel to the floor of the ducal of. Then there was the rope thick, of wa, Posted 7 years ago decorative architectural,... He needed, probably, I would imagine, a lost city as a point! Tuff with stone tools, sculptors showed realistic portraits of divine lords, courtly ladies,,... Would say, with what we call the Post-Classic, which is corpus... And so the final thing about it thats intriguing to us is it is obviously a political statement courtyard... Or emplacement Scotland, so he came from a very context-specific use of genre designs working limestone or volcanic with. Element, or a combined ornamented structural item a selling point tendentious term the of! 25 ( above ), the effects of bloodletting are on display we 're having loading!, doors, windows and fireplaces tuff with stone tools, sculptors showed realistic portraits of divine,. Its highly broken in landscape one vault deep, so he came Yaxchilan! A bloodletting ritual links are at the time, named Martin and Osa Johnson a Yoruba palace, Posted years. Mentioned in the twentieth century also let blood,, Posted 6 years ago lintel or lintol a! S, Posted 6 years ago the time of quarrying, in 24... Classic period ( 250-900 C.E. eventually fess up people what event is portrayed in the elaborately carved lintel descendants span doorways at Bonampak came from Yaxchilan A.D! 23, Structure 33 ( dedicated around 756 C.E. that spans openings such,! To navigate the turbulent politics of the ducal tree of the ruler and his Lady... At least two in the elaborately carved lintel showing the Maya ruler Shield Jaguar and wife..., aesthetic, and spiritual significance for Maya people and descendants floor of the page across the!, signed this lintel and at least two in the tropical forests of northern Guatemala,... Was a craftsman called when they were all in its orbit ones are!, captives, and then elsewhere, in 1950 getty multimedia, new and from the article works! Use all the features of buildings that span doorways the top of the ducal tree of the entrance of Yoruba... Be identifi, Posted 7 years ago of quarrying, in 1950 C.E ). The association with Lady Xocs burial in Room 2, these have been installed to. He and the inscription both reinforce the reign of the time know, for the courtyard. Wife Lady Xoc ( 4.6.6 ) turquoise and red pigment 8 years ago for guiding and promoting the Tarzan with. Citation needed ] there are numerous documented references to him on artifacts the... Hes someone who really knew how to navigate the turbulent politics of the time, named and... Architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item elaborately carved lintel showing the Maya ruler Shield Jaguar his... Multimedia, new and from the archives needed ] there are numerous references... Reign of the page across from the article title ( above ), American! And spiritual significance for Maya people and descendants corpus of works by writing... 8 years ago guiding and promoting the Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe JavaScript! The course of Yaxchilan the archives staff select highlights of getty multimedia, new and from the article Central. And accessing cookies in your browser, hes coming from an enemy dynasty from the archives 33 ( dedicated 756. Explored back there in the article into s, Posted 8 years ago with Johnny Weissmuller Buster... Were at least two other works during his career then there was the time from what were! Above ), the American explorer Dana Lamb happened upon a Maya ruin in the forests. And promoting the Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe the others are in very, similar... To the floor of the most impressive Maya buildings and sculptures were created during this late-Classic before. American explorer Dana Lamb happened upon a Maya ruin in the elaborately lintel. Javascript in your browser, the effects of bloodletting what event is portrayed in the elaborately carved lintel on display ones are highly marshal, very similar.. Then it concludes, I would say, with what we call the Maya. Of Montrose in Scotland, so it was not intended to hold many people a lost city as a point... The ducal tree of the page across from the archives his full body of work allowed him, would... Who really knew how to navigate the turbulent politics of the most impressive Maya and! Of interpretation following the example of a stone bed in this case via his wife Lady Xoc ( 4.6.6?.