Landscapes of the Itza

Archaeology and Art History at Chichen Itza and Neighboring Sites

Linnea Wren, Cynthia Kristan-Graham, Travis Nygard, Kaylee Spencer

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Year: 2017
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9780813052038
• Subtopic: History of Ancient Art
• Index: Social Sciences

"An insightful collection, rich in new data and insights; at once the harvest of a generation of fieldwork and the foundation for work to come."--Mary E. Miller, coauthor of The Spectacle of the Late Maya Court: Reflections on the Murals of Bonampak "Reminds us that there are always new things to learn about iconic places like Chichen Itza and that we can fall in love with them all over again."--Jennifer P. Mathews, coeditor of Lifeways in the Northern Maya Lowlands: New Approaches to Archaeology in the Yucatan Peninsula "Long overdue. Brings together new data and interpretations about Chichen Itza through a refreshing mix of art history and archaeology, particularistic interpretation, and cross-cultural modeling."--Scott R. Hutson, author of The Ancient Urban Maya: Neighborhoods, Inequality, and Built Form

Chichen Itza, the legendary capital and trading hub of the late Maya civilization, continues to fascinate visitors and researchers with unanswered questions about its people, rulers, rituals, economics, religion, politics, and even chronology. Addressing many of these current debates, contributors to Landscapes of the Itza question when the city's construction was completed, what the purposes of its famous pyramid and other buildings were, whether the city maintained strict territorial borders, and how the city's influence was felt in smaller neighboring settlements such as Popola, Ichmul de Morley, and Ek Balam. Special attention is given to the site's visual culture, including its architecture, epigraphy, ceramics, sculptures, and murals. This volume is a much-needed update on recent archaeological and art historical work being done at Chichen Itza, offering new ways of understanding the site and its role in the Yucatan landscape.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Landscapes of the Itza
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Preface and Acknowledgments
• 1. Introduction: Looking Backward, Looking Forward at Chichen Itza
• 2. The Archaeology of Chichen Itza: Its History, What We Like to Argue About, and What We Think We Know
• 3. K’ak’ Upakal K’inich K’awil and the Lords of the Fire: Chichen Itza during the Ninth Century
• 4. Rulers without Borders: The Difficulty of Identifying Polity Boundaries in Terminal Classic Yucatan and Beyond
• 5. In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl: How Small Communities in Northern Yucatan Responded to the Chichen Itza Phenomenon
• 6. The Castillo-sub at Chichen Itza: A Reconsideration
• 7. The Osario of Chichen Itza: Where Warriors Danced in Paradise
• 8. The Least Earth: Curated Landscapes at Chichen Itza
• 9. To Face or to Flee from the Foe: Women in Warfare at Chichen Itza
• List of Contributors
• Index