554:
cache materials relate more closely to household tasks, such as preparing food or working a field. The content and placement of these caches suggests a request for aid in acquiring daily necessities, such as food, as they dedicated their work places and homes to deities in exchange for a better harvest or other living needs. These contents also relate closely to the common mesoamerican idea that the people have an obligation to nourish the life-providing Earth as it does them.
135:
22:
661:, verb, noun, prepositional phrase, and most importantly, the name of a possessor of the structure. This is so significant in dedication ritual because writing the name of a possessor to which the structure is dedicated gives permanence to that ownership. The quality of permanence held in writing dedication rituals gives power and importance to the relationship it creates.
605:
held two young female burials placed facing each other inside benches located under a central structure. Dedicatory burials are unique in that they utilize ancestors to worship ancestors, as well as provide an offering that had also once provided offerings to their deities, signifying both power and
681:
artifacts were found scattered and smashed on the floor of the temple, which had presumably once served in dedication caches for the same temple. Destroying these creations ceases their representation of the cosmos and religious ideas and ends the relationship between those ideas and the structure.
631:
where vessels of obsidian blades, stingray spines, and other bloodletting utensils lined the pathway along the structure. These materials increased in count along the pathway, leading to a main room in which sacrifice rituals took place. These materials and their context clearly dedicate
Structure
553:
can be found in the Maya common places and public buildings, which contained objects made or found by commoners. More specifically, these caches were usually found in fields or family altars, and contained less valuable materials such as ceramic vessels, copal, food, and drink. These dedication
541:
to sanctify their living spaces and family members by associating their physical world with supernatural concepts through religious practice. The existence of such rituals is inferred from the frequent occurrence of so-called 'dedication' or 'votive' cache deposits in an archaeological context.
622:
and perhaps during war the chief's daughter just for good luck . Sacrifice specifically represents a returning of life to the Earth and deities, who were seen as life-providers for the
Mesoamerican people. The importance of sacrifice in Classic Maya culture can be seen in
737:
Joyce, Rosemary (1992) Ideology in Action: The
Rhetoric of Classic Maya ritual in practice. Ancient Images, Ancient Thought: The Archaeology of Ideology, Papers from the 23rd Chac Mool Conference, ed. A. Sean Goldsmith, S. Garvie, D. Selin and J. Smith, pp.
586:. Ballcourts were commissioned by the elite, and hosted ritual activities for the elite and commoners, associating them with power and wealth. These caches then dedicated the ballcourts, including their power and rituals, to Classic Maya deities.
649:, in which elite women created architectural texts dedicating structures to their female ancestors and patron deities. These gender-specific deities were given significant attention through the dedication of structures in their possession.
750:
McAnany, Patricia (2008) Shaping social difference: Political and ritual economy of
Classic Maya royal courts. In Dimensions of Ritual Economy pp. 219-247. Research in Economic Anthropology. vol. 27. Emerald Group Publishing
557:
The location of a cache in relation to others can also play a significant role in dedication rituals. At the
Classic Maya site in Tonina, three caches covered by a circular stone mark the north, south, and center of a
644:
were also used as dedicatory devices in ritual structures. The art of writing was controlled by the elite in
Mesoamerica, and the skill passed down linearly. An example of this can be seen in Classic Maya
669:
As the complement and counterpart of dedication ritual, termination ritual serves to destroy the link between a structure and the deity to which it was dedicated. In Temple XIV of
601:
In Maya cultures, elites were buried as cremations in urns. Dedicated to their power, large ritual structures such as temples were built above these burials. The
574:
to those concepts and deity, as well as emphasizing the directions of the Earth. Including this example, caches mark the center of nine ballcourts across
220:
39:
524:
773:
618:
was commonplace in dedication rituals, whether in bloodletting or sacrificing a war victim, one of the many sacrificial rituals employed in
794:
723:
Fox, John Gerard (1996) Playing with Power: Ballcourts and
Political Ritual in Southern Mesoamerica. Current Anthropology 37(3): 483-509.
594:
Dedication rituals through burial were most common in the Maya highlands, in which they were used to commemorate dead ancestors, make an
86:
766:
The Sowing and the
Dawning: Termination, Dedication, and Transformation in the Archaeological and Ethnographic Record of Mesoamerica.
789:
105:
58:
184:
65:
43:
72:
705:
Marcus, Joyce (1978) “Archaeology and
Religion: A Comparison of the Zapotec and Maya.” World Archaeology 10(2): 172-191.
567:
155:
498:
54:
799:
628:
32:
615:
517:
478:
180:
134:
570:, whereas the center cache contained nine. The number nine represents death and the underworld, dedicating the
650:
559:
510:
571:
488:
239:
79:
432:
493:
322:
160:
598:
to their deities, and give life or nourishment to the community or structure the ritual serves.
769:
387:
297:
234:
402:
317:
229:
201:
175:
170:
624:
583:
407:
377:
121:
783:
126:
768:
Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1998. vi + 198 pp. $ 75.00 (library),
646:
417:
287:
257:
247:
641:
619:
367:
332:
206:
21:
437:
427:
382:
362:
327:
654:
595:
483:
352:
307:
563:
457:
372:
302:
277:
272:
657:
embodies this concept with sacred writings, often including an initial
579:
462:
342:
337:
252:
211:
140:
674:
670:
575:
452:
447:
412:
397:
392:
347:
262:
658:
602:
550:
442:
422:
357:
312:
292:
282:
267:
678:
15:
632:
O-13 to deity worship through sacrificial offerings.
562:alley. The north and south caches contained eight
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
518:
8:
525:
511:
117:
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
691:
470:
219:
193:
147:
120:
7:
746:
744:
733:
731:
729:
719:
717:
715:
713:
711:
701:
699:
697:
695:
44:adding citations to reliable sources
14:
133:
20:
31:needs additional citations for
1:
764:Shirley Boteler Mock (ed.),
795:Maya mythology and religion
603:Maya Tikal Triple Ballcourt
816:
479:Annals of the Cakchiquels
55:"Maya dedication rituals"
790:Mesoamerican archaeology
566:blades, likely used in
537:The Classic Maya used
499:TĂtulo de Totonicapán
489:Ritual of the Bacabs
40:improve this article
433:Xmucane and Xpiacoc
665:Termination ritual
539:dedication rituals
323:Howler monkey gods
221:Deities and beings
166:Dedication rituals
800:Maya civilization
774:978-0-8263-1983-8
535:
534:
298:Chirakan-Ixmucane
116:
115:
108:
90:
807:
752:
748:
739:
735:
724:
721:
706:
703:
527:
520:
513:
137:
118:
111:
104:
100:
97:
91:
89:
48:
24:
16:
815:
814:
810:
809:
808:
806:
805:
804:
780:
779:
761:
756:
755:
749:
742:
736:
727:
722:
709:
704:
693:
688:
667:
638:
612:
592:
548:
531:
244:
143:
124:
112:
101:
95:
92:
49:
47:
37:
25:
12:
11:
5:
813:
811:
803:
802:
797:
792:
782:
781:
778:
777:
760:
757:
754:
753:
740:
725:
707:
690:
689:
687:
684:
666:
663:
637:
634:
629:Piedras Negras
625:Structure O-13
611:
608:
591:
588:
584:Central Mexico
547:
544:
533:
532:
530:
529:
522:
515:
507:
504:
503:
502:
501:
496:
491:
486:
481:
473:
472:
468:
467:
466:
465:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
410:
408:Vision Serpent
405:
400:
395:
390:
385:
380:
375:
370:
365:
360:
355:
350:
345:
340:
335:
330:
325:
320:
315:
310:
305:
300:
295:
290:
285:
280:
275:
270:
265:
260:
255:
250:
243:
242:
237:
232:
224:
223:
217:
216:
215:
214:
209:
204:
196:
195:
191:
190:
189:
188:
178:
173:
168:
163:
158:
150:
149:
145:
144:
139:Maize god and
138:
130:
129:
122:Maya mythology
114:
113:
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
812:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
787:
785:
775:
771:
767:
763:
762:
758:
747:
745:
741:
734:
732:
730:
726:
720:
718:
716:
714:
712:
708:
702:
700:
698:
696:
692:
685:
683:
680:
676:
672:
664:
662:
660:
656:
652:
648:
643:
635:
633:
630:
626:
621:
617:
609:
607:
606:life-giving.
604:
599:
597:
589:
587:
585:
581:
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
555:
552:
545:
543:
540:
528:
523:
521:
516:
514:
509:
508:
506:
505:
500:
497:
495:
494:TĂtulo C'oyoi
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
476:
475:
474:
469:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
401:
399:
396:
394:
391:
389:
386:
384:
381:
379:
376:
374:
371:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
354:
351:
349:
346:
344:
341:
339:
336:
334:
331:
329:
326:
324:
321:
319:
316:
314:
311:
309:
306:
304:
301:
299:
296:
294:
291:
289:
286:
284:
281:
279:
276:
274:
271:
269:
266:
264:
261:
259:
256:
254:
251:
249:
246:
245:
241:
238:
236:
233:
231:
228:
227:
226:
225:
222:
218:
213:
210:
208:
205:
203:
200:
199:
198:
197:
192:
186:
182:
179:
177:
174:
172:
169:
167:
164:
162:
161:Death rituals
159:
157:
154:
153:
152:
151:
146:
142:
136:
132:
131:
128:
123:
119:
110:
107:
99:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
64:
60:
57: –
56:
52:
51:Find sources:
45:
41:
35:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
765:
759:Bibliography
668:
651:Structure 23
647:Chichen Itza
639:
613:
600:
593:
568:bloodletting
556:
549:
538:
536:
418:Vucub Caquix
388:Moon goddess
258:Ah-Muzen-Cab
165:
156:Bloodletting
102:
93:
83:
76:
69:
62:
50:
38:Please help
33:verification
30:
620:Mesoamerica
368:Kinich Ahau
333:Hun Hunahpu
235:Jaguar gods
207:Middleworld
784:Categories
686:References
438:Xmulzencab
428:Xbaquiyalo
403:Q'uq'umatz
328:Huay Chivo
318:Hero Twins
230:Death gods
202:Cave sites
176:Priesthood
171:Pilgrimage
66:newspapers
655:Yaxchilan
616:sacrifice
610:Sacrifice
572:ballcourt
560:ballcourt
484:Popol Vuh
378:Maize god
353:Ixpiyacoc
308:Goddess I
181:Sacrifice
148:Practices
96:June 2017
751:Limited.
738:497-506.
642:writings
596:offering
564:obsidian
458:Yum Kaax
373:Kukulkan
303:Ek Chuaj
278:Camazotz
273:Cabaguil
127:religion
640:Sacred
636:Writing
614:Bodily
590:Burials
580:Chiapas
463:Zipacna
383:MaximĂłn
363:K'awiil
343:Itzamna
338:Huracan
253:Ah Peku
212:Xibalba
141:Itzamna
80:scholar
772:
675:Belize
671:Cerros
582:, and
576:Belize
551:Caches
546:Caches
453:Yopaat
448:Xtabay
413:Voltan
398:Tzacol
393:Nagual
348:Ixchel
263:Awilix
194:Places
185:Humans
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
659:glyph
471:Texts
443:Xquic
423:Wayob
358:Ixtab
313:God L
293:Cizin
283:Chaac
268:Bacab
87:JSTOR
73:books
770:ISBN
679:jade
288:Chin
248:Acat
240:Mams
125:and
59:news
653:in
627:at
42:by
786::
743:^
728:^
710:^
694:^
677:,
673:,
578:,
776:.
526:e
519:t
512:v
187:)
183:(
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.