An Archaeology of the Senses: Perception and Cultural Expression in Ancient Mesoamerica

Abstract

The ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples showed an intense interest in invoking the senses, especially hearing, sight, and smell. The senses were flagged by graphic devices of synaesthetic or cross-sensory intent; writing and speech scrolls triggered sound, sightlines the acts and consequences of seeing, and flowery ornament indicated both scent and soul essence. As conceived anciently, the senses were projective and procreative, involving the notion of unity and shared essence in material and incorporeal realms. Among the Maya, spaces could be injected with moral and hierarchical valuation through visual fields known as y-ichnal. The inner mind extended to encompass outer worlds, in strong parallel to concepts of monism. From such evidence arises the possibility of reconstructing the phenomenology of ancient Mesoamericans.

Antiguas y nuevas noticias sobre una figurilla-silbato de Jaina. Contextos, sonidos y formas

“…Así por ejemplo, algunos instrumentos imitaban sonidos de ciertos animales para atraerlos y cazarlos, mientras que otros acompañaban las ceremonias: sacrificios humanos, derramamiento ritual de sangre, conmemoración de fines de periodo, captura de prisioneros, Juego de Pelota, esparcimiento de semillas, danzas reales, entronización y fallecimiento de los gobernantes (Hammond, 1972a(Hammond, y 1972bHouston y Taube, 2000;Houston, Stuart y Taube, 2006). Por ello consideramos que los músicos y los danzantes se encargaban de codificar y transmitir distintos elementos ideológicos al resto de la población, siendo ejes de comunicación entre grupos sociales.…”

Ritual Use of Obsidian from Maya Caves in Belize: A Functional and Symbolic Analysis

“…Recent studies reveal archaeology's ocularcentric orientation to knowing the past, relying heavily on sight while seemingly indifferent to how other senses (hearing, smell, touch, taste) inform experiential knowledge (Witmore 2006). An archaeology more attuned to the senses should elicit richer and more complete appreciations of embodied human experience in the past (Day 2013;Fahlander and Kjellström 2010;Hamilakis 2002;Houston and Taube 2000;Kus 1992;Meskell 1996). In regard to obsidian production, a haptic approach may be especially promising, given that a crafter's knowledge does not come from verbal instructions alone but also through a tactile "feel" gained from repetitive physical movements.…”

Peter Woodman, Nyree Finlay & Elizabeth Anderson. The archaeology of a collection: the Keiller-Knowles collection at the National Museum of Ireland (National Museum of Ireland Monograph Series 2). xx+382 pages, 120 b&w & colour figures, 63 b&w & colour plates. 2006. Bray: Wordwell; 978-1-869-85797-4 hardback €40.

“…Mattingly's earlier synthesis brought the immediate results of Garamantian archaeology to public attention, but this volume may provide a more lasting contribution to its future development, consolidating the legacy of Charles Daniels in the Fazzān. Harri Kettunen, in this exhaustive monograph from the Finnish Academy of Sciences, has taken ancient Maya noses with the seriousness they demand, something not done systematically since Proskouriakoff 's classic study (1950), although Houston and Taube (2000) illuminatingly analysed certain nasal motifs in depth. By 'nasal motif ', Kettunen means not just the organ itself (which is not in fact discussed in detail), but 'motifs that are rendered around the nasal area (whether around a nose, snout, beak, or muzzle) of various characters and creatures in Maya art' (p. 18).…”