In the path of the Maize God: a royal tomb at Nakum, Petén, Guatemala

Abstract

The authors describe the excavation and interpretation of an intact seventh-century high status burial at the Maya site of Nakum. The dead person wore an incised pectoral with an eventful biography, having started out as an Olmec heirloom 1000 years before. No less impressive was the series of votive rituals found to have been enacted at the tomb for another 100 years or more. The beautiful objects, their architectural setting and the long story they recount, offer a heart-breaking indictment of the multiple losses due to looting.

Maya Politics and Ritual: An Important New Hieroglyphic Text on a Carved Jade From Belize

“…Norman Hammond (personal communication 2015) points out that this narrow-edge perforation technique was common during the Middle Preclassic period. Nonetheless, we stress that there is no clear reason to think that this is a repurposed Preclassic artifact like the jade bivalve-form pendant from Nakum (Źrałka et al 2006). The Nim li Punit wind jewel does not have a concave front (and hence, is T-shaped rather than shell-shaped) and is not made of blue-green jade.…”

“…or YUY ? (Źrałka et al 2006:898). According to Stuart, the glyph shows a bead necklace with an attached plaque.…”

From E-Group to Funerary Pyramid: Mortuary Cults and Ancestor Veneration in the Maya Centre of Nakum, Petén, Guatemala

“…They were places where important burials were located (including that of the lineage founder) and ancestors were venerated (see Becker 2003;Chase & Chase 1994). The existence of this architectural pattern at Nakum was shown to be present during previous excavations carried out in the east-flanking Structure 15, which contained two royal burials (Koszkul et al 2007;Zrałka et al 2011;.…”

Archaeological evidence for ancient Maya water management: the case of Nakum, Petén, Guatemala

“…It is situated in the northern part of the Acropolis, which is the largest and most impressive complex at the site (Figure 2). The Acropolis consists of a platform surmounted by more than 30 structures, mainly palace residences, surrounding 12 patios or courtyards (Quintana & Wurster 2002; Tobar & González 2007; Źrałka et al 2011). The largest of these is Patio 1.…”

“…Over the past seven years, the Maya site of Nakum (located in north-eastern Guatemala; Figure 1) has been the subject of investigations conducted by the Nakum Archaeological Project of the Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland (see Źrałka et al 2011, 2012; Koszkul & Źrałka 2013). Recently, a very complex and sophisticated drain of Early Classic date ( c .…”