•  
  •  
 

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

Maya civilization, stucco frieze, Popul Vuh, ceramic

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Anthropology

Abstract

One of the most significant finds of Mayan archaeology in recent years has been the elaborate stucco frieze discovered in the Central Acropolis of the ancient Mayan city, El Mirador. The frieze is significant not only because of its remarkable preservation and beautiful artistic representations, but also because of its age. The frieze, which is proposed to be depicting a scene from the Popul Vuh, predates all other known sources of the Popul Vuh mythology by more than a millennium. In fact, much speculation has been done in the past regarding the level of Spanish influence in the Popul Vuh history, which bears remarkable resemblance to many of the stories found in the early Old Testament of the Bible. This frieze, however, which was originally dated to around 250 BC makes such speculations obsolete. Our research this year, however, indicates that the frieze may be even older than originally estimated.

Download

Included in

Anthropology Commons

Share

COinS