Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
rituals, Yaxhilan Queens, iconographcy, Yaxchilan, Maya
College
Humanities
Department
Comparative Arts and Letters
Abstract
The ruins of Yaxchilan on the shores of the Usumacinta River, Mexico have some of the only occurrences of iconography that contain women performing sacred bloodletting rites. Most scholars seem to agree that at the end of the 8th century and beginning of the 9th century C.E., the Classic Maya were on the brink of collapse in the southern lowlands. This Great collapse has many arguable factors: disease, drought, famine, starvation, natural disasters, etc. Though no exact cause for the Great collapse has been identified, one thing that scholars seem to agree on is the desperation one can sense in the Maya art and architecture from this time period.
Recommended Citation
Bentley, Jillian and Christianson, Allen
(2017)
"Rites and Rituals of the Yaxhilan Queens: Analysis of the Iconography of the Yaxchilan Lintels 24, 25, and 26,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2017:
Iss.
1, Article 148.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2017/iss1/148