Maya News Updates 2016, No. 5: New Maya Exhibit in the Netherlands - At the Drents Museum, Assen - Materials Published to Accompany the Exhibit

The exhibit "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" ("Maya's - Rulers of the Rain Forest") was officially opened on February 27 and to the public on February 28, 2016. The Drents Museum has published a nice collection of materials to accompany the exhibit. Here is an overview and quick peak. While at the exhibit the information at the showcases is available in both Dutch and English, these materials are Dutch language only.

1. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Overview of the three main publications that accompany the exhibit, upper left magazine of the Drents Museum, upper right the book that accompanies the exhibit, and bottom the small booklet for children (photograph by Erik Boot/MNU 2016).

2. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Cover of the book that accompanies the exhibit. This is not a full catalog, but an edited volume providing a series of articles which provide some of the most recent insights into Maya civilization, from the Preclassic and Early Classic periods to the Late Classic and Postclassic period up to the present day. Edited by Vincent van Vlisteren and Nikolai Grube, the chapters are written by well-known specialists as Charlotte Arnauld, Guillermo Bernal Romero, Markus Eberl, Nikolai Grube, Fernando Robles Castellanos, Karl Taube, Elisabeth Wagner, and it is published by WBooks (formerly Waanders Publishers). A quick peak can be found at this link. Lavishly illustrated, showing a host of the objects shown at the exhibit as well as other important objects. On page 189 a list of literature, for both the interested as the more specialized, some of which are published in Dutch (for instance the book and catalog that accompanied the "Maya 2012" exhibit in Leiden; see side menu). Available at the museum book store for €24,95 (photograph by Erik Boot/MNU 2016).

3. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Cover and a two-page spread from the magazine of the Drents Museum, issue one of 2016, which opens with an illustrated article on the exhibit. Available for 1,00 at the museum (photograph by Erik Boot/MNU 2016).

4. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Cover and a pair of two-page spreads from the small booklet published by the Drents Museum, for children and containing a host of games to play and puzzles to solve all with the Maya exhibit at the center. The booklet opens with a plan of the exhibition space and shows a series of Maya numbers (1-20) that tie in with the content of the booklet. The route it takes through the exhibit is designed for the whole family. Available at the museum for free (photograph by Erik Boot/MNU 2016).

Maya News Updates 2016, No. 4: New Maya Exhibit in the Netherlands - At the Drents Museum, Assen - First Series of Photographs from the Exhibit, taken February 27, 2016

The exhibit "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" ("Maya's - Rulers of the Rain Forest") was opened officially on February 27, 2016, during a reception well-visited by a host of foreign and local guests. After the reception and official opening one could visit the exhibit. Here I present a first series of photographs of some of the objects shown at the exhibit. Preliminary comments to each photograph written by the photographer.

1. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Polychrome Classic period vase, provenance unknown (Motul de San José area), showing court scene; central text informs on the identity (ubaah "it is the image to ... of ...") of the elite person on the right (ta?-ye-la CHAN-na-K'INICH or Tayel Chan K'ihnich), seated on an elevation (throne, bench), and terminates with the paramount title of Motul de San José, K'uhul Ik'a' Ajaw "God-like King of Ik'a'." Tayel Chan K'ihnich is a name of Late Classic king of Motul de San José circa AD 720s-740s and vessels carrying his name have been found at Dos Pilas and Cancuen. These vessels, like the one at the exhibit, may have functioned as elite gifts exchanged at important courtly ceremonies either at Motul de San José itself or at the receiving courts when the Ik'a' king came to visit (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

2. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Unprovenanced polychrome Classic period vase, showing dancing Maize Gods with large back racks and accompanied by dwarfs in the so-called "Holmul Dancer" style (eastern Peten area, Holmul-Naranjo area; on this style see Reents-Budet, 1991, The “Holmul Dancer” Theme in Maya Art), restored and repainted. Note for instance the inclusion of a near-glyph-by-glyph copy of part of the dedicatory text on Kerr No. 0633 (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016) (also see Maya News Updates 2011, No. 23 here)

3. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Fragment of limestone panel, showing the head of a captured dignitary, the short text provides a so-called Distance Number of 0 days, 0 winal/winik/winkil periods of 20 days, 12 haab years of 360 days, and 3 winaakhaab/k'atun periods of 7,200 days each, after which "happens" (uhtiiy), but that part of the text is gone (it would have been the Calendar Round date) (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

4. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Limestone drum-shaped altar, provenance unknown, providing an elaborate court scene taking place at Yaxchilan or its direct environs (see Grube and Luin, 2014, A drum shaped altar from the vicinity of Yaxchilan). Secondary texts identify three of the protagonists and the sculptor (y-uxul ...-pa ka-..., "it is the sculpture of ..."), the long circular text on top of this altar refers to a mortuary ceremony and terminates with the paramount title of Yaxchilan, K'uhul Pa'chan Ajaw, "God-like King of Pa'chan" (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

5. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Fragment of limestone panel, showing a captured dignitary, his hands tied with a thick rope. The short text to the right of him reads Ucha'an Yax Tok Bahlam, "The (u-) guardian (cha'an) of Yax Tok Bahlam" (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

6. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Limestone statue of a crouching anthropomorphic warrior figure with jaguar mask, large ear spools, and elaborately dressed, some 3 meters long. Original colors remain at places like the ear spools and the mask surrounding the mouth. Found during digging work at a farm in the southwest of Lake Petén Itzá, Peten, Guatemala, some ten years ago (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

7. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Early Classic period cave painting executed on a flowstone fan. Between the two anthropomorphic figures painted black short hieroglyphic texts can be found. One text opens with the Calendar Round date of 9 Ajaw 3 Muwaan. The most likely Long Count date reconstruction for this Calendar Round date is 8.19.10.0.0, the date February 1, in AD 426 (correlation constant 584,285), in the Early Classic period. The date is most probably followed by a so-called Period Ending ceremony, note the "flat hand" (pointing to the left) and the two lines of dots above the hand. Perhaps this is an Early Classic rendition of the chok ch'aj "to scatter ch'aj (droplets)" ceremony, known to be associated with Period Endings (compare for instance to Caracol, Stela 1, Front: F1, "flat hand" now pointing downwards, note six parallel lines of dots for ch'aj) (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala; formerly Museo El Príncipe Maya, Cobán, Verapaz, Guatemala, a now defunct museum [since 2011]) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

8. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Plate the floor of which shows a dancing Maize God, stretching his arms outwards and who has elaborate head ornaments. The circular text, arranged around the dancing Maize God, in the literature known as the "Tikal Dancer" (see for instance Boot, 2003, An Annotated Overview of “Tikal Dancer Plates” on this iconographic theme and an interpretation of various of the positions of the Maize God) is a non-sensical text (aka. "pseudo-text") which repeats a single sign group over and over (Museo Juan Antonio Valdés, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

9. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Early Classic period cache vessel, the top of which is incised with a short five collocation dedicatory text, which opens with the name of the object, followed by the name of the owner or patron and which terminates with the statement tuk'uhil Ahkan Yaxja', "for (t-) the (u-) god (k'uhil) Ahkan Yaxja' " (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

10. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Three Early Classic period lidded blackware and burnished vessels, each elaborately decorated with a frontal portrait. Note that the vessels on the left and right each have hieroglyphic signs in the central element of their headdress assemblages, most probably signaling a part of the their names. The lids are incised with symbols that define the water band (Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

11. Drents Museum - "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" - Late Classic carved limestone panel, part of one of the legs of a monumental carved throne at the archaeological site of Dos Pilas portraying the Classic Maya Sun God, K'ihnich Ajaw "Sun (k'in) Person(?) (-ich) King (ajaw)"(Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala) (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016) (also see Maya News Updates 2012, No. 1 here)
A review of the exhibit "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud/Maya's - Rulers of the Rain Forest," as well as some additional photographs of objects shown at the exhibit, will follow in a next Maya News Updates.

Maya News Updates 2016, No. 3: New Maya Exhibit in the Netherlands - At the Drents Museum, Assen - Photographs from the Official Opening on February 27, 2016

The exhibit "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" ("Maya's - Rulers of the Rain Forest") was opened officially on February 27, 2016, during a reception well-visited by a host of foreign and local guests, fronted by the organizers and those associated with the lending institutions (for example the Museo Nacional de Etnología e Arqueología, Guatemala, and the Fundación La Ruta Maya). Here I post a series of photographs made before and during the reception, providing (among others) an overview of the reception and of some of the key note speakers (most prominently by José Luis Chea Urruela, minister of the Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes in Guatemala, and Jacques Tichelaar, Commissaris van de Koning in Drenthe/Commissary to the King in Drenthe). A next Maya News Updates will show some of the objects being shown at the exhibit, followed by a short review later this week.

1. Drents Museum - at the "group" entrance, early arrival before the crowd gets in and the line gets long with invited guests (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

2. Drents Museum - at the "group" entrance, city weapon of Assen set in the center within the Latin phrase "Mvsevm Drenthia," i.e., Drenths Museum/Museum Drenthe (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

3. Drents Museum - at the "group" entrance, center of the Guatemalan flag paired with its shadow on the wall at the entrance (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

4. Drents Museum - at the reception area, in front of the book store, people meeting, Sol y Luna band playing in background, early arrival before the more guests gets in (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016).

5. Drents Museum - guest and staff member near to the entrance of the exhibit, large poster for the exhibit on the wall (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

6. Drents Museum - overview of the reception area, photographed from the stairs (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

7. Drents Museum - overview of the reception area, photographed from the stairs (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

8. Drents Museum - José Luis Chea Urruela, minister of the Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes in Guatemala, during his speech (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

9. Drents Museum - (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

10. Drents Museum - Jacques Tichelaar, Commissaris van de Koning in Drenthe/Commissary to the King in Drenthe, during his speech (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)

11. Drents Museum - Foreign guests and dignitaries are invited into the exhibit (photograph Erik Boot/MNU 2016)
For an alternative overview of the reception and the opening of February 27, 2016, posted by the Asser Courant, check their website here.

Maya News Updates 2016, No. 2: New Maya Exhibit in the Netherlands - At the Drents Museum, Assen - Photographs of Some of the Objects

Here I present medium high resolution images of three of the objects that will be shown at the exhibit "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud," Drents Museum, Assen, the Netherlands, and which are among the objects which have not traveled beyond the American continent before. These three objects stem from the collection of the Fundación La Ruta Maya in Guatemala.
1. Cancuen Panel 1

Photograph by Jorge Pérez de Lara. Copyright Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala, registry nr. 16.2.5.244. More information on this panel here.

2. Crouching Jaguar Warrior Statue

Photograph by Jorge Pérez de Lara. Copyright Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala, registry nr. 1.2.1.299. More information on this statue here.

3. Composite Mosaic Mask

Copyright Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala, registry nr. 16.2.5.1161. More information on this statue here.

I hope to post more information on these objects after I have seen them in person at the exhibit (I could in some detail now, but first seeing them at the exhibit is much better).

Maya News Updates 2016, No. 1: New Maya Exhibit in the Netherlands - At the Drents Museum, Assen

A new Maya exhibit has been organized by the Drents Museum in Assen, in close cooperation with the Historisches Museum der Pfalz in Speyer, Germany, and Prof. Dr. Nikolai Grube of the Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn, Germany. The exhibit is entitled "Maya's - Heersers van het Regenwoud" (in English, "Maya's - Kings of the Forest") and shows a large number of objects not shown before outside of the American continent. It includes for instance a number of important objects from the collection of the Fundación La Ruta Maya in Guatemala, objects from and a virtual reconstruction of the archaeological site of Uxul (where Bonn University archaeologists have excavated for the past years), as well as objects from the Ethnological Museum in Berlin and the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne.
The exhibit opens to the public on February 28, 2016 and will be on show until September 4, 2016. After this period the exhibit will travel to the Historisches Museum der Pfalz in Speyer, where the exhibit will have the title "Maya - Das Rätsel der Königsstädte" ("Maya - The Riddle of the Royal Cities"), which opens to the public on October 2, 2016.

For further information check the Drents Museum website here when you want visit the exhibit in Assen in the Netherlands and the Historisches Museum der Pfalz in Speyer here when you want to visit the exhibit in Germany.
Admission fees: For children under the age of 18 the admission is free, adults pay a fee of €12,00 with a surcharge of €3,00 for the Maya exhibit. More on admission fees on the website of the Drents Museum.
I will be visiting the exhibit this weekend and I will provide more information in an upcoming Maya News Updates.

The 2013 EMC in Brussels is near

Just a couple of days and the 2013 European Maya Conference will start in Brussels (October 28 - November 2, 2013). All the information you can find on the Wayeb page. Above I have posted the cover of the source book for the workshop "Maya Iconography", which I host with Elisabeth Wagner. The group will be big (39 participants have registered). Let the meetings begin! Hope to see you in Brussels. Cheers, Erik

2013 European Maya Conference, Brussels, Belgium, October 28-November 2 (Maya News Updates 2013, No. 4)

On October 28-November 2, 2013 the XVIIIth European Maya Conference will take place at the Free University in Brussels, Belgium. Here I provide the posters for the conference in Spanish, French, and English. Feel free to print and distribute! It will be a wonderful conference again. For all further information (like workshop abstracts, venues, places to stay/wine/dine, &c), please the Wayeb Home Page at www.wayeb.org.

Maya News Updates 2013, No. 3: Xtojil, Yucatan

At the site of Xtojil, located close to Libre Unión and some 20 km. west of Chichen Itza, archaeologists have found a dozen of burials. The burials were accompanied by various gifts, including some 30 ceramics. The burials date from the period of circa AD 600-800, just before the florescence of Chichen Itza. Today, Tuesday January 15, 2013, the Instituto Nacional de Antropologí e Historia posted an overview of the recent discoveries and the archaeological research at the site, under the direction of José Osorio León and Francisco Pérez Ruiz, of the Centro INAH Yucatán. As can be seen in the photographs, and noted in the overview, two of the ceramics bear hieroglyphic texts, a rarety in this part of Yucatan (both are shown in the image above; the INAH has posted 8 photographs, six of which are included above) (edited by MNU):
Hallan entierros prehispánicos a 20 km. de Chichén Itzá - A 20 kilómetros de la Zona Arqueológica de Chichén Itzá, en Yucatán, en el sitio maya de Xtojil, arqueólogos del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH-Conaculta) recuperaron una decena de entierros, la mayoría de los cuales fueron colocados dentro de cistas hace más de mil años, probablemente entre 600 y 800 d.C., cuando la urbe prehispánica aún no se convertía en el centro rector del norte de la península. Estos vestigios, junto con otros que a lo largo de varias décadas se han hallado en la región, han permitido a los especialistas establecer que hace más de mil 200 años había una densidad poblacional importante, dispersa en asentamientos cercanos, en torno a cenotes, y después por diversas razones, se desarrolló Chichén Itzá como la capital que dominó el área.
Bajo la coordinación de los investigadores José Osorio León y Francisco Pérez Ruiz, del Centro INAH Yucatán, y la colaboración de los arqueólogos Mariza Carrillo y Cristian Hernández, estas excavaciones en Xtojil son parte de un salvamento arqueológico emprendido a partir de la ampliación de la carretera que conecta a las poblaciones yucatecas de Libre Unión y Yaxcabá. Previo a la supervisión de estas labores de infraestructura, se realizó una prospección arqueológica, a fin de detectar vestigios prehispánicos y evitar afectaciones al patrimonio arqueológico que pudiera hallarse en el trazo carretero. En dicho tramo, que comprende alrededor de 18 kilómetros, se detectaron 28 estructuras arqueológicas de distintas dimensiones -casi todas ellas colapsadas-, que van desde cimientos simples sobre nivelaciones naturales del terreno y basamentos habitacionales más elaborados, hasta estructuras piramidales de entre 6 y 12 m de altura.
Más de la mitad de las 28 estructuras se concentran en Xtojil, próximo a la comunidad de Libre Unión, sitio que está registrado y catalogado en el Atlas Arqueológico del Estado de Yucatán. El asentamiento prehispánico alcanzó un importante desarrollo gracias a las fuentes de agua cercanas como el cenote que le da nombre y una gran laguna llamada Sayausil. El arqueólogo José Osorio León informó que la denominada Estructura 22, donde se descubrieron los diez entierros, fue afectada parcialmente en los años 50, cuando se construyó la carretera, sin embargo aún se encontraron definidos sus muros norte y sur, de 16 y 13 m, respectivamente, así como el cimiento de una edificación de planta absidal, en su lado poniente de 9 m por 5 m. Detalló que de la decena de entierros -asociados directamente al mencionado cimiento absidal y su basamento-, siete corresponden a individuos depositados extendidos dentro de cistas (excavaciones realizadas bajo el piso estucado del basamento y recubiertas con piedras lajas), cuyas medidas son de 1.80 m de largo por 60 cm de ancho, en promedio.
Osorio León abundó que dos de los individuos inhumados fueron dispuestos directamente en posición sedente, dentro del relleno constructivo de la Estructura 22; y uno más se halló al interior de una vasija, por lo que corresponde a un entierro secundario. Como parte de los materiales ofrendados a los individuos que fueron colocados en las cistas, se registraron casi 30 piezas de cerámica: platos, cajetes, cuencos, ollas y vasos. En promedio, a cada entierro se le acompañó con tres de estos objetos; además se detectaron navajillas de obsidiana, cuentas de jade y pendientes de concha, indicadores de que existía comercio con otras regiones de Mesoamérica.
De las antiguas piezas de alfarería sobresalen un vaso y una olla pequeña que poseen inscripciones jeroglíficas, algo poco reportado en el área. Los estudios epigráficos de estos objetos serán fundamentales para comprender a mayor profundidad la historia de Xtojil y su relación con otros asentamientos de la región. El arqueólogo José Osorio puntualizó que una de las vasijas con jeroglíficos se encontró frágil debido a su mala cocción, de ahí que especialistas debieron consolidarla parcialmente, a la par de su levantamiento; posteriormente se le dará un tratamiento especial para su conservación, en el Laboratorio de Restauración del Centro INAH-Yucatán.
A excepción de los entierros sedentes -aún en proceso de estudio-, el resto de los esqueletos mostraron mala preservación y hasta el momento no se ha podido determinar el sexo de los individuos depositados en las cistas, no obstante, se ha observado que la mayoría corresponden a adultos y aparentemente no presentan algún tipo de deformación. El investigador del INAH subrayó que el contexto funerario de Xtojil no puede ser comparado con un cementerio, al menos en la acepción occidental del término, “sino que en sí, este basamento fue de carácter habitacional, el cual tuvo una ocupación muy prolongada, al menos del 600 al 800 d.C., de manera que la familia y sus descendientes fueron enterrándose en el mismo espacio.
“Este descubrimiento -continuó- resalta porque han sido pocos los contextos residenciales encontrados completos en esta parte del norte de la Península de Yucatán y que han podido ser excavados por especialistas”.
Asentamientos cercanos a Chichén Itzá: Los antiguos sitios como Xtojil, aunque estuvieron habitados en el auge de Chichén Itzá, entre 900 y 1200 d.C., fueron ocupados desde siglos antes, en el periodo Clásico Tardío (600-800 d.C.), ya que muestran algunas características, tanto cerámicas como arquitectónicas, de esa época. Por ejemplo, se observa arquitectura correspondiente al estilo Puuc: recubrimientos con piedras bien trabajadas en muros y cortadas ”tipo bota” para los techos abovedados, tamborcillos y columnas. El investigador José Osorio indicó que de los basamentos localizados a lo largo de lo que es la ampliación de la carretera Libre Unión-Yaxcabá, solo han sido intervenidos las secciones que dan hacia la autovía, de modo que algunos podrán ser observados por automovilistas y transeúntes, entre ellos la gente de las comunidades cercanas, quienes ahora se percatarán de la riqueza arqueológica de la zona.
“Las estructuras mejor conservadas quedarán intactas; las más afectadas se excavan y existe la propuesta de conservarlas al lado de la vía carretera, con la finalidad de que las poblaciones cercanas vean que esos montículos son en realidad vestigios arqueológicos, y crear conciencia de que no todos tienen la monumentalidad de la pirámide El Castillo, en Chichén Itzá”. El salvamento en Xtojil, que concluirá este mes, ha permitido tener un panorama más completo sobre las características de los asentamientos cercanos a Chichén Itzá, una línea de investigación que han seguido los arqueólogos José Osorio León y Francisco Pérez Ruiz en los últimos años. “Definimos que Chichén Itzá tuvo sus orígenes hacia 600-800 d.C., como nos lo indicaron los elementos arquitectónicos y cerámicos localizados hace unos años en las investigaciones realizadas en el Grupo de la Serie Inicial, un sector de dicha zona arqueológica. Hablamos de un lapso, el periodo Clásico Tardío, que no se conocía en Chichén Itzá”, concluyó José Osorio. (Source INAH)

Maya News Updates 2013, No. 2: Palenque

Discovered in 1994 by archaeologist , the identity of the Red Queen (La Reina Roja) of Palenque (laid to rest in an elaborately furnished tomb within Temple XVIII) has been the subject of some recent debate. Who was this important woman and how does she relate to the ruling dynasty at Palenque? As the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia informed today, Monday January 14, 2013, just before her remains were returned to Palenque last year, a colagen sample from one of her vertabrae was taken for DNA research. According to María de Lourdes Muñoz Moreno, of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, it was possible to purify the sample and testing takes place at various laboratories. The bulletin provides further details on the possible identity of this important woman (for instance, was she the mother of K'inich Janaab Pakal, or his wife perhaps). Her tomb, just as the tomb of K'inich Janaab Pakal, based on the ceramics associated with her burial, dates from the seventh century AD (edited by MNU; additions MNU):
(Source INAH)