The Materialization of Time in the Ancient Maya World: Mythic History and Ritual Order

The Maya people expressed timekeeping in daily life through their architecture, arts, writing, beliefs, and practices. They incorporated cyclicality and expanded dimensionality into the built environment, embedding notions of time in shared political and economic institutions, religious and philosophical traditions, and mythology. This book discusses how the Maya kept time through these practices, such as divining with snail shells, laying out center designs with creation stories and star patterns, singing those stories while drinking from vases depicting mythic history, and embedding symbolic temporal deposits within their buildings and living areas.

Format: Hardback
Length: 690 pages
Publication date: 21 November 2023
Publisher: University Press of Florida

This captivating book delves into the diverse and intricate ways in which the ancient Maya people expressed their understanding of time in their daily lives. Through a comprehensive exploration of various aspects, including architecture, arts, writing, beliefs, and practices, the author sheds light on the profound ways in which the Maya incorporated cyclicality and expanded dimensionality into their built environment, embedding notions of time into shared political and economic institutions, religious and philosophical traditions, and mythology.

The Maya's timekeeping practices began several millennia ago, with their early observations and calculations of the solar year cycle. They meticulously scheduled collective activities that spanned across cities, towns, and villages, creating a harmonious interconnectedness among their communities. Over time, their timekeeping approaches evolved, moving from commemorative ceremonial architectural complexes to the formal public inscription of calendar jubilees on stone monuments, the use of calendar almanacs, written prophetic and historical accounts, and the customs of modern priest shamans.

Contributors to this volume offer insightful examples of how the Maya kept time through these diverse practices. They discuss the use of snail shells for divination, the incorporation of creation stories and star patterns into architectural layouts, the singing of these stories while drinking from vases depicting mythic history, and the symbolic placement of temporal deposits within their buildings and living areas. These practices not only reflected the Maya's cosmological understanding of time but also played a vital role in their daily lives, shaping their relationships, rituals, and cultural practices.

The Materialization of Time in the Ancient Maya World is a groundbreaking volume that delves into the latest discoveries and insights into Maya timekeeping. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the civilization's most famous intellectual feature, challenging and rethinking our understanding of this remarkable civilization. This volume is part of the series Maya Studies, edited by Diane Z. Chase and other esteemed scholars, and offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the ancient world.

Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813069807