Abstract

As the prolonged experiment of divine rulership began to lose its effectiveness across the Maya world, the Maya people began reshaping their political systems in an attempt to address the conditions through which they were living. As the shift to the Terminal Classic Period began at sites like Waka, new forms of governance began to take shape, and political power was shifted to new parties. This study aims to answer the following questions: #1), was this an effort at transitioning power from singular authority to a more collective form of governance? #2) If so, what might this transition of power have looked like? This study seeks to answer these questions with the backdrop of new evidence supporting a possible popol nah or council house uncovered from the center of Waka’s regal-ritual landscape, Plaza 4. This may point to the coexistence of two or more political systems or parties during Waka’s last phases of occupation. This study analyzes which social groups would have been the most likely actors, responsible for commissioning such changes -either independently, or in conjunction with the courtly authority of the period.

Advisor

Navarro-Farr, Olivia

Department

Archaeology

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities

Keywords

Maya, Guatemala, Mesoamerica, Terminal Classic Period, Political Systems

Publication Date

2024

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2024 Henry McMahon