Stone trees transplanted? Central Mexican stelae of the Epiclassic and Early Postclassic and the question of Maya "influence"
Item
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Title
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Stone trees transplanted? Central Mexican stelae of the Epiclassic and Early Postclassic and the question of Maya "influence"
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Identifier
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AAI3330389
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identifier
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3330389
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Creator
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Jordan, Keith.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Eloise Quinones Keber
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Date
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2008
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Art History | Anthropology, Archaeology
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Abstract
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Stelae dating to the Epiclassic (650-900 CE) and Early Postclassic (950-1150 CE) from Tula and Xochicalco in Central Mexico have been posited as evidence of Classic Maya "influence" on Central Mexican art during these eras. Formal and iconographic comparisons between the Central Mexican examples and Maya monuments at Piedras Negras, Dos Pilas, Aguateca, Ceibal, and Copan were briefly presented by Cohodas (1974, 1989), Mary Miller (2006), and others in support of such connections. This dissertation attempts to reevaluate these claims via detailed comparative analysis of the Central Mexican stelae and their claimed Maya counterparts. In addition, it will, for the first time, situate the Central Mexican stelae in the context of often overlooked local artistic traditions as well as other distant connections. It begins with a comprehensive survey of Central Mexican examples, including stelae from the sites of Xico, Tlalpizahuac, El Cerrito, Cerro El Elefante, Cholula, Teotenango, and Nevado de Toluca in addition to Tula and Xochicalco. A critical review of theories regarding mechanisms of artistic contact between the Maya area and Epiclassic Central Mexico follows. I then survey stelae in Central Mexico predating the Epiclassic, at the sites of Cuicuilco, Chalcatzingo, Tlalancaleca, Xochitecatl and Teotihuacan, demonstrating that the practice of stela carving has a long history in this area. Continuities between these earlier local sculptures and the Epiclassic/Postclassic stelae suggest that the Maya area was not the sole source of inspiration for them. Comparison of Tula and Xochicalco stelae with earlier and contemporary stelae from Oaxaca and Guerrero demonstrates connections equally as plausible as those posited with the Maya region, and bolstered by archaeological evidence. I also demonstrate that those Classic Maya monuments used for comparison to the Tula and Xochicalco stelae are characterized by an atypical predominance of Central Mexican formal and iconographic elements, raising the problem of circularity. While it is clear that some Central Mexican stelae, especially Stela 4 from Tula, may reflect Maya contacts, I contend that this contribution has to be balanced by consideration of local and other regional developments and connections, and plausible mechanisms of contact with all outside regions.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
