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Caches, Memory, and Ritual at the Maya City of Cival
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 April 2024
Abstract
This article examines Middle and Late Preclassic period ritual activity and caches discovered in the Central E Group complex at the ancient Maya site of Cival, which is located in northeastern Peten, Guatemala. It focuses on a series of excavations conducted in 2013 and 2014 at Structure 9, the E Group's western radial pyramid and uses theories of social memory and sacred place to provide insight into the recently discovered caches, termination rituals, and the deliberate destruction of architectural features found there. It also draws on previous ritual activity conducted in the Central E Group plaza and the site's broader history to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the role of this complex as a sacred place and hub of memory at Cival for more than 1,000 years.
Resumen
Este artículo examina la actividad ritual del período Preclásico Medio y Tardío de los escondites descubiertos en el complejo del Grupo Tipo-E Central en el antiguo sitio Maya de Cival, que se encuentra en el noreste de Petén, Guatemala. Haciendo énfasis en una serie de excavaciones realizadas entre los años 2013 y 2014 en la Estructura 9, que es la Pirámide radial al oeste del Grupo. Las teorías de la memoria social y el lugar sagrado son aplicadas para dar una idea de los hallazgos mencionados recientemente, los rituales de terminación y la destrucción deliberada de las características arquitectónicas que se encuentran en dicha estructura. También se basa en la actividad ritual realizada anteriormente en la plaza del mismo complejo para obtener una comprensión más amplia y completa de su historia y del papel de este grupo como lugar sagrado y centro de la memoria en Cival durante más de 1000 años.
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- Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for American Archaeology
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