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THE ART OF WAR: IMAGERY OF THE UPPER TEMPLE OF THE JAGUARS, CHICHEN ITZA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2009

William M. Ringle
William M. Ringle*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Davidson College, Box 1709, Davidson, NC 28035-1709, USA
*
E-mail correspondence to: biringle@davidson.edu
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Abstract

This paper reexamines the art and architecture of the Upper Temple of the Jaguars, Chichen Itza, in light of new unpublished digital images of Adela Breton's copies of the murals. Following discussion of the construction date of the building and previous interpretations of the murals, examination of costume, setting, and house form suggests that rather than depicting mythic or symbolic episodes, these murals illustrate actual military encounters between Chichen and its enemies. The occasion for their production seems to be the utilization of the Upper Temple of the Jaguars by a specific sector of Chichen Itza's military, perhaps for rites of investiture. This sector is argued to have been associated with the Cloud Serpent, either as the title of its leader or as a patron deity, and the structure itself is perhaps related to later Nahua buildings associated with penitential rites involving warfare and investiture.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , Spring 2009 , pp. 15 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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