Ancient Maya Sculptures of Tikal, Seen and Unseen

Abstract

This article addresses the ancient Maya practice of burying monumental stone sculptures, including stelae, altars, and other sculptural forms. In particular, I explore why and how the ancient Maya buried sculptures and sculpture fragments, if the sculptures continued to have meaning outside the mode of the visible, and what they did once buried. I argue that some sculptures performed during the act of burial or once buried, whether to sanctify buildings, transfer their power to newer buildings or sculptures, or make connections with ancestors. The buried objects, I argue, were intended? and perceived?to be present, similar to an ancestor or deity that could not be seen but was known to exist through signs, surrogates, or other perceptual modes. In fact, this investigation offers further evidence that vision was not the only operative mode influencing the creation and use of ancient Maya monumental sculpture.1 This article addresses buried sculptures from Tikal (Peten, Guatemala), although it is part of a larger project concerning ancient Maya treatment of sculptures across multiple sites?including Uaxactun, Caracol, Calakmul, Piedras Negras, and Copan?and across time.2