Abstract
After groundbreaking work by multiple archaeologists in the latter half of the 20th century, caves in the Maya world are currently acknowledged as fundamentally ritual rather than domestic spaces. However, a more nuanced read of the anthropological literature and conversations with Indigenous collaborators in the past and present pushes us to move still farther and see caves not as passive contexts to contain ceremonies directed elsewhere but animate beings with unique identities and personalities in their own right. This article combines archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic documentation of Maya cave use in central Guatemala to build a foundation for examining caves as living beings, with particular attention played to the role they play as active agents in local politics and quotidian life. Through ritual offerings, neighboring residents and travelers maintain tight reciprocal relationships with specific caves and other geographic idiosyncrasies dotting the landscape to ensure the success of multiple important activities and the continued well-being of families and communities.
Highlights
After groundbreaking work by multiple archaeologists in the latter half of the 20th century (Thompson 1959; Carot 1976, 1989; Bonor Villarejo 1987; Bonor Villarejo and Sánchez1991; Brady 1989; Brady et al 1997; Awe et al 2005; Awe and Helmke 2007; Bassie-Sweet1991, 1996; Moyes 2000, 2005), the primarily religious, rather than domestic, nature of Mesoamerican cave use has been firmly established within the Western academy
Caves are often discussed within the literature as the setting for ritual activities—passive contexts to contain ceremonies directed towards beings who literally or metaphorically reside within them
This article combines archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic documentation of Maya cave use at the highland–lowland transition in central Guatemala to demonstrate the central role that caves play as active agents in local politics and quotidian life (Figure S1)
Summary
After groundbreaking work by multiple archaeologists in the latter half of the 20th century 1991, 1996; Moyes 2000, 2005), the primarily religious, rather than domestic, nature of Mesoamerican cave use has been firmly established within the Western academy. Caves are often discussed within the literature as the setting for ritual activities—passive contexts to contain ceremonies directed towards beings who literally or metaphorically reside within them. Historic, and modern Maya, there is ample evidence that caves are understood to be animate beings with unique identities and personalities in their own right, and they are often the recipient of ritual offerings and the primary audience of ritual activities. Through ritual offerings, neighboring residents and travelers maintain tight reciprocal relationships with specific caves and other geographic idiosyncrasies dotting the landscape to ensure the success of multiple important activities and the continued well-being of families and communities
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