Despite having read about archaeology for close to forty years – or maybe more if I count National Geographic to which my parents subscribed – I’ve never really formed a picture in my head of Mayan society. Those murals and vases present scenes which are really alien to modern eyes: Monarchical rulers, cities hidden in jungles, slaves, victims having their hearts ripped out (or so the rumors went), the exotic ball game, deeply held arrogance, deliberately misshapen heads. Add to that a complete lack of systematic study, and I suppose it was inevitable.
But this picture from a Mayan vase just made me laugh. It’s contained in “From Head to Toe in the Ancient Maya World,” by Lydia Pyne, Archaeology (July/August 2020), and these folks are so … human.
What do you see? I, vastly improbably, see a Yorick reference; an unamused older lady, keeping things rolling along; a dude who just got goosed by his rump painter and isn’t sure he liked it; and a couple more folks, bored by the routine, no doubt fantasizing about something Mayan.
Oh, sure, go yell at me. Tell me you’re not giggling at this picture. I know the caption, not reproduced here, claims it’s a King and Queen preparing for a ceremonial dance. I think it’s graffiti, perhaps at the King’s expense.
If you have any interest in Mayans, you should click the link. The artifact pictured with the Capes and Cloaks section is really quite extraordinary.
And, hey, they could use your subscription money, too. I’ve subscribed probably since my mid-twenties.
