Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T15:55:45.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

DEBATING CHICHEN ITZA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2017

William M. Ringle
William M. Ringle*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28036-7019
*
E-mail correspondence to: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Teams from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have put forth a new chronology for Chichen Itza that challenges recent scholarly opinion favoring a date of roughly a.d. 800/850–1000/1050 for the so-called “Toltec” or Modified Florescent occupation. The new chronology instead argues for the placement of this occupation between a.d. 950–1150, a span favored by scholars prior to the 1970s. This paper presents a critique of the ceramic, radiocarbon, and stratigraphic foundations of these arguments, arguing that, on present evidence, Chichen Itza experienced a tenth-century florescence. Although the site may very well have been occupied into the next century, at present we have no absolute dates after a.d. 1000 and no evidence for later monumental construction. Furthermore, arguments for a proposed hiatus or discontinuity at the onset of the Modified Florescent period are rejected in favor of a model of continued development of Toltec ideas from the late ninth century onward.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , Spring 2017 , pp. 119 - 136
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Andrews, Anthony P., Wyllys Andrews V., E., and Robles Castellanos, Fernando 2003 The Northern Maya Collapse and its Aftermath. Ancient Mesoamerica 14:151–156.Google Scholar
Andrews, V, Wyllys, E. 1979 Some Comments on Puuc Architecture of the Northern Yucatan Peninsula. In The Puuc: New Perspectives: Papers Presented at the Puuc Symposium, Central College, May 1977, edited by Mills, Lawrence, pp. 1–17. Scholarly Studies in the Liberal Arts, Vol. 1. Central College, Pella.Google Scholar
Andrews, V, Wyllys, E., and Sabloff, Jeremy A. 1986 Classic to Postclassic: A Summary Discussion. In Late Lowland Maya Civilization, edited by Sabloff, Jeremy A. and Wyllys Andrews V, E., pp. 433–456. School of American Research, Santa Fe, and University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.Google Scholar
Andrews, George F. 1995 Pyramids and Palaces, Monsters and Masks: the Golden Age of Maya Architecture. Vol. 1: Architecture of the Puuc Region and the Northern Plains. Labyrinthos, Lancaster.Google Scholar
Ball, Joseph W. 1979a Ceramics, Culture History, and the Puuc Tradition: Some Alternative Possibilities In The Puuc: New Perspectives: Papers Presented at the Puuc Symposium, Central College, May 1977, edited by Mills, Lawrence, pp. 18–35. Scholarly Studies in the Liberal Arts, Vol. 1. Central College, Pella.Google Scholar
Ball, Joseph W. 1979b The 1977 Central College Symposium on Puuc Archaeology: A Summary View. In The Puuc: New Perspectives: Papers Presented at the Puuc Symposium, Central College, May 1977, edited by Mills, Lawrence, pp. 46–51. Scholarly Studies in the Liberal Arts, Vol. 1. Central College, Pella.Google Scholar
Bey, George J. III and Ringle, William M. 2007 From the Bottom Up: The Timing and Nature of the Tula-Chichén Itzá Exchange. In Twin Tollans: Chichén Itzá, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World, edited by Kowalski, Jeff K. and Kristan-Graham, Cynthia, pp. 377–427. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Bishop, Ronald L. 1994 Pre-Columbian Pottery: Research in the Maya Region. In Archaeometry of Pre-Columbian Sites and Artifacts, edited by Scott, David A. and Meyers, Pieter, pp. 15–66. The J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Bolles, John S. 1977 Las Monjas: A Major Pre-Mexican Architectural Complex at Chichen Itza. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.Google Scholar
Brainerd, George W. 1958 The Archaeological Ceramics of Yucatan. Anthropological Records, Vol. 19. University of California Press, Berkeley.Google Scholar
Braswell, Geoffrey E., and Peniche May, Nancy 2012 In the Shadow of the Pyramid: Excavations of the Great Platform of Chichen Itza. In The Ancient Maya of Mexico: Reinterpreting the Past of the Northern Maya Lowlands, edited by Braswell, Geoffrey E., pp. 229–263. Equinox Publishing Ltd., Sheffield.Google Scholar
Bricker, Victoria Reifler 1981 The Indian Christ, the Indian King: The Historical Substrate of Maya Myth and Ritual. University of Texas Press, Austin.Google Scholar
Bricker, Victoria R., and Bricker, Harvey M. 1995 An Astronomical Text from Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. Human Mosaic 28:91–105.Google Scholar
Chung, Heajoo, González, Pedro, Ramírez, Angel, Schaaf, Peter, and Lee, Insung 2010 Rethinking about Chronology of Chichen Itza by Thermoluminescence Dating of Volcanic Glass. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry 10:115–120.Google Scholar
Cobos Palma, Rafael 2003a Ancient community form and social complexity at Chichen Itza, Yucatan. In El Urbanismo en Mesoamérica; Urbanism in Mesoamerica, Vol. 1, edited by Sanders, William T., Mastache, Alba G., and Cobean, Robert H., pp. 451–472. Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico City.Google Scholar
Cobos Palma, Rafael 2003b The Settlement Patterns of Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans.Google Scholar
Cobos Palma, Rafael, Anda Alanís, Guillermo de, and García Moll, Roberto 2014 Ancient Climate and Archaeology: Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, and Their Collapse at the End of the Terminal Classic Period. Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association 24:56–71.Google Scholar
Coe, Michael D., and Houston, Stephen 2015 The Maya. 9th ed. Thames and Hudson, New York.Google Scholar
Deevey, Edward S., Gralenski, L. J., and Hoffren, Väinö 1959 Yale Natural Radiocarbon Measurements IV. American Journal of Science Radiocarbon Supplement 1:144–172.Google Scholar
Erosa Peniche, José A. 1947 Descubrimientos y exploración arqueológica de la subestructura del Castillo en Chichén Itzá. Actas del la Primera Sesión del XXVII Congreso Internacional de Americanistas 2:229–248.Google Scholar
Erosa Peniche, José A. 1948 Guia para visitar las ruinas de Chichen-Itza. 4th ed. Editorial Yikal Maya Than, Mérida.Google Scholar
García Moll, Roberto, and Cobos Palma, Rafael 2009 Chichén Itzá, Patrimonio de la Humanidad. Grupo Azabache, Mexico City.Google Scholar
Graña-Behrens, Daniel, Prager, Christian, and Wagner, Elisabeth 1999 The Hieroglyphic Inscription of the “High Priest's Grave” at Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico. Mexicon 21:61–66.Google Scholar
Healan, Dan M. 2012 The Archaeology of Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico. Journal of Archaeological Research 20:53–115.Google Scholar
Hoggarth, Julie A., Breitenbach, Sebastian F.M., Culleton, Brendan J., Ebert, Claire E., Masson, Marilyn A., and Kennett, Douglas J. 2016 The Political Collapse of Chichén Itzá in Climatic and Cultural Context. Global and Planetary Change 138:25–42.Google Scholar
Jiménez García, Elizabeth 2008 Catálogo Escultórico-Iconográfico de Tula, Hidalgo: Sus Imágenes en Piedra. Electronic document, http://www.famsi.org/reports/07027es/index.html, accessed October 1, 2015.Google Scholar
Kubler, George 1982 Serpent and Atlantean Columns: Symbols of Maya-Toltec Polity. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 41:93–115.Google Scholar
Lincoln, Charles E. 1986 The Chronology of Chichen Itza: A Review of the Literature. In Late Lowland Maya Civilization, edited by Sabloff, Jeremy A. and Wyllys Andrews V, E., pp. 141–198. School of American Research, Santa Fe, and University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.Google Scholar
Lincoln, Charles E. 1990 Ethnicity and Social Organization at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Lothrop, Samuel 1924 Tulum, an Archaeological Study of the East Coast of Yucatan. Carnegie Institution of Washington, No. 335. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Mastache, Alba Guadalupe, Cobean, Robert H, and Healan, Dan M. 2002 Ancient Tollan: Tula and the Toltec Heartland. University Press of Colorado, Boulder.Google Scholar
Mastache, Alba Guadalupe, Healan, Dan M., and Cobean, Robert H. 2009 Four Hundred Years of Settlement and Cultural Continuity in Epiclassic and Early Postclassic Tula. In Art of Urbanism: How Mesoamerican Kingdoms Represented Themselves in Architecture and Imagery, edited by Fash, William L. and Luján, Leonardo López, pp. 290–328. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Medina-Elizalde, Martín, Burns, Stephen J., Lea, David W., Asmerom, Yemane, von Gunten, Lucien, Polyak, Victor, Vuille, Mathias, and Karmalkar, Ambarish 2010 High Resolution Stalagmite Climate Record from the Yucatán Peninsula Spanning the Maya Terminal Classic Period. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 298:255–262.Google Scholar
Morley, Sylvanus G. 1931 Report of the Chichén Itzá Project. Carnegie Institution of Washington Yearbook 20:104–108.Google Scholar
Morley, Sylvanus G. 1946 The Ancient Maya. Stanford University Press, Stanford.Google Scholar
Morris, Earl H., Charlot, Jean, and Morris, Ann A. 1931 The Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itzá, Yucatan. Carnegie Institution of Washington, No. 406. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
OxCal 2015 Intcal13 Calibration Curve Data. Electronic document, https://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/embed.php?File=oxcal.html#data, accessed September 10, 2015.Google Scholar
May, Peniche, Nancy, , Hahn, Lauren D., and Braswell, Geoffrey E. 2009 Excavaciones de la UCSD en Chichén Itzá: La Gran Nivelación y La Muralla. Electroric document, http://dss.ucsd.edu/~gbraswel/docs/InformeChichenItza2009UCSD_opt.pdf, accessed October 1, 2015.Google Scholar
Pérez de Heredia Puente, Eduardo J. 2004 Complejos cerámicos, porcentajes y formación de contextos: consideraciones acerca del fechamiento de edificios mayas. Electronic document, http://www.famsi.org/reports/03101es/83perez_de_heredia/83perez_de_heredia.pdf, accessed October 1, 2015.Google Scholar
Pérez de Heredia Puente, Eduardo J. 2007 Chen K'u: La Cerámica del Cenote Sagrado de Chichén Itzá. Estudio de los Fragmentos Cerámicos de las Exploraciones de los Años Sesentas. Electronic document, http://www.famsi.org/reports/97061es/index.html, accessed October 1, 2015.Google Scholar
Pérez de Heredia Puente, Eduardo J. 2010 Ceramic Contexts and Chronology at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Archaeology Program, La Trobe University, Bundoora. Electronic document, http://www.wayeb.org/download/theses/perez_2010.pdf, accessed October 2015.Google Scholar
Pérez de Heredia Puente, Eduardo J. 2012 The Yabnal-Motul Ceramic Complex of the Late Classic Period at Chichen Itza. Ancient Mesoamerica 23:379–402.Google Scholar
Proskouriakoff, Tatiana A. 1962 Civic and Religious Structures of Mayapan. In Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico, edited by Pollock, H. E. D., Roys, Ralph L., Proskouriakoff, Tatiana, and Smith, A. L., pp. 86–163. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Ringle, William M., and Bey, George J. III 2009 The Face of the Itzas. In The Art of Urbanism: How Mesoamerican Kingdoms Represented Themselves in Architecture and Imagery, edited by Fash, William L. and Leonardo, López L., pp. 329–383. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Ringle, William M., Bey, George J., and Peraza Lope, Carlos 1991 An Itza Empire in Northern Yucatan? A Neighboring View. Paper presented at the 47th International Congress of Americanists, New Orleans.Google Scholar
Ringle, William M., Gallareta Negrón, Tomás, and Bey, George J. III 1998 The Return of Quetzalcoatl: Evidence for the Spread of a World Religion During the Epiclassic Period. Ancient Mesoamerica 9:183–232.Google Scholar
Robles Castellanos, Fernando 1980 La sequencia cerámica de la región de Cobá, Quintana Roo. Unpublished licenciatura thesis, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico City.Google Scholar
Robles Castellanos, Fernando 1990 La secuencia cerámica de la región de Cobá, Quintana Roo. Serie arqueología, Colección cientifica, No. 184. Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico City.Google Scholar
Ruppert, Karl 1935 The Caracol at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. Carnegie Institution of Washington, No. 454. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Ruppert, Karl 1952 Chichen Itza: Architectural Notes and Plans. Carnegie Institution of Washington, No. 595. Carnegie Institution of Washington.Google Scholar
Sabloff, Jeremy A., and Wyllys Andrews V, E. (editors) 1986 Late Lowland Maya Civilization. School of American Research, Santa Fe, and University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.Google Scholar
Schmidt, Peter J. 2007 Birds, Ceramics, and Cacao: New Excavations at Chichén Itzá, Yucatan. In Twin Tollans: Chichén Itzá, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World, edited by Kowalski, Jeff K. and Kristan-Graham, Cynthia, pp. 151–203. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Schmidt, Peter J., Stuart, David, and Love, Bruce 2008 Inscriptions and Iconography of Castillo Viejo, Chichen Itza. The PARI Journal 92:1–17.Google Scholar
Seler, Eduard 1998 The Ruins of Chichen Itza in Yucatan. In Collected Works in Mesoamerican Linguistics and Archaeology, Vol. 6, edited by Thompson, J. E., Richardson, Francis B., and Comparato, Frank E., pp. 41–165. Labyrinthos, Lancaster.Google Scholar
Smith, Robert E. 1971 The Pottery of Mayapan. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 66. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Stuiver, Minze, Deevey, Edward S., and Gralenski, L. J. 1960 Yale Natural Radiocarbon Measurements V. American Journal of Science Radiocarbon Supplement 2:49–61.Google Scholar
Stuiver, Minze, Reimer, Paula, and Reimer, R. 2015 CALIB Radiocarbon Calibration. Electronic software (version 7.1), http://calib.qub.ac.uk/calib/, accessed September 10, 2015.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. Eric 1937 A New Method of Deciphering Yucatecan Dates with Special Reference to Chichen Itza. Contributions to American Archaeology, No. 22. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Tozzer, Alfred M. 1957 Chichen Itza and Its Cenote of Sacrifice: A Comparative Study of Contemporaneous Maya and Toltec. 2 vols. Memoirs of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Vols. 11–12. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Trembour, Fred 1992 Appendix 6.A: Hydration Dating of Obsidian Artifacts from the Sacred Cenote, Chichen Itza. In Artifacts from the Cenote of Sacrifice, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, edited by Coggins, Clemency C., pp. 179–180. Memoirs of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 10, No. 3. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Volta, Beniamino, and Braswell, Geoffrey E. 2014 Alternative Narratives and Missing Data: Refining the Chronology of Chichen Itza. In The Maya and Their Central American Neighbors: Settlement Patterns, Architecture, Hieroglyphic Texts, and Ceramics, edited by Braswell, Geoffrey E., pp. 356–402. Routledge, Oxon.Google Scholar