Tactics, Trophies and Titles: A Comparative Perspective on Ancient Maya Raiding
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Tactics, Trophies and Titles : A Comparative Perspective on Ancient Maya Raiding. / Helmke, Christophe.
I: Ancient Mesoamerica, Bind 31, Nr. 1, 2020, s. 29-46.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Tactics, Trophies and Titles
T2 - A Comparative Perspective on Ancient Maya Raiding
AU - Helmke, Christophe
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Archaeological and epigraphic data have greatly increased our understanding of ancient Maya warfare in recent decades. Nevertheless, one of the aspects that has received relatively little attention is the disambiguation between the different types of wars waged. The procurement of human trophies as attested in the archaeological record and imagery, as well as the counts-of-captives and captive statements recorded textually, all provide tantalizing clues that raids formed an integral part of Classic Maya military tactics. This rings particularly true when we consider that the Classic Maya terms for "captive and bone" are one and the same, thereby betraying emic conceptions wherein captives were deemed to be an ideal source of bone; human trophies par excellence. The features identified for the Classic Maya have to be set within a larger perspective since these are also found among other Mesoamerican cultures, as well as indigenous societies in both North and South America. In so doing, it becomes clear that raiding and the acquisition of captives and human trophies served to foster and heighten prestige, especially among societies that cultivated the warrior ethos. Therefore, raiding emerges as a shared Amerindian trait, rather than being the product of diffusion or independent innovation.
AB - Archaeological and epigraphic data have greatly increased our understanding of ancient Maya warfare in recent decades. Nevertheless, one of the aspects that has received relatively little attention is the disambiguation between the different types of wars waged. The procurement of human trophies as attested in the archaeological record and imagery, as well as the counts-of-captives and captive statements recorded textually, all provide tantalizing clues that raids formed an integral part of Classic Maya military tactics. This rings particularly true when we consider that the Classic Maya terms for "captive and bone" are one and the same, thereby betraying emic conceptions wherein captives were deemed to be an ideal source of bone; human trophies par excellence. The features identified for the Classic Maya have to be set within a larger perspective since these are also found among other Mesoamerican cultures, as well as indigenous societies in both North and South America. In so doing, it becomes clear that raiding and the acquisition of captives and human trophies served to foster and heighten prestige, especially among societies that cultivated the warrior ethos. Therefore, raiding emerges as a shared Amerindian trait, rather than being the product of diffusion or independent innovation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063608151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0956536118000287
DO - 10.1017/S0956536118000287
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85063608151
VL - 31
SP - 29
EP - 46
JO - Ancient Mesoamerica
JF - Ancient Mesoamerica
SN - 0956-5361
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 241481840