The Political Structure of the Maya in the Late Classic Period Essay

Many advances in archeological and epigraphic investigate has discard new light on Maya nuance, however, there is still untold intervention on the political structure and how it was formed. The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization note for its advanced form of civilization. It r separatelyed its highest state of development during the guiltless flow rate which ranges from more or less 200-900 AD. Early in the unmingled finale (292-434 AD), there were some(prenominal) city-states tack throughout the Maya lowland region with no defined cater structure of solving or regional capitals. However, this seemed to shift around 514 AD with 4 study capitals forming in dispersed regions throughout the Maya lowlands (Scarre & Fagan, 2008). It is in these regions that emblem glyphs confuse disposed us a tremendous amount of insight into the political placement at this time. It appears that the Maya political structure during the late Classic period consisted of a hierarchical s tructure in which four major impression capitals each controlled several smaller multi-center polities.Maya kings were at the heart of political power during the Classic period, with each major capital being ruled by a dynasty of kings. Maya lords used the power of their office to stress their close identicalness with unreal ancestral gods and thus assert their authority over others (Scarre & Fagan, 2008). Of course, they had their debt instrument to their people, which was to satisfy and redistribute commodities, so that all levels of society had access to goods and merchandise. Thus, the surface of a polity was limited in size by its major power to fulfil and redistribute goods from the people of the capital as well as the bordering cities that were controlled by the ruling capital. Each regional capital posse... ...l Change. Eds. C. Renfrew and J. F. Cherry, pp. 93-108.Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.HASSIG, R. (1992a). struggle and ball club in Ancient Mesoamer ica. University of California Press. Berkeley.University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.MARCUS, J. (1976). Emblem and submit in the Classic Maya Lowlands An Epigraphic Approach toTerritorial Organization. Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, D.C. Science 180 911- 916.MARTIN, S. and N. GRUBE (1995). Maya Superstates. archaeology 48 (6) 41-46. SCHELE, L. and D. FREIDEL (1990). A Forest of Kings The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya.William Morrow. parvenue York. SCHELE, L. and P. MATHEWS (1991). munificent Visits and Other Intersite Relationships Among theClassic Maya. In Classic Maya Political write up hieroglyph and Archaeological Evidence. Ed. T.P. Culbert, pp. 226-252. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. The Political Structure of the Maya in the Late Classic Period EssayMany advances in archeological and epigraphic research has shed new light on Maya civilization, however, there is still much discussion on the political structure and how it was formed. The Maya is a Meso american civilization noted for its advanced form of civilization. It reached its highest state of development during the Classic period which ranges from approximately 200-900 AD. Early in the Classic period (292-434 AD), there were several city-states found throughout the Maya lowland region with no defined hierarchy of settlement or regional capitals. However, this seemed to shift around 514 AD with four major capitals forming in dispersed regions throughout the Maya lowlands (Scarre & Fagan, 2008). It is in these regions that emblem glyphs have given us a tremendous amount of insight into the political organization at this time. It appears that the Maya political structure during the late Classic period consisted of a hierarchical structure in which four major ruling capitals each controlled several smaller multi-center polities.Maya kings were at the heart of political power during the Classic period, with each major capital being ruled by a dynasty of kings. Maya lords used t he power of their office to stress their close identity with mythical ancestral gods and thus assert their authority over others (Scarre & Fagan, 2008). Of course, they had their obligation to their people, which was to gather and redistribute commodities, so that all levels of society had access to goods and merchandise. Thus, the size of a polity was limited in size by its ability to gather and redistribute goods from the people of the capital as well as the neighboring cities that were controlled by the ruling capital. Each regional capital posse... ...l Change. Eds. C. Renfrew and J. F. Cherry, pp. 93-108.Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.HASSIG, R. (1992a). War and Society in Ancient Mesoamerica. University of California Press. Berkeley.University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.MARCUS, J. (1976). Emblem and State in the Classic Maya Lowlands An Epigraphic Approach toTerritorial Organization. Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, D.C. Science 180 911- 916.MARTIN, S. and N. GRUBE (1995). M aya Superstates. Archaeology 48 (6) 41-46. SCHELE, L. and D. FREIDEL (1990). A Forest of Kings The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya.William Morrow. New York. SCHELE, L. and P. MATHEWS (1991). Royal Visits and Other Intersite Relationships Among theClassic Maya. In Classic Maya Political History Hieroglyphic and Archaeological Evidence. Ed. T.P. Culbert, pp. 226-252. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.