Wood of the Gods: The ritual use of pine (Pinus spp.) by the ancient Lowland Maya

Christopher T. Morehart, David L. Lentz, Keith M. Prufer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

The recovery of pine (Pinus spp.) charcoal remains from ceremonial contexts at sites in the Maya Lowlands suggests that pine had a significant role in ancient Maya ritual activities. Data collected by the authors reveal that pine remains are a regular component of archaeobotanical assemblages from caves, sites that were used almost exclusively for ritual purposes, and that pine is often the dominant taxon of wood charcoal recovered. Comparisons with archaeobotanical data from surface sites likewise reveals that pine is common in ceremonial deposits. The authors propose that the appearance of pine remains in ceremonial contexts indicates pine was a valued element of Maya ritual paraphernalia. By basing interpretations with analogous information from ethnography, ethnohistory, iconography, and epigraphy, the use of pine during rituals is argued to be have been linked with a symbolic complex of ritual burning and offering "food" sacrifices to deities. The possibility is raised that burning pine, perhaps as torches, during some ancient rituals was similar to the modern use of candles. The diversity of ceremonial contexts yielding pine suggests that burning pine may have been a basic element of ritual activities that was essential to establish the legitimacy of ritual performances. Copyright

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)255-274
Number of pages20
JournalLatin American Antiquity
Volume16
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2005
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Archaeology
  • History
  • Archaeology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Wood of the Gods: The ritual use of pine (Pinus spp.) by the ancient Lowland Maya'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this