[Ma-wang-tui]. A site in Hunan province, China, on the outskirts of Changsha. Three early Han tombs were excavated here in 1972-3. Tomb No. 2 belonged to the first marquis of Dai (d. 186 bc), a high official of the Han administration. Nos. 3 and 1 are apparently the tombs of his son (d. 168 bc) and wife (d. shortly after 168 bc). In construction and contents the three tombs are far different from Han princely burials in the north (see Mancheng) and reflect instead the lingering traditions and material culture of the Chu kingdom, which had fallen to Qin less than a century earlier. Each tomb takes the form of a massive compartmented timber box at the bottom of a deep stepped shaft; the shaft was filled in with rammed earth and a mound was raised over it. The contents of Tomb No. 1 were very well preserved: the body of the wife of the marquis, wrapped in silk and laid inside four richly decorated nested coffins, was in good enough condition for an autopsy to be performed. The 180 dishes, toilet boxes, and otherLACQUERarticlesfoundinthistombareby themselves enough to mark it as exceptionally wealthy. Metal vessels, superseded by lacquers, are conspicuous by their absence; the only bronze object in the tomb was a mirror. Other furnishings include silk clothing, offerings of food, musical instruments, small wooden figures of servants and musicians, and a complete inventory of the grave goods written on bamboo slips. A silk banner laid over the innermost coffin is painted with scenes perhaps meant to guide the dead woman’s soul in its journey to the next world. A similar banner was found in the tomb of her son, Tomb No. 3. This was furnished in the same fashion as Tomb No. 1 but contained in addition three more silk paintings and an extraordinary collection of manuscripts, some on silk and some on bamboo slips. Among the manuscripts are the earliest known maps from China, treatises on medicine and astronomy, including comet charts, and important literary texts (the Daoist classic Dao De jing, the Yi jing or Book of Changes, and several texts hitherto believed lost). The contents of Tomb No. 2 are comparable to those of Tomb No. 1 but poorly preserved. Maya. Centred on southern Mexico and Guatemala, the Maya were the major cultural force throughout the Classic Period. Origins are unclear but Mayan characteristics begin to emerge in the Late Pre-Classic (although excavations at Cuello have sequences going back to the Early Formative). Population increase and the introduction of new ceramic and architectural forms (see Chicanel) are accompanied by an artistic transition from Olmec through Izapan to Mayan. These changes are particularly evident in the Miraflores phase of the highland site at Kaminaljuyu. The earliest pyramids appear at Tikal and at Uaxachjn and the earliest corbelled arches at Altar de Sacrificios. Classic Maya civilization is traditionally dated from the earliest long count date (ad 292) found on stele 29 at Tikal. A curious gap in dating of monuments occurs between ad 534 and 593, probably connected with a realignment of political power after the fall of Teotihuacan. There are numerous models for the rise of Maya civilization, concentrating mostly on economic control of resources or populations by élite groups. Classic Maya culture is characterized by an immense investment of labour in construction of ceremonial architecture (see Tikal, Palenque, Copan), a growing differentiation between the élite and the peasant population, proliferation of hieroglyphic writing and an increasing concern for calendrics and astronomy. These traits reach their maximum expression in the Late Classic. However, the notion of the ceremonial centre settlement pattern supported by milpa agriculture (both long considered hallmarks of Mayan culture) is now in serious question. The collapse of Maya culture (in c900) is the phenomenon which has inspired a good deal of intellectual enquiry, but its relative suddenness still remains without satisfactory explanation. It is clear, for example, that warfare becomes increasingly common in the Late Classic (see Bonampak); evidence of widespread invasion, however, is comparatively rare (see Seibal). Environmental degradation through over-use of arable land was once considered to be a viable explanation, but it has become less believable as more evidence of successful intensive agriculture comes to light. Revolution of the peasantry and catastrophic disease have also been postulated. Evidence remains weak for any single explanation and a combination of at least some of these events seems the most plausible. Certainly there are no Long Count dates after 900, after which time lowland populations dwindled by as much as 90 per cent. A Post-Classic Maya presence is particularly evident in the northern Yucatan, but it is most usually expressed in a mix with Mexican elements (see Puuc, Rio Bec, Chenes, Chichen Itza). The last major Mayan centre was at Mayapan, which had its florescence after the decline of Mexican influence. Mayapan. A late Post-Classic urban centre in the northwest Yucatan in Mexico. Although there is an earlier ToLTEC-dominated occupation in the period 1100-1250, the city emerges as a major centre (and ultimately provincial capital) in the period 1250-1450. Founded by the Itza (a putative Mayan group) after the fall of Chichen Itza, the site, though large (<4 square kilometres), represents a noticeable decline in planning, architectural technique and artistic achievement. The major features of the site are the surrounding defensive wall, a central temple-pyramid complex dedicated to Kulculkan (the Mayan name for Quetzalcoatl) and some 2100 dwellings; there is, however, no ball court. The most characteristic artefact is the highly elaborate incensario (see incense burner). Historic sources indicate that the city’s economic base was tribute: hostage-taking as a means of guaranteeing the system was routine. The end of this relatively short-lived centre was precipitated by internal dissension resulting in the summary execution of the ruling élite (the Cocom); abandonment followed shortly thereafter in cl450.
The Macmillan dictionary of archaeology, Ruth D. Whitehouse, 1983Copied