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Viewing report
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Bridging the Chasm between Religion and Politics. Edition No. 1
VDM Publishing House, Feb 2009, Pages: 308
This book presents the findings of the archaeological
investigations conducted in the Grieta Principal
(Main Chasm in Spanish), a large chasm that runs
through the middle of the Late Classic Maya site of
Aguateca, Peten, Guatemala. The central location of
the chasm, in addition to the incorporation of the
feature in the place name glyph, suggest its
religious importance to the local people. The
objectives of the study consisted of examining the
nature of chasm use, spatial and temporal
transformations in use, and how practices in the
chasm correlated with the historical processes of the
dynasty and the Aguateca inhabitants.
This research expands the current field's
understanding of the definition of a 'cave' in Maya
religion. The data point to a principal use as a
place where ritual practices were performed inside
the chasm. It is plausible that the chasm served a
focal position in establishing the 'sacred landscape'
that agreed with a cosmologically significant spatial
configuration. More importantly, however, this study
attempts to elucidate social negotiations revolving
around the dynamic production of landscape.
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