Takeshi Inomata and Stephen Houston. 2001. Westview Press, Boulder Colorado. ISBN 0-8133-3640-6. paper. 277 pp in nine chapters; bibliographies for each chapter and an index.
A comment I hear a lot from cranky people is that archaeology is of no real relevance to today’s world, and as such a waste of time and effort. This week, as I drove into work, I heard an interview on National Public Radio with a former member of Saddam Hussein’s cabinet in Iraq that reminded me, quite forcibly, that the past is still definitely echoed in the present. More of that later.
This collection of articles by Inomata and Houston called Royal Courts of the Ancient Maya is the first of two planned volumes, focusing not on the Maya kings, but on the inner circle, the group of people that surrounded them—courtiers, historians, entertainers, concubines, children and other heirs, and ministers. This focus on the people, rather than the material stuff the people leave behind, is precisely what makes this an approachable and interesting book to the nonspecialist, and it also opens up the potential for modern-day comparisons
This collection of articles by Inomata and Houston called Royal Courts of the Ancient Maya is the first of two planned volumes, focusing not on the Maya kings, but on the inner circle, the group of people that surrounded them—courtiers, historians, entertainers, concubines, children and other heirs, and ministers. This focus on the people, rather than the material stuff the people leave behind, is precisely what makes this an approachable and interesting book to the nonspecialist, and it also opens up the potential for modern-day comparisons
Nine chapters divided into two parts make up this first volume. Chapter 1 is an introduction; Chapters 2 through 7 describe the theoretical underpinnings—including the available sources of information and dimensions of space, gender, architecture, and iconography in chapters by Inomata, Houston, David Stuart, Patricia A. McAnany, Shannon Plank, David Webster, Simon Martin, and Dorie Reents-Budet. Part 3, comparative views and conclusions, consists of an article on the Aztec court by Susan Toby Evans and concluding remarks by Michael Coe. The second volume, to be published later in 2001, will include chapters discussing what is known about the royal courts of specific centers. The two volume book is dedicated to the late epigrapher Floyd Lounsbery.
When I was a young pup grad student, I heard Laura Nader argue that anthropologists should "study up", get into the board rooms of the Fortune 500 and find out how things work. As I listened that morning to Khidzir Hamza describe his experiences in Saddam Hussein’s inner circle, I wondered at the similarities between the Maya court and that of Iraqi's leader--and by extension, I wondered if it weren't true that there aren't similarities between the Maya court and that of all of the world's leaders.
This book served as a terrific introduction to the idea of the Maya court system; I'll certainly be interested to see Volume 2.
This book served as a terrific introduction to the idea of the Maya court system; I'll certainly be interested to see Volume 2.
