A Basic Study of Preclassic Maya Daily lives and Socioeconomic Organization

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26300025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Archaeology
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: Aoyama Kazuo 茨城大学, 人文社会科学部, 教授 (70292464)
• Research Collaborator: INOMATA Takeshi ; Pinzón Flory ; Palomo Juan Manuel
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 考古学 / 人類学 / 先古典期マヤ文明 / 社会経済組織 / 交換 / 宗教儀礼 / 戦争 / 比較文明論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A diachronic analysis of 86,694 chipped stone artifacts collected in and around Ceibal, Guatemala was conducted in order to elucidate long-term patterns and changes in the Preclassic and Classic Maya exchange, craft production and ritual practices. The results of the present study suggest that interregional exchange of obsidian from the Maya highlands was of great economic significance to the inhabitants of the community and was more crucial to the development of lowland Maya civilization than was long-distance exchange with Mexico. The emerging elites at Ceibal were probably actively engaging with concepts associated with cardinal directions and the Maya cosmos during the Middle Preclassic period. Not only factors such as interregional exchange, but also ideology, expressed in material form and through aspects of public rituals and public ceremonial structures, played a significant role in the development of Maya rulership.

Free Research Field

人類学としてのマヤ考古学・比較文明論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

古典期マヤ文明に先立つ先古典期マヤ文明（前1000-後200年）の起源と発展の過程は、まだよくわかっていない。先古典期中期（前1000-前350年）は、マヤ文明の起源と発展を解明する鍵となる。本研究はその社会全般と主要利器の石器に関する実証的なデータを提供する。これまでほとんど実施されていなかった古典期中期の遺構の大規模で層位的な発掘調査によって、詳細な出土状況や遺構の性格を明らかにした。旧大陸との交流なしに独自に発展したマヤ文明という一次文明の比較研究は、文明とは何か、文明はなぜ、どのように興り変化したのかについて、旧大陸や西洋文明と接触後の社会の研究からは得られない、新たな視点を提供する。