Rosamund Fitzmaurice | University College London (original) (raw)

Conference Presentations by Rosamund Fitzmaurice

Papers by Rosamund Fitzmaurice

Papers from the Institute of Archaeology, Nov 15, 2021

This article has been peer reviewed through the journal's standard double-blind review.

Papers from the Institute of Archaeology, Aug 11, 2022

This article has been peer reviewed through the journal's standard double-blind review.

Ethnohistory

One of the most famous figures in the conquest of Mexico, Malintzin, also known as La Malinche an... more One of the most famous figures in the conquest of Mexico, Malintzin, also known as La Malinche and Doña Marina, has been described in ethnohistorical accounts as an interpreter who came from slavery. But what if this assertion of Malintzin’s origins was a result of cultural confusion, or simply untrue? This article closely examines ethnohistorical sources and their description of Malintzin’s origins. Could cultural bias or cultural misunderstanding be present within them? How might these biases affect our reading of Malintzin’s supposed slave status? The article explores the role of exchange, political marriage, gift giving, and polygyny in Maya and Aztec culture to add further context to Malintzin’s transfer from Indigenous to Conquistador society. It theorizes that Malintzin was never intended to be given to the Spanish invaders as a slave but rather as a bride.

Volume 32

Whittaker G. 2021. Deciphering Aztec Hieroglyphs: A Guide to NahuatlWriting. London; Thames & Hud... more Whittaker G. 2021. Deciphering Aztec Hieroglyphs: A Guide to NahuatlWriting. London; Thames & Hudson. 224 pages (Hardbound). £25. ISBN 978-0-50051-872-4

Special Issue: Timeless Spaces 2019 Conference Proceedings, 2021

Patolli is a “dice game” found in Classic andPostclassic period (CE 250-900/1000, CE 900/1000-149... more Patolli is a “dice game” found in Classic andPostclassic period (CE 250-900/1000, CE 900/1000-1492) contexts throughoutMesoamerica. This paper provides an overview of ethnohistoric sources andprevious archaeological research on patolli to contextualize recent discoveriesof boards and other graffiti at the Classic Maya centre of Xunantunich, Belize.We examine the placement of patolli boards relative to graffiti figureswithin two galleries in the site’s north palace complex to understand theirrelationship with each other and their possible significance within the centreitself. Finally, we present possible interpretations for patolli andgraffiti from the Terminal Classic Maya centre of Xunantunich, Belize rangingfrom commemoration, competition, and divination or ritually related activities.

Drafts by Rosamund Fitzmaurice

Unpublished MA thesis, 2018

The study of Pre-Columbian Maya graffiti has gained popularity since its initial discovery at Tik... more The study of Pre-Columbian Maya graffiti has gained popularity since its initial discovery at Tikal, Guatemala in the late nineteenth-century. Since then it has been recorded at a number of sites throughout the Maya region. Graffiti etchings onto plaster in elite structures mostly date to the Late and Terminal Classic periods. This dissertation discusses prevailing interpretations surrounding who created graffiti and why, using research from current scholarship to inform new insights. In addition to existing scholarship, this dissertation draws on new evidence from Xunantunich, Belize. In particular, I examine the spatial association of graffiti images with graffiti patolli boards in Structure A13 at Xunantunich, considering the potential relationship and meaning between the two. I conclude that scholars should consider refocusing their research onto the process of creating graffiti rather than limiting their insights to the images themselves.

Book Reviews by Rosamund Fitzmaurice

Papers at the Institute of Archaeology, 2022

This article has been peer reviewed through the journal's standard double-blind review.

Papers from the Institute of Archaeology, Nov 15, 2021

This article has been peer reviewed through the journal's standard double-blind review.

Papers from the Institute of Archaeology, Aug 11, 2022

This article has been peer reviewed through the journal's standard double-blind review.

Ethnohistory

One of the most famous figures in the conquest of Mexico, Malintzin, also known as La Malinche an... more One of the most famous figures in the conquest of Mexico, Malintzin, also known as La Malinche and Doña Marina, has been described in ethnohistorical accounts as an interpreter who came from slavery. But what if this assertion of Malintzin’s origins was a result of cultural confusion, or simply untrue? This article closely examines ethnohistorical sources and their description of Malintzin’s origins. Could cultural bias or cultural misunderstanding be present within them? How might these biases affect our reading of Malintzin’s supposed slave status? The article explores the role of exchange, political marriage, gift giving, and polygyny in Maya and Aztec culture to add further context to Malintzin’s transfer from Indigenous to Conquistador society. It theorizes that Malintzin was never intended to be given to the Spanish invaders as a slave but rather as a bride.

Volume 32

Whittaker G. 2021. Deciphering Aztec Hieroglyphs: A Guide to NahuatlWriting. London; Thames & Hud... more Whittaker G. 2021. Deciphering Aztec Hieroglyphs: A Guide to NahuatlWriting. London; Thames & Hudson. 224 pages (Hardbound). £25. ISBN 978-0-50051-872-4

Special Issue: Timeless Spaces 2019 Conference Proceedings, 2021

Patolli is a “dice game” found in Classic andPostclassic period (CE 250-900/1000, CE 900/1000-149... more Patolli is a “dice game” found in Classic andPostclassic period (CE 250-900/1000, CE 900/1000-1492) contexts throughoutMesoamerica. This paper provides an overview of ethnohistoric sources andprevious archaeological research on patolli to contextualize recent discoveriesof boards and other graffiti at the Classic Maya centre of Xunantunich, Belize.We examine the placement of patolli boards relative to graffiti figureswithin two galleries in the site’s north palace complex to understand theirrelationship with each other and their possible significance within the centreitself. Finally, we present possible interpretations for patolli andgraffiti from the Terminal Classic Maya centre of Xunantunich, Belize rangingfrom commemoration, competition, and divination or ritually related activities.

Unpublished MA thesis, 2018

The study of Pre-Columbian Maya graffiti has gained popularity since its initial discovery at Tik... more The study of Pre-Columbian Maya graffiti has gained popularity since its initial discovery at Tikal, Guatemala in the late nineteenth-century. Since then it has been recorded at a number of sites throughout the Maya region. Graffiti etchings onto plaster in elite structures mostly date to the Late and Terminal Classic periods. This dissertation discusses prevailing interpretations surrounding who created graffiti and why, using research from current scholarship to inform new insights. In addition to existing scholarship, this dissertation draws on new evidence from Xunantunich, Belize. In particular, I examine the spatial association of graffiti images with graffiti patolli boards in Structure A13 at Xunantunich, considering the potential relationship and meaning between the two. I conclude that scholars should consider refocusing their research onto the process of creating graffiti rather than limiting their insights to the images themselves.

Papers at the Institute of Archaeology, 2022

This article has been peer reviewed through the journal's standard double-blind review.