Maya mural paintings at Xkombec, Campeche (original) (raw)
Related papers
An Analysis of Mayan Painting Techniques at Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico
MRS Proceedings, 1995
We studied mural painting samples from Bonampak (790-792 AD), Chiapas, Mexico, by several analytical methods: gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), optical microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The GC/MS suggested an original use of natural organic materials on both, the painting layers and the mortars, leading to the identification of a specific a Mayan technique of painting murals. The identification of pigments and the observation of cross-sections by optical microscopy revealed a sophisticated and rich palette used for painting the murals. The consequences of our study are discussed in detail.
Archaeometrical Studies of Classic Mayan Mural Painting at Peten: La Blanca and Chilonche
La Blanca and Chilonche are two of the many Mayan settlements located on the lower reaches of the Mopan river (Department of Petén, Guatemala). The archaeological work conducted by La Blanca Project (University of Valencia, Spain) over the last ten years has revealed the rich polychrome of the monumental architecture of these sites, where the remains of ancient mural paintings are of the highest quality. In order to ascertain the materials and techniques used by painters at each site throughout the Classic period, our research team has recently conducted an analytical study with a multi-technique approach based on the combination of several non destructive and micro-destructive instrumental techniques, namely, light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy-X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), voltammetry of microparticles (VMP), X-ray microdiffraction (mXRD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UVeVis spectrophotometry, FTIR spectroscopy and gas chromatographyemass spectrometry (GCeMS). These instrumental techniques provide reliable and complementary data, such as elemental and mineralogical composition, the identification of functional groups as well as specialization studies of electroactive species. This paper presents the results obtained at the Laboratories for the Analysis of Works of Art at the University of Valencia (Spain) and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain) after chemically comparing the pigments and mural painting techniques of both Maya archaeological sites.
Estudios Latinoamericanos
The Ixil Maya area is located in Quiche Department of the north-western part of the Guatemalan Highlands. It has witnessed a continuous occupation since the 1st millennium BC till today. This archaeologically interesting region has provided many important discoveries of rare cultural mixture, with distinct features typical for both Maya Highlands and more distant Lowlands. Recently, the scholarly interest has focused on Chajul where a few years ago, in one of the local houses, well preserved wall paintings dated to the Colonial period were exposed by the house owner during the process of its renovation. With this extraordinary finding a question emerged - are we able to confirm the cultural continuity between the pre-Columbian settlers and modem Ixil who claim «to be always here»? This paper presents a brief outline of the history of the Ixil Maya. It also presents results of some recent and preliminary studies conducted by Polish scholars in this region.
TAGGED WALLS: THE DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT MAYA GRAFFITI AT EL CASTILLO, XUNANTUNICH
Investigations at El Castillo, Xunantunich, uncovered a series of Late Classic rooms on the eastern side of the acropolis. A small private stairway provided access to these rooms suggesting a special function. Our excavations of the southeastern room revealed that it was intentionally filled with clay and stacked stones in a reverential manner. The doorjambs and walls were covered with incised images and designs, ranging from simple sketches (graffiti) to more formal renderings. In this paper we highlight the methods that we used to document the corpus of incised images as well as present our preliminary interpretations of their meaning. We argue that some plastered walls served as canvases for sketching, artistic training, and learned scribal expression. Furthermore, we believe this room was a special place where an ancient Maya sage trained apprentices in the arts and sacred knowledge. Lending support to this interpretation, the walls were partitioned into sections and several images were repeated as if the designs were being practiced. This newly discovered room provides a glimpse into how ancient Maya sacred knowledge was passed on.
The Maya wall paintings from Chajul, Guatemala
Antiquity, 2020
The recent renovation of a house in Chajul in western Guatemala has revealed an unparalleled set of wall paintings, most probably from the Colonial period (AD 1524-1821). The iconography of the murals combines pre-Columbian elements with imported European components in a domestic rather than a religious setting, making them a unique example of Colonial-period art. Here, the authors present the results of iconographic, chemical and radiocarbon analyses of the Chajul house paintings. Dating to the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries AD, the paintings may be connected to a revival of the local religious organisations (cofradías) in the context of waning Spanish colonial control.