Eguia 1
Michelle Eguia
Professor Ptak
Objects as History
23 September 2013
Mayan Temple
Entering the American Museum of Natural History, I chose the Hall of Mexico
and Central America for my specific region; additionally, I decided on the Mayan
Temple as my object of choice. I chose this object because of the rarity and
uniqueness of this temple. The temples the Mayans built are not only architecturally
wise but have an extraordinary history and play a significant part in the Mayan’s
religious beliefs. The overall structural balance, proportion, and exquisite standing as
an architectural monument spoke out to me and interested me in finding out more
regarding this historical making.
Moreover from a viewer’s perspective, the miniature version of this temple
appears very authentic and well proportioned. The temple is made of a certain clay
brick, is made of a hue close to the color of sand, has a progressive aspect where each
of the temple’s layers increasingly is smaller than the next, and appears to be of great
height even as a miniature replica. Additionally, there is one staircase that begins from
the bottom of the structure and ascends to the top of the temple, there appears to be a
shrine at the top of the temple with an opening assumedly where the Mayans entered
the “shrine”, and there seems to be an intricate design where the shrine stands.
Overall, the structure appears balanced and very well planned, is intricately designed,
and built to last.
Furthermore, the Mayan story speaks to me with one word emphasized:
sacrifice. The temple looks as if it is reaching the heavens, and the shrine at the top of
this structure breathes sacrificial death. The progression of the levels of this monument
brings to my mind an even bigger staircase than the one leading up to the shrine. Its
structure appears to be as if one is offering up something and brings to mind that the
symbols displayed on the shrine come to mean something in regards to life, death, and
maybe the after life.
Regarding the construction of the temples, the Mayans were very articulate and
religiously symbolic when it came to the arrangement of these structures. These
temples were focused and built a certain direction to draw emphasis on the heavenly
bodies and how they orbited (Richardson 11). In addition, the Mayan’s interpretations
of higher powers and natural features were most certainly portrayed with respect to the
shrines and more private temples throughout the village. Moreover, the major
significance to these temples was the fact that they played the foreground to sacrificial
offerings. The specific temple I chose is the Temple IV, which is located in Tikal and is
the tallest of all Mayan temples (AMNH). This temple was 212 feet long at the base
and scaled taller than the trees surrounding it (AMNH). With this replica of this
structure, I believe in these accounts because of the sheer description and the
articulate effort shows every aspect of this realistic monument. Also, the facts and
written history of the Mayans gives evidence in retrospect to how the Mayans used the
temples and built them to be directionally sound to their higher powers.
Furthermore, I believe the museum decided to display this replica of the Mayan
temples to further emphasize the drastic measures the Mayans went through to offer
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up a sacrifice to their heavenly beings. The temple speaks of great importance and
illustrates the monumental craft of how the Mayans took their sacrifices very seriously.
This replica plays an important part in Mayan culture and history, and I believe without
it one would not receive the full view of Mayan civilization. Their religious beliefs and
sacrificial deaths were a substantial part to this society, and without this object, I deem
the Mayans would not of stood out so significantly if this object was obscured from this
Mayan collection.
The Mayan temple displayed and the other objects around it, such as replicas of
monumental stones carved with the Mayan language, Mayan jewelry, and Mayan
pottery, all relate to each other with respect to they all breath the specific culture of
these people and what they considered important in their lives. In regards to the
massive stones on display one can again sense the articulate nature of the Mayans
and how they considered symbols as a representation to the lifestyle. Additionally,
jewelry was very significant to the Mayans and was an everyday piece to their outfits
(Cottrill). Such jewelry as in necklaces and earrings were a staple to the upper class,
and the artists of Mayan jewelry took this task very seriously (Cottrill). Lastly, the
Mayan pottery that surrounded the replica of the Mayan temple spoke of the skilled
craftsmanship behind their story telling displayed on their pottery. Overall, the dexterity
of Mayan language, jewelry, and pottery portray a significant amount of how the
Mayans lived and grew to be a unique kind of people.
Moreover, I feel the temple I chose communicates that the Mayan people took
religion and their higher powers very seriously to the extent that their lives were
offerings and a norm to being sacrificed for the sake of their gods or for reincarnation. I
came to this conclusion because of the research I have done and the data I collected.
Also, the architectural aspect of the temple spoke for itself in respect to the progressive
view to it and the real height that was listed. The temple communicates the idea of
offering up something, and the shrine shines in regards to the delicate design
emphasized at the top of the temple. Not only does the view of the temple bring to light
sacrificial death, but the history of the temple brought me full circle to conclude the
temple’s monumental reputation.
Furthermore, I believe my object got to the museum after being constructed with
a mass importance to every detail and aspect of preserving the history behind the
temple and its importance. The replica is purposeful and important to the Mayan
collection, and I believe its significance and craftsmanship was well preserved.
Moreover in regards to the reading by David Jenkins about natural history museums, I
believe that the “sense of sight was more efficacious than language for the important
task of teaching object lessons” (Jenkins 247). I completely agree with Jenkins’
perspective, and found that even though my object was a miniature replica of the
actual Mayan Temple, it helped me learn and actually see the details and significant
monument essential to Mayan culture. It was not only a visual piece but also a puzzle
to further helping me understand the Mayan civilization. In respect to Jenkins, he was
correct in stating natural history museums “objectify and dominate on grand scale the
world and its inhabitants” (Jenkins 243). Museums bring to light many civilizations, and
the American Museum of Natural History most definitely brought interest and facts
together to allow me to connect with the vast difference of my life and the lives of the
Mayans. Lastly after studying this object, I have discovered that in the world we live in
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today a church’s alter plays the same significance as the Mayan temple; in respect to
religious celebrations, a church is very similar and plays a huge part in some
individuals. Some churches are vast and others are quite small just as the Mayan
temples were, some being monumental and others being private. Certainly, I think a
continuation of having massive worship structures has been passed on from earlier
centuries and this speaks greatly in terms of importance and stature of a place of
worship. Simply, the Mayans brought about a diverse worship strategy with a beautiful
monument, and as this civilization demised, I believe the places of worship today
unconsciously do not realized the impact this one civilization made was immense
towards religious celebrations in today’s society, in regards to the structure and detail
of places of worship. Overall, my one object was not only a thing of the past. In
reference to the reading of Jenkins, I now realize the process of how museums
incorporate various pieces to solidify a civilization in time and this helped me realize
the importance of visual artifacts and research.
Eguia 4
Cottrill, Jaime, C, Manuel Aguilar-Moreno, and Edgar M. Del Campo.
"About Aztec History." About Aztec History. N.p., 2006. Web. 22
Sept. 2013. <http://www.aztec-history.com/about-aztechistory.html>.
Jenkins, David. "Object Lessons and Ethnographic Displays: Museums
Exhibitions and the Making of American Anthropology."
Comparative Studies in Society and History. 2nd ed. Vol. 36.
N.p.: Cambridge UP, 1994. 242-70. Print.
Mayans. N.d. Exhibit. American Museum of Natural History, Hall of
Mexico and Central America.
Richardson, Nigel. "Secret World of the Maya." Comp. Historian of
Brighton and Soho. History Today May 2013, Vol. 63 ed., Issue 5
sec.: 10-17. Print.