The Memory of Bones: Body, Being, and Experience among the Classic Maya (Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture)
$44.95
Description
Book Synopsis: All of human experience flows from bodies that feel, express emotion, and think about what such experiences mean. But is it possible for us, embodied as we are in a particular time and place, to know how people of long ago thought about the body and its experiences? In this groundbreaking book, three leading experts on the Classic Maya (ca. AD 250 to 850) marshal a vast array of evidence from Maya iconography and hieroglyphic writing, as well as archaeological findings, to argue that the Classic Maya developed a coherent approach to the human body that we can recover and understand today.
The authors open with a cartography of the Maya body, its parts and their meanings, as depicted in imagery and texts. They go on to explore such issues as how the body was replicated in portraiture; how it experienced the world through ingestion, the senses, and the emotions; how the body experienced war and sacrifice and the pain and sexuality that were intimately bound up in these domains; how words, often heaven-sent, could be embodied; and how bodies could be blurred through spirit possession.
From these investigations, the authors convincingly demonstrate that the Maya conceptualized the body in varying roles, as a metaphor of time, as a gendered, sexualized being, in distinct stages of life, as an instrument of honor and dishonor, as a vehicle for communication and consumption, as an exemplification of beauty and ugliness, and as a dancer and song-maker. Their findings open a new avenue for empathetically understanding the ancient Maya as living human beings who experienced the world as we do, through the body.
Details
Experience the captivating world of the ancient Maya with The Memory of Bones: Body, Being, and Experience among the Classic Maya. Immerse yourself in a mesmerizing exploration of how the human body was perceived and understood by one of the greatest civilizations in history. Uncovering the secrets hidden within Maya iconography, hieroglyphic writing, and archaeological findings, this groundbreaking book reveals a coherent approach to the body that is still relevant to our understanding of ourselves today.
Delve into the intricate cartography of the Maya body as seen in their art and texts. Discover how the Maya replicated the body in portraiture and how they experienced the world through their senses, emotions, and acts of ingestion. Gain insights into the profound connection between the body and domains such as war, sacrifice, pain, and sexuality that were integral to Maya culture. Explore how words and spirituality shaped their physical existence and how their bodies merged with the spirits in possession ceremonies.
With their extensive research and rich findings, the authors of this book unveil the multifaceted roles the Maya attributed to the body. Whether seen as a metaphor of time, a gendered and sexualized being, an instrument of honor or dishonor, a means of communication and consumption, or a source of beauty and ugliness, the Maya personified the complexities of human existence through their bodies. By embarking on this enlightening journey, you will gain a deeper connection to the ancient Maya as living beings who shared our joys, sorrows, desires, and fears.
Don't miss this opportunity to unlock the past and embrace the wisdom of the Maya. Expand your understanding of human experience and discover the echoes of the ancient world in our present. Order The Memory of Bones: Body, Being, and Experience among the Classic Maya now and step into the remarkable realm of the Maya civilization.
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