User:Ifonder/The Tomb of the Vulture Lord/Tomb of the Vulture Lord (Takalik Abaj, Guatemala)

The Tomb of the Vulture Lord
The tomb of the Vulture Lord, also referred to as K'utz Chman in the Mayan language, is a royal tomb that has been uncovered in southern Guatemala. K'utz Chman was an ancient Maya Lord whose length of rule is still unknown at this time.

Background
The tomb is situated in an area with a bit of difficulty to navigate as it is concealed in the highlands, and encompassed by high valleys. In light of where the tomb was found, the era is not precisely known, as it can pertain somewhere along the lines of the end of the Middle Preclassic to the beginning of the Late Preclassic. One intriguing element associated with this burial monument, in particular, is its subdued display and the surroundings; in fact, K’utz Chman’s royal tomb does not share the same memorable qualities as other Mayan counterparts tend to exhibit, such as sizeable pyramids.

Instead of being surrounded by large pyramidal structures, the tomb of this Lord could be perceived as very simplistic. It was in proximity to a 16-foot-high, grassy platform made of clay and cobblestones. With extensive explorations lower down on the summit at the bottom of a damp cavity, Miguel Orrego and Christina Schrieber found a significant amount of artifacts that were associated with this tomb. Based on the types of artifacts that were found, it was evident that this was not a common tomb, but a royal one.

Typically, the more routine or common burials lack the merit and prestige as those who were higher up in the hierarchy and had some form of power. While the two types of burials may have a common similarity in containing the bones of the deceased, they will not share the trait of the value of objects that accompany them in burials. Objects such as jade, jewelry, and other offerings that are associated with high status individuals.

Hundreds of apple-green and blue jade beads were only a sample amongst the variety of the artifacts they found inside the burial of the Vulture Lord.

Without a doubt, an artifact that Orrego and Schieber uncovered which was by far the most remarkable, was a pendant with an early Maya status symbol—a vulture’s head, in jade, lying exactly where the deceased’s chest would have been. It is believed that the individual must have been wearing it when the burial occurred. While the bones have deteriorated, clusters of precious stones showed exactly where he had worn two bracelets, two anklets, and a jade-encrusted loincloth.

This burial may suggest an integral period in time that portrays cultural changes in style and production that was influenced by a transition between the Olmec and Maya cultures.

Both Schieber and Orrego postulate the idea that the Vulture Lord’s tomb is a bridge between the two styles, with the Olmec becoming obsolete during the time of his incumbency. “He was a very rich ruler who still had Olmec traditions,” according to Schieber. “But he was already showing Maya stylistic influences in the things he took to the grave.” For example, while the vulture and the ceramic women look Maya, the jade ornaments on the deceased’s body closely resemble those on a ruler depicted in stone at the Olmec city of La Venta.

As with any culture or time period, there is bound to be conflicts and allegiances with rulers, as well as shifts in ideological beliefs, depending on who is holding power. For this reason, it would explain how the dominant style is changing with him, and that suggests that the rise of Maya influence had a political stamp, that change was led from above, and that his subjects followed.

Site Studies and Excavations
In Tak'alik Ab'aj, where this tomb is located, archaeologists first began turning their attention towards this site in 1976. The investigations at Tak'alik Ab'aj had been sponsored by the University of California (Berkeley) during these first years. While excavations may have begun in 1976, studies of this site took place many years earlier, beginning in the 1920s with Walter Lehman. Due to the way the site is laid out, archaeological excavations were conducted in what is considered an early Maya urban environment”, which consists of at least 83 structures and more than 300 sculpted stone monuments.

Over the course of the last few decades, a national park was established, which allowed a continuation of investigations. These were led by the archaeologists Miguel Orrego and Christa Schieber, who worked with the Instituto de Antropología de Guatemala. It is on account of their research that additional monuments, such as this tomb, were documented.

Vulture Symbolism
Vultures are birds of prey and can sometimes be mistaken for eagles, another prominent figure for the Maya, because they are bald and lack feathers around their head and their legs. The king vulture has skin with an array of colors that include red, blue, purple, orange and yellow. Such colors have a rich hue, and are often integrated into ostentatious displays and regalia. For the people and rulers of the Maya, the king vulture represented an important role in their culture and beliefs. Furthermore, they were an integral part of the iconography and symbolism that was prominent in a variety of Mayan art and features. For instance, the king vulture was a principle bird deity and was associated with rulership.

Vultures are present in scenes of sacrifice, hunting, the ballgame, and other rites, as well as in probable Underworld scenes. Coupled with the fact that they stand on their prey as Maya rulers on their portrait stelae stand on their symbols of power, sending a strong message of authority to observers.

Future Research
As excavations continue to take place at this site, researchers will be able to collect and compile their data in order to bridge the knowledge of the Maya for an even stronger understanding. That, alongside further examination of the finds and monuments that have been uncovered at Tak'alik Ab'aj, there is an opportunity for details to emerge that will shed new light on K’utz Chman and his contribution to the Maya.

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