Her cup for sweet cacao : food in ancient Maya society / edited by Traci Ardren.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Ardren, Traci, editor.

Series:

Linda Schele series in Maya and pre-Columbian studies.

The Linda Schele series in Maya and pre-Columbian studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mayas--Food.

Mayas.

Mayas--Social life and customs.

Mexico.

Central America.

Genre:

History

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (396 pages).

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, [2020]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

For the ancient Maya, food was both sustenance and a tool for building a complex society. This collection, the first to focus exclusively on the social uses of food in Classic Maya culture, deploys a variety of theoretical approaches to examine the meaning of food beyond diet--ritual offerings and restrictions, medicinal preparations, and the role of nostalgia around food, among other topics. For instance, how did Maya feasts build community while also reinforcing social hierarchy? What psychoactive substances were the elite Maya drinking in their caves, and why? Which dogs were good for eating, and which breeds became companions? Why did even some non-elite Maya enjoy cacao, but rarely meat? Why was meat more available for urban Maya than for those closer to hunting grounds on the fringes of cities? How did the molcajete become a vital tool and symbol in Maya gastronomy? These chapters, written by some of the leading scholars in the field, showcase a variety of approaches and present new evidence from faunal remains, hieroglyphic texts, chemical analyses, and art. Thoughtful and revealing, Her Cup for Sweet Cacao unlocks a more comprehensive understanding of how food was instrumental to the development of ancient Maya culture.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

1. Introduction

2. Potluck: Building Community and Feasting among the Middle Preclassic Maya

3. A Toast to the Earth: The Social Role of Beverages in Pre-Hispanic Maya Cave Ritual at Pacbitun, Belize

4. The Epigraphy of Ancient Maya Food and Drink

5. Plant Foodstuffs of the Ancient Maya: Agents and Matter, Medium and Message

6. Food, Friend, or Offering: Exploring the Role of Maya Dogs in the Zooarchaeological Record

7. Celebrating Sihó: The Role of Food and Foodways in the Construction of Social Identities

8. Cuisine and Feasting in the Copán and Lower Ulúa Valleys in Honduras

9. Talking Feasts: Classic Maya Commensal Politics at La Corona

10. Thinking (and Eating) Chichén Itzá: New Food Technology and Creating the Itzá State at Xuenkal

11. Faunal Foods as Indices of Commoner Wealth (or Poverty) in Rural versus Urban Houselots of the Terminal Classic and Postclassic in Northwest Yucatán

12. Human-Deity Relationships Conveyed through Balche' Rituals and Resource Procurement

13. Conclusion: In Maya Food Studies, Who Is Maya? What Is Food?

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4773-2166-7

1-4773-2165-9

OCLC:

1164821178