![]() ![]() This same conceptualisation of emblem glyph main signs remained in the book of Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube (2000: 17) where they maintained that the main signs referred to the name of a particular kingdom or polity. Following suit, most epigraphers accepted that there is a difference between an actual place name and the main sign of emblem glyphs and this understanding was phrased in the book of Linda Schele and Peter Mathews (1998: 23) for the wider audience such as "emblem glyphs named the kingdoms that dotted the political landscape, and within these kingdoms there were locations identified by place names". Stuart and Houston (1994: 2-7) identified place names in the inscriptions which were different from known emblem glyphs and they concluded that emblem glyphs stand for the name of Classic Maya states and the royal seats have their proper names. Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube (1994) accepted that emblem glyph main signs are toponyms referring to the polity of a given archaeological site where they occur. 1 Mathews' (1991 : 26) later opinion was that emblem glyph main signs referred to the city itself and the territory subject to it. Later on Mathews and Justeson (1984: 216) maintained that the main sign refers to "the political unit over which one site held dominion". Kelley, however, argued that the main signs of emblem glyphs are place names (Kelley, 1976: 215). Marcus (1973: 913) argued that emblem glyph refers to "the site, as well as the territory subject to it". Proskouriakoff (1960: 471) "inclined to think that it refers to lineage or dynasty rather than to place", while Barthel suggested that it "seems to concern place-names as well as ethnic names" (Barthel, 1968: 120, qtd. Researchers after Berlin discussed these three suggestions but they did not propose any new interpretation. In his original paper Berlin did not argue for any meaning specifically, but he suggested three probabilities: name of the city, the name(s) of the patron deit(ies) of a particular city, or the name of the ruling dynasty of the city. Heinrich Berlin (1958) identified emblem glyphs in Classic Period inscriptions when he discovered that they were emblematic to particular sites. Their reference to territory was not that important and they were shifting on the political landscape with the migrations of the families who used them. Later on, I present a hypothesis about emblem glyph main signs where I argue that they are places of origin for all titled individuals who claimed descent from a given family and they reflect real or fictive blood connections. As the general identity of the emblem glyphs is debated I present several emblem glyph main signs which function as other toponyms, and therefore I suggest that emblem glyph main signs in the majority of the cases (where data is available) were once toponyms it is a different matter, though, what kind of toponyms they were (referring to one building, one area of a site, a site, a region, or mythical places). Keywords: Classic Maya, epigraphy, political vocabulary, emblem glyphs.Įmblem glyphs were and are a ubiquitous element of Classic Maya inscriptions and from their discovery they remained in the centre of the debate about Classic Maya political organisation and politics in general (Berlin, 1958). I suggest that originally they were toponyms but later on they became titles of origin which indicated descendance from a common origin place. In this article I investigate the meaning of emblem glyphs. These words express ideas and concepts which help to understand the intricate details of the interactions between the political entities and their internal organisations in the Classic Maya Lowlands. In a series of articles I reflect on the use of various expressions which are connected to what we call the political in the inscriptions of the Classic Maya Western Region. Palabras clave: Maya Clásico, epigrafía, vocabulario político, glifos emblema. Propongo que originalmente fueron topónimos y después llegaron a ser títulos de origen que indicaron descendencia común de un lugar original. ![]() En este artículo investigo el significado de los glifos emblema. Estas palabras expresan ideas y conceptos que ayudan a entender los matices de las relaciones entre las entidades políticas de las Tierras Bajas Mayas y su organización interna. 13 de abril del 2011.Įn una serie de artículos investigo el uso de varias palabras en las inscripciones mayas de la época Clásica de la Región Occidental que se conectan con lo que nosotros llamamos "política". Politics in the Western Maya Region (II): Emblem Glyphs *Ībteilung für Altamerikanistik, Bonn. ![]()
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