Client and Program: Edge of Spaces for Celebration and Reflection

The Mayan calendar was utilized for many purposes in ancient times. Several of these purposes revolved around various celebrations and times of reflection based on the Mayan calendar: births, deaths, religious ceremonies, cultural achievements, the end of a Long Count cycle (52 years), etc. These events allowed for a significant gathering of people, but based on their purpose they would likely congregate differently. The range of the types of people that would amass at a location containing the Mayan calendar varied and could include commoners to elite as well as priests or spiritual leaders who would aid in celebration and reflection.

In general the calendar was a universal tool to organize time as well as predict the future holidays of a specific cycle. The calendar was such an important artifact in Mayan culture because of the belief that the gods granted the Mayans life 52 years at a time (the length of the Long Count cycle) and that this 52 years must be earned. Anxiety was a common sentiment nearing the end of each Long Count cycle and groups would gather to present offerings and then celebrate once they were inevitably granted longer lives. This affected every civilian regardless of social standing and they would likely feel the need to be connected to the calendar especially at this specific celebration. Large interior spaces and the massive size of the calendar allow for the general observance or exhibition of the calendar (roughly 12 feet in diameter, 3 feet thick) as well as movement throughout the space and differing perspective views of the calendar itself.

It is believed that the calendar could also be used to predict birth energies of an individual, along with divination to determine individual destinies. This would likely be performed by a spiritual healer and occur in a smaller setting where families or friends of an individual would be involved. The scale of such a space allows for intimacy within a group, therefore connecting the participants on many levels in such an activity.

Finally, on a much more personal note, the Mayan calendar was used "as a spiritual device that enables a greater understanding of the evolution of consciousness" and allowing one to "align [themselves] with this cosmic evolution toward Enlightenment." This type of reflection is clearly a very personal experience that allows an individual to feel connected and enlightened at the same time. In a smaller, more secluded space, this reflection could be possible and important for the spiritual and sometimes religious development of a Mayan civilian.

The calendar was used mainly as a tool to determine any date in the future or in the past. The system of telling time that the Mayans invented combined a few different cycles that overlapped to create the overall calendar system. This shows that the combination of things that have one main purpose in common - for instance, to tell time - could be applied to the construction of a space as well. My space contains three separate zones of different scales, but they are all tied into the important and awe-inspiring Mayan calendar. Much like the purposes of the calendar, the purposes of the room may differ but still have a strong connection and therefore allow for movement, exploration, and contemplation throughout the different spaces.

Spaces designed for the Mayan Ruler

The scepter of God K'awiil was only to be used by the Mayan ruler. Differing spaces can be associated with the client and the scepter.
A public gathering space is created for ceremonial ritual dances. The ruler would be at the highest point overlooking his community. He conjures gods to join in on the festivities. The group of elites surround the open space closest to the dancers, while the common people crowd around the edges. The space is vast and hierarchy is represented through multiple levels of space.
A group space is assigned to the client and his immediate family. The royal family, the priest, and the best artisans would gather to prepare before the ceremonies commence. They would celebrate by feasting in an open, smaller space suitable for several people.
The individual space is designed specifically for the ruler. It is a room composed of multiple small spaces to allow the ruler to prepare for his duties in the upcoming ceremony and speak with the gods. His wardrobe would be assembled and he would dress in one of the spaces, with the scepter awaiting his power to take hold.

Toltec Captive Narrative (Part 2)

The slowly rising hills support a constructed system that influences and forms to the conditions. As the Mayans constructed their own landscapes, mountainous structures rise along that skyline, while platforms elevate articulated constructions. Valleys and plateaus are utilized to their potential for living and structure organization. The system of constructions and voids insinuate functionality and detail describes the culture of inhabitants.
The insight provided from detail is potent with ideas needed to construct a society. Preserved in a presumed sacrificial well, a fabric remnant was discovered. Due to the fragile nature of such a material, it is very rare to find such an artifact. It is a cotton piece, woven, brocaded, dyed. It is an irregular piece, frayed. However the brocaded pattern is still dense with fibers. The pattern illustrates a fraction of the pattern that originally existed across the whole clothing piece at one time.
The fabric piece will complete a larger garment. It will wrap itself gracefully and structurally around the client. My client is a Toltec warrior captured by the Uxmal military. The garment that my fabric remnant came from was given to the Toltec in preparation for the sacrifice. The Toltec is kept in a holding chamber at first. Here he reflects his last moments in this world. The fabric he wears was the last experience he had with Earth. When the hour came for the sacrifice the captive would be lead out of the cell and into a larger room where the king and five high priests of the priest counsel would pray that the sacrifice be accepted by the god Chac for rain to bring a bountiful harvest in the recent famine. In procession the Toltec is escorted by warriors as the priests follow. The group follows along the edge of the Great Platform and down into the central valley where the sacrificial well awaits the Toltec and the elite and citizens alike come to view the hopeful change of their fortune.

Program: Journey through space to life or death

The Mayan Ballcourt marker creates an atmosphere for the elite. It is an atmosphere in where the winners thrive in victory and the losers submit themselves to ritual sacrifice. The client for whom this space is created is a victorious and glorified ball player. He is among the elite but is revered by even the other elite to a state of near godliness.

In preparation for the game of life or death, he passes through a series of spaces that not only create an environment that aids in his preparation, but also that preserve the stateliness of his being. He is a part of society, but only in physical being and never truly can be an average citizen.

The first place that the player inhabits is an intimate space where he prepares to take on his opponent. It is also a place where he contemplates the possibility of losing and self sacrifice. Being the glorified ball player, he also has a responsibility to his teammates to keep up their morale and inspire them with his experience and confidence. It is a small space in which he feels the presence of himself and the task that lies ahead. The next place that the ball player occupies is a place for he and his teammates. He meets with his team in preparation for the game and to discuss tactics and perhaps 'pray' to the gods to grant them the ability to perform. While this meeting place exists as a gathering space, it remains an intimate place of bonding among teammates and anxiety over what is to come before exiting out into the main arena where the struggle and the expecting crowd awaits him. When he exits the gathering space and enters the arena where he is immediately under the pressure of the game. It is where the winner is decided and the loser is sacrificed. This is a public space where the people can view the game from their seats and cheer them on. The ballcourt marker divides this space in half, yet also acts as a seam that joins winner and loser in an ongoing struggle to the death.

Programs and Space Adjacencies

The Mayan weapons contain very symbolic meanings, including a well-define shape and form to serve its functions. This particular carved stone weapon passed through three process and related to three different group of people. First was the craftsman and the maker of this particular weapon. The artifacts reveal that the craftsman must studied and had a clear understanding of the religion, since these weapons are not only for the military but also held many symbolism for ceremony purposes.

The main purpose for the carved stone weapons were still mainly for the warriors who protected the elites and Uxmal. These weapons were intended for protecting their fundamental ground, bring their beliefs to battles, and protect the important their sovereign.

Program: Marketplace

Mayan agriculture relied heavily on the seasonal cycles within their region for harvest. The Maize God was revered in his powers for providing the reason for harvest and his own life cycle symbolizing the changes from fall to winter. In addition, the storage of their crops played an essential part to how they activated their own profits as well as public gathering, for the more harvest there was, the more people would buy and at times the more there would be for storage. And much like the harvest they fostered, the farmers would set up shop and within days have it disassembled to begin another year of cultivation.

The client in regards to such a place would hold the position of a rural farmer within the city of Uxmal. He would need to be allocated within a space that can provide for large groups as well a local scale of commerce. His space for commerce would be subdivided into aisles or nitches that could hold smaller groups that were in search of specific fruits or items. The pathway within the said space is cyclical in order to ease flow throughout the space. Light and sound play a direct correlation into this portion of the intervention, as light guides the time and hours of operation for the market and sound acts as a catalyst for commerce and informs the aisles of forthcoming density and space.

A gathering space is also essential for the client because there needs to be somewhat of a plaza for the villagers to occupy besides the market. The space is fitted for large groups of occupants and holds to the idea of an adjacency to the market as well as a program that provides multiple axes of directionality. Those that gather in this plaza of sorts are in a shift from ground to a man made construct signifying a change in significance, much like many other Mayan constructs. The gathering space would also house niches for those who are enveloped to sit and socialize. The space is then converted to a promenade, where the plaza informs the adjacent areas and acts as a transportation system in itself.

Beneath the gathering space would be compartments drastically smaller in scale for the farmers to store their crops. The spaces are shallow and lengthy in order to store many crops in a confined space to avoid spoiling and utilize space that is necessary. The space also intersects with the market throw the main threshold as to provide an accessible entry for storage.

These 3 scales of space work together to create an atmosphere that one can barder through commerce as well as gather. However, there is a particular piece within the structure that provides a different form of significance to the intervention. Many times, the farmers had to provide some form of payment to higher officials such as the royals or high priests. A top of the market there would be a space for such a transaction to occur. The space creates a path from the Governors Palace to the market for the farmers to perform the ritual of transaction as form of pay for setting up the market in the space provided on the great platform. the Space adds to the hierarchical set of the market and is isolated from the gathering spaces to bring a disruption to the itinerary of the overal intervention.

Spatial Situations Surrounding the Burial of a Mayan King

The artifact that I have chosen is a jade burial mask that adorned the face of a deceased Mayan ruler. Several different spatial situations can surround this mask in various different scales. All of these scales can be compiled into the funeral procession of the king; from the public space of the courtyards and pathways of the Mayan city to the more private space of the burial tomb in which the king would lay.

Client: The Ancient Mayan King of Uxmal

Spatial Situations:

-Public: The largest of all the situations is that of the actual funeral procession. In ancient Mayan times the death of ruler was mourned by all inhabitants of the city. The funeral procession would take place throughout the various pathways of the site but would focus mainly on the group space the lies along the intersection of the main vertical and horizontal axis. The procession would finally come to stop at the location of the burial site (tomb) at the intersection point of the main axis. The occupants of the public space would be the inhabitants of the city, specifically focusing on the upper class and members of the royal family. A trail of mourners would follow the procession while bystanders light candles in honor of the deceased king.

-Group: Following the funeral procession the deceased king is taken down into the actual burial chamber. The space in the actual chamber is significantly smaller than that of the public space and therefor will only hold a select group of people. The occupants of the chamber include the deceased king (obviously) and multiple spiritual beings as well as earthly beings. The king is placed in a kneeling position beside a spirit. The kings arms are crossed which to show penance. While the spiritual beings may not take up physical space, they are still a pivotal part of the burial ceremony. The purpose in the presence of the spirits is to cure the king of his final affliction which is death. The main focus of the ceremony is making sure that the king's spirit travels safely to the afterlife. The main occupants of the burial chamber at this point are the presiding king and his queen. They are responsible for the well-being of the deceased king in the afterlife. The Scribe King is the presiding figure over the ceremony. He holds a red shell that contains a small piece of jade together they represent new life emerging from the underworld. The Scribe King in this case represents what could most closely be compared to the high priest. the person responsible for conjuring up the spirits is singer, who is usually female. Accompanying the singer is her assistant ( a dwarf) who holds a conch shell and is responsible for helping her summon the spirits. The final members of the funeral party are two more dwarfs dressed as boxers who are prepared for to fight as a part of the funeral. The jade burial mask is placed on the face of the deceased king at the end of the ceremony to protect him on his journey to the next life.

-Solitary: The solitary space can be represented in two different aspects. The space can be represented by the very small space that exists between the face of the king and the mask itself. This mask is created when the king is younger and is used throughout his rule in various different ceremonies. The mask however is never adorned on the face until the time of the burial; it is always worn tied upside down around the neck. The other way that the solitary space can be represented is through the solitary journey that the spirit takes to reach the afterlife This journey is filled with many tribulations including dangerous encounters with malevolent gods of death and disease. This is why it is important for the spirit to protect itself with the jade burial mask. Finally these gods are defeated by Hunaphu and Xbalanque, the twins who resurrect their father, the Maize god. The king's final destination is realized after he finally reaches the afterlife.

Hypothesis: Mayan Warfare versus Religious Practices

The Maya civilization was well-known for their religious practices and warfare. Mayan cities, including Uxmal, were constructed accordingly to the needs of religious practices, spiritual sanctuaries, and sacred temples. Since the civilization held a strong and conventional beliefs, the ruins of Uxmal (as well as other Mayan cities) suggests that the constructions within the site were built with defensive systems for the possibility of a battle to defend their beliefs. Not only that Uxmal was once enclosed by a defensive wall systems, but also each of the programs were constructed on elevated landscape or platforms for further defenses. Moreover, in a smaller scale of the defensive systems, the threshold and the entry to any of the edifice were constructed in a very narrow and limited manner. These applications of the defensive designs also define the importance of the programs, and reveal the hierarchy among each of the edifices in Uxmal.

On the contrary, many of the Mayan artifacts suggested differently that the Mayan edifices and programs were built specifically for religious practices with less concerns for their defenses. Artifacts, including the weapons, revealed the importance of the symbolism and the meaning of the weapons. Mayans believed that their gods and spirits would being them the victory. The carved stone weapon (as shown in the diagram) “suggests a zoomorph, perhaps a snake in its long, sinuous shape;” and the simplicity of the design is also apparent. This particular artifact shows the design that is inspired by an animal and may perhaps held a certain symbolism or significance, while also provides the user with a simple design to serve its functions. However, since carved stone weapons were used both in daily life, for sacrifices and as a weapon, these purposes suggest that the edifices and the programs were designed not only to hold symbolism and imagery for their gods but also for defensive purposes and daily rituals.

Artifact: Artisan Articulation

The Maya placed great importance on Nature. Animals were usually given their own myth and some were also considered to be affiliated with certain aspects of life, such as the jaguar being regarded as the protector of the Underworld. Spider monkeys also had their own significance. They were believed to have been descended from the Hero Twins', Hunahpu and Xbalanque, older half-brothers. The half-brothers were very skilled at the arts: pottery, writing, dancing, etc. One day, they were tricked by the Hero Twins to climb a tall tree. The tree then grew, creating a tall void between the ground and tree, and disabling them to climb back down. The Hero Twins told their half-brothers to wear their loin cloths as tails to help them climb down, but instead turned them into spider and howler monkeys. Therefore, spider and howler monkeys became the gods of artists and writers, and had many artifacts dedicated to them. Statues of the half-brothers were prayed to in order to embody some of their skill to the artist or artwork being created. The simian artifacts are usually found in artisan-oriented places. Those spaces specifically designed to aid craftsmen in their work. The ornamentation on the artifact inspires the worker's mind in the details of ceramics, or the architect's articulation of buildings. The monkey god is also depicted during the crafting of a mask held in between his hands, hinting to the program of the place in which the artifact should be located.

Much like artifacts were created for specific events or situations, constructions were created with specific programs. Maya city planners realized the importance of compartmentalization, so different constructions were erected for singular purposes: The Governor's Palace used as the ruler's residence, The Ball Court used for sporting ceremonies, or The House of Birds speculated to have served as military headquarters.

Artifact: Mayan Calendar

The Maya are most famous for their architecture, art, and advanced studies of mathematics and astrology. Mayan ruins are rich with clues about the mystery of this Mesoamerican society and are still studied today. These ancient city plans and structures are designed and constructed to meet the religious and ceremonial needs of the Mayans. The Maya worshipped and prayed to a numerous assortment of gods, each having their own unique, individual aspects that fulfilled different functions. Through their interactions and cultural diffusement with other Mesoamerican civilizations and their own studies of the stars, the Maya created a fully developed system of calendars. These calendars consisted of three separate systems (Long Count, Tzolk’in, and Haab) of tracking time that overlap and intersected at key points in each’s cycle. In the Cuauhxicalli Eagle Bowl (shown above) each cycle is represented. The sun god Tonatuiah is depicted in the center, surrounded by the four previous perished creations (jaguar, wind, rain, water). This is enveloped by the 20 day cycle of the Tzolk’in and the five dots for the five unlucky days that align the Tzolk’in 360 day cycle with the Haab 365 day cycle. It was the Mayan priest’s job to interpret these calendars’ cycles and give a prophetic outlook on the past or future to the Mayan population based on the calendars relationships. “The repetition of the various calendric cycles, the natural cycles of observable phenomena, and the recurrence and renewal of death-rebirth imagery in their mythological traditions were important influences upon Maya societies.”* The celestial and terrestrial cycles observed by the Mayans and inscribed in their calendars marked the timing of each ritual and ceremony. The Mayan calendar also allowed for the priest to record events in an elegant linear system. The Maya believed that knowing the past meant you could understand the cyclical influences of the present, and by understanding the present, they could understand the cyclical influences of the future.

*Coe (1992), Miller and Taube (1993).

Artifact: Mayan Calendar - facts, thoughts, and theories

          (scale of artifact in relation to observer or "client")

          The Maya calendar is one of the most easily understood versions of Mesoamerican time documentation that has survived the ages. It combines several ideas or systems of time into one artifact. The two main systems used are known as the Tzolk'in and Haab; the Tzolk'n date system revolves around a 260 day cycle, and the Haab consists of a 365 day cycle. The two sync every 52 Haab years, and this period of time is known as the Calendar Round. Mayans used to wait in anxiety to see if the gods would grant them another 52 years of life, so the end of every Calendar Round cycle was stressful in ancient times. The 52 year cycle was later adapted to the Long Count calendar for practicality because previously only one cycle would occur in a lifetime.

          The completion of certain cycles was marked by monuments or dedications, usually in the form of buildings - stelas or twin pyramid complexes. While there are no such specific monuments in Uxmal, the ideas are carried through from the calendar to the ornamentation and style of certain buildings at the site. 

          The relation of this artifact to an occupant or observer is important to consider because of the varying aspects of the artifact itself. The Maya calendar can be found in many different sizes, each relating to a human being at a different scale. The most common size is the one displayed above, where it is shown in an exhibit. The significance of the fact that there are various sizes lies in the possibilities of the calendar's meaning. The calendar is still used to a certain extent today; there is a lot of speculation and fear about the supposed end of the world due to Maya predictions based on the calendar from ancient times. It is amazing to think that an artifact from such a long time ago can be held with such credibility in current times, and it is equally amazing that the Mayans could predict time so many years into the future.

          Time is an integral part of any civilization, and thus this artifact is relevant across the ages. It allows for the creation of a sort of itinerary through time and guides people through their lives. Having a consistent, reliable method of telling time and separating one day from the other is something that will always be historic, contemporary, and futuristic all at once.

Artfiact: Ceramic Drum

The Mayans were known to hold various ceremonies associated with ball games, death, religious ceremonies, and other festive occasions. These large ceremonies, would fill open plazas, used for ceremonial dances. The dance that took place during these festivities was the main form of amusement in which musical instruments were used to create the beat for the dance. The dance entailed performers, dressed in supernatural costumes and often called "Holmul dancers," that reenacted mythical scenes. The performances united the community as performers and audience shared the experience. Music was considered a cultural activity that was divided between classes, and prestige was often indicated through the use of music and musical instruments, one of which was the drum.

Musicians would beat the drum which would produce sound by the vibration of a tightly fixed membrane. This vibrating membrane enabled the projection of sound that could sometimes be heard over a distance of two leagues.

Death served as a very important time for uniting the community. When such ceremonial gatherings came to an end, the musicians would throw their instruments into the burial chambers, often royal tombs, as a means to help the dead find their way into the spiritual world. In this action, the use of the drum changed from being an instrument used by the living, creating sound for gathering in an open space, to being a symbolic object used to help find the right path for the dead within the subterranean word. The closed space of the burial chamber can be thought of as the threshold for the drum in which its use is differentiated into one that inspires path and how an individual gathers and travels through the cycle of life and death.

The Mayan religious tradition was based on cycles and the belief that knowing the past meant knowing the cyclical influences that created the present. With this knowledge, the cyclical influences of the future could then be seen. The constant beat of the drum can be looked at as a cycle of sound that inspires the path taken from life into the spiritual realm of death through its symbolic descent into the interior of the earth, via the stairway (burial chamber) into the subterranean world. Through this distancing sound, the acoustics of the space created by the drum travel from being heard in past, open gathering space to being present in a defined closed space to then traveling into an imagined space of the spiritual in which path may vary.

Mayan Flask

Uxmal was a self sustaining, thriving community with many different facets for trade, science, religion, and medicine. The constructions of the site all served different purposes from highlighting a connection to other planets to housing militants. A common theme between all the constructions is that they display their purpose in their ornamentation. By reading the symbols and delicately designed crownings, one can discover the designers intent. For example, the Governor's Palace is heavily decorated with symbols for the number eight and depictions for Quatacoatl, thought to be the God of Venus. Those clues all tell the visitor to this space that it's divine purpose is to show the southernmost rise of Venus every eight years. Despite what the first impression may be of this construction, by looking closer one can discover the true intent.

The same can be said of this artifact, the Mayan Flask. At first glance, one would think it was used for alcohol or perhaps water. Yet, the Mayan Flask tells exactly what it's purpose is on the flask itself. Most flasks were used by the medicine men of the village to hold potions for healing. Sometimes though the flasks would hold something closely related to a modern day hallucinogen drug. The flasks were used by all villagers, but it was carried by those in charge of medicine or perhaps magicians.

The space that would hold this artifact would be a spot of healing, possibly a community healing place like a hospital or a spiritual healing place of meditation, a hot springs.

Artifact:: God of Maize Plate

The Maize Plate is a ritualistic piece in Mayan society. It is centered around the Maize God, which represents the cyclical life of their harvest. It acts as what can be considered the chora of their civilization because the conceptual principles behind the origin of the actual artifact informs the daily routine and path of the Mayans. The artifact integrates a religious environment into a cultural stability that is the Mayan civilization.

Located in the center of the Artifact, the portrayal of the Maize God anchors the ornamentation around it. The Maize God is dancing with his hands towards the west, representing the cycle of the sun, which sets in the same direction. His headdress is in the shape of what looks to be a cornucopia, often used to hold vegetables and fruit in festivities. The ornamentation that encompasses the Maize God depicts the other Gods with significance to the Maya. The two systematically depict how the Maya have categorized what they hold as important and why myth and nature have united to inform the itinerary within Uxmal. The Plate has three layers to its aesthetic and the shift in their scales is what adopts the intervened spacial qualities to the moment where it can be held and observed.

The artifact itself creates an opportunity to integrate the daily rituals of the Maya with what is more ceremonial and proper. It intersects the concept of public and private program, where certain aspects of such an intervention become remnants of an overall itinerary. Much like the void between the Governor's Palace and the cemetery group, the intervention unites what potentially could be a commonplace for the occupants of the site, otherwise unoccupied at the moment. This phenomena of ellipsis occurs at various times, each different in experience and ambiance. The Maize Plate is ritualistic at a larger scale, in the form of a gathering platform, much like the jaguar thrones throughout Uxmal that would provide a space of ceremony. However, these spaces lacked the specifics for observation. The plate is also domestic, being a tool that is used in daily living and regarded as something which anchors necessity (food). However, there are moments where the ellipsis plays a part of idolization.

Artifact: Jade Mask

The main reason I had in choosing a mask as my artifact was because my initial impression was that a mask serves as protection. It envelops and shelters the face from harm. In addition to covering the face, a mask provides a unique ability to see the underlying structure of the face by forming to and responding to the features of the face. I found that there was an interesting correlation between the use of a mask and its relation to the face and the method of construction in Uxmal. The constructs of Uxmal respond to the ground in a way that they almost become part of the ground. The use of a mask serves a similar function but at a scale that is relative to the human face and body.

In Mayan culture, masks were used in a variety of different ways. They were used during burial ceremonies and placed on the face of the dead within their tomb, in celebratory ceremonies, and also in battle. It is unknown what the true purpose of wearing the mask into battle was, whether it was for protection, to simply intimidate the enemy or if it was to have an "ethereal effect." I find it interesting that one particular object could be used for such different purposes. The same object that could be placed on the face of a deceased ruler in a time of mourning could be used to provide entertainment in a time of joy and happiness. Just as the masks served different purposes, they also had many different likenesses. Some of the masks represented earthly beings such as animals while other masks would have the likeness of deities such as Chak, the god of rain.

The particular mask that I selected was made from several pieces of jade. The composition of this mask evokes the thought of the design method of a kit of parts. The mask is made of many different pieces of jade and other materials which separated mean nothing at all. However, when placed together, these pieces of fit together as one entity that molds to the shape and contours of the face. The composition of a construct and even a city can be thought of in a similar way. Individually, the materials used to construct a building such as wood, limestone, etc. may be systems but don't serve much use until they begin to work together. Likewise, a city is composed of many different buildings that all work together to serve the purposes of the occupants whom inhabit it.