History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons^™

The Once And Future King: A New Approach To Ancient Maya Mortuary Monuments From Palenque, Tikal, And Copan, Elizabeth Olton

Art & Art History ETDs

This dissertation examines the Temple of the Inscriptions, Temple I, and Temple 26 and explores what could have motivated the Maya to construct these large monuments and how they might have been meaningful. Traditional art historical methods of comparative and formal analyses are employed as tools for discussing patterns of meaning among these temples. The structural and decorative programs shared by all three temples signal that they are part of a separate genre of architecture that is specifically mortuary and interactive. Furthermore, these features are also a mode of communication. Messages depicted in the offerings, sculpture, and spaces of the …