Santander, February 19th-22nd 2008 - Aranzadi

MUNIBE(Suplemento/Gehigarria) - nº nº 3100 226-235 000-000 DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN 2010 2003 D.L. ISSN SS-1055-2010
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The Maya nacreous shell garment of Oxtankah
(Quintana Roo, México)
La vestimenta maya de nácar de Oxtankah
(Quintana Roo, México)
KEY WORDS: Garment, nacreous, Maya, manufacture, restoration.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Vestimenta, nácar, Maya, manufactura, restauración.
GAKO-HITZAK: Jantziak, nakarra, Maia, manufaktura, zaharberritzea.
Hortensia DE VEGA (1) , Emiliano R. MELGAR (2) & M. de Lourdes GALLARDO (2)
ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the existence of a Maya nacreous shell garment by analyzing more than 1600 shell objects from a
tomb at Oxtankah, near Chetumal City in Quintana Roo, México. We showed the different techniques employed on this pieces (taxonomical identification,
typology based on shape and function, and technological analysis with experimental archaeology and Scanning Electron Microscopy).
Also, we compared the design of different garments from hundreds of images from 32 Mayan archaeological sites and the Calakmul reddish
shell garment, appreciating in almost all of them the same semicircular shape. Finally, we showed how we restored the garment
RESUMEN
El propósito de este trabajo es mostrar la existencia de una vestimenta Maya conformada por más de 1600 piezas en nácar de concha halladas
en una tumba de Oxtankah, cerca de la ciudad de Chetumal en Quintana Roo, México. Mostramos los diferentes análisis realizados a estos
objetos (identificación taxonómica, tipología basada en forma y función y estudio tecnológico con arqueología experimental y microscopía electrónica
de barrido). Así mismo, a partir de la comparación de los diseños de vestimentas en 32 sitios Mayas, pudimos apreciar que la forma
más común de los objetos es la semicircular. Además comparamos esta con una vestimenta similar en concha rojiza recuperada en una tumba
de Calakmul. Finalmente, señalamos los trabajos de restauración y conservación aplicados en el armado de dicha vestimenta.
LABURPENA
Oxtankah herriko hilobi batean, Chetumal hiritik hurbil, Quintana Roo estatuan (Mexiko), aurkitutako maskor-nakarrezko 1.600 pieza baino
gehiagoz egindako jantzi maia baten berri ematea da lan honen helburua. Objektu horiei egindako analisiak erakusten ditugu (identifikazio taxonomikoa,
forman eta funtzioan oinarritutako tipologia, eta arkeologia esperimentalaren eta ekorketako mikroskopia elektronikoaren bidezko azterketa
teknologikoa). Gainera, 32 gune maiatako jantzien diseinuak alderatuz, objektuen formarik arruntena erdizirkularra dela hauteman izan ahal
dugu. Eta hori Calakmuleko hilobi batean berreskuratutako maskor gorrizko jantzi batekin alderatu genuen. Azkenik, jantzi hori osatzeko zer
zaharberritze- eta kontserbazio-lan aplikatu diren erakusten dugu.
1. INTRODUCTION
Oxtankah is a little coast town located 16 kilometres
north of Chetumal City, in Quintana Roo
México (fig. 1). It has been explored since 1996 by
the archaeologist Hortensia de Vega Nova who
directed the “Research and conservation Project of
the site of Oxtankah, Quintana Roo” at the National
Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico.
During the excavations between November 2000
and January 2001 inside the Structure VI of Plaza de
las Columnas, three tombs of Late Classic period
were discovered. Tomb 1 was remarkable because
of the find of eight human burials, one of them with
a shell garment. This garment consisted of more
than two thousand jadeite and shell pieces which
demonstrate the wealth and power of the inhabitants
of the site. The major part of these elements
were placed over the principal body of the burial- a
male adult- but at these time, we could not have any
interpretation of the meaning of the setting and its
relation with the skeleton. It was noticeable that
more than 1500 circular nacreous shell pieces were
placed near the chest of the body. So, this paper is
about the investigation, analysis and conservation
applied to those items and their probable function.
(1)
Centro INAH-Morelos, Matamoros 14, Col. Acapantzingo, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, C.P. 62440 (hdevega40@hotmail.com).
(2)
Museo del Templo Mayor, Seminario 8, Col. Centro, Del. Cuauhtémoc, México D.F., C.P. 06060 (anubismarino@gmail.com and salymar@avantel.net).