Ancient Maya Figurines

The function of Maya figurines is well speculated, but decidedly hypothetical due to the fact that material culture can change rapidly. However, some archaeologists have narrowed down the function of figurines based on the locations in which figurines have been found in the archaeological record. In her book Maya Figurines, Christina Halperin points out, “the large range of contexts in which archaeologists have recovered figurines suggests that ‘human actions’ incorporating these small figurative objects cross-cut elements of ritual, entertainment, and play” (Halperin 187). So, while there is no definitive answer as to the function, figurines have been found in ritual and non-ritual spaces in households which means they may have been sources of enjoyment as well as ritualistic elements.

Halperin identifies four types of Maya Figurines based on molding and modeling patterns. Each type was manufactured for a variety of activities and people. Type 1 figurines have been the most common ones found and include ocarinas made for musical implementation. Type 1 figurines are considered as having “required low skill levels and low labor costs”, which would make them perfect for mass distribution amongst less prominent members of society (Halperin 155). Type 2 figurines included full bodied human-like figures with disproportionate bodies. Where type 1 figurines are thought to be tied to the rise or fall of cultural, religious, and ruling institutions, type 2 figurines are more simplistic in distributions. Types 3 and 4 are considered the most complicated in terms of modeling. Headdresses, hair, and other accessories can be found on these types and while some may have been musical a majority are nonmusical, representing people of importance: “most of which appear to have portrayed anthropomorphic elite male rulers, ritual specialists, dignitaries, warriors, or performers” (Halperin 160). Economically speaking, types 1 and 2 would have been more accessible to the general public due to their ease of manufacturing, whereas types 3 and 4 would have been used in ceremonies or rituals and were well-crafted.

In an article on figurine whistles Julia Hendon points out that while many of the human and animal figurines and whistles were made using molds, such molds have not been found in places such as Copan. Hendon reveals that the mold-made figurines were sourced from northern Honduras where they were manufactured and traded. She states, “the stylistic variety and different kinds of clay used to make the figurines suggests that the Copan elite were getting their figurine-whistles from many different complex communities in northern Honduras” (Hendon 32). This further proves that the elite Maya were able to afford the more complex and intricate figurines that are now associated with ritual sand ceremonies; however, Hendon points out that when excavating in Honduras there seems to be little evidence of trade between the people of Copan and other civilizations in northern Honduras. So, while the Maya were able to acquire and make use of foreign objects in ceremonies or in everyday life it is still unclear how they obtained the figurines much less what specific figurines might have been used for.

Halperin, Christina T. Maya Figurines: Intersections between State and Household. University of Texas Press, 2014. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/book/28962.

“In the House: Maya Nobility and Their Figurine-Whistles.” Expedition, vol. 45, no. 3, Winter 2003, pp. 28–33. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=11598554&site=eds-live&scope=site.