Interpreting an Early Classic Pecked Cross in the Candelaria Caves, Guatemala: Archaeological and Indigenous Perspectives
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Publication Date
2014
Publication Title
Ethnoarchaeology
Volume Number
6
Issue Number
2
Abstract
Pecked crosses, a variant of a common Prehispanic American symbol often referred to as a “quartered” or “quadripartite” circle, are commonly found in central and northern Mexico during the florescence of Teotihuacan (ca. A.D. 100–650) and often interpreted as astronomical devices. The subject of this article is a pecked cross found in the Candelaria Caves, Guatemala, one of four examples that have been found to date in the Maya world. The author interprets the symbol through two distinct lenses—first as an archaeologist and then through its cosmological significance according to contemporary Q'eqchi' Maya daykeepers. Although the methodologies and approaches differ, there is common ground between them—both point to the symbol’s associations with ritual events, directionality, and the passage of time.
Document Type
Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1179/1944289014Z.00000000019
Recommended Citation
Woodfill, Brent Skoy Kerry, "Interpreting an Early Classic Pecked Cross in the Candelaria Caves, Guatemala: Archaeological and Indigenous Perspectives" (2014). KIP Articles. 7162.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/7162
