Abstract

GRUBE, Nikolai. Preclassic Writing in Southern Campeche: The Mural Paintings from Chakjobon. Estud. cult. maya [online]. 2023, vol.61, pp.11-28.  Epub June 26, 2023. ISSN 0185-2574.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.ecm/61.002x4856001sm1.

The wall paintings in a burial chamber in the small site of Chakjobon in the Reserva Balam Ku in the south of the state of Campeche are published for the first time. For stylistic reasons, the murals are contemporary with the murals of San Bartolo in Guatemala. The great importance of the Chakjobon paintings lies in the fact that they contain two very early hieroglyphic texts, thus adding to the very limited corpus of Late Preclassic texts found in situ. The signs show strong parallels with the texts from San Bartolo, but also from Kaminaljuyu Stela 10, and suggest that already in the Late Preclassic there must have been a transregional communication between scribal communities about signs and about writing in general. We can assume that the throne scene depicted in the painting as well as the written texts referred to the person that was originally interred in the burial chamber.

Keywords : Late Preclassic Period; Campeche; Early Writing; Mural Paintings; Maya.

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