IN THE TIME OF THE MAYA
The ancient Maya civilization of Mexico and Central America reached a pinnacle of socio-political development and complexity during the first millennium AD known as the Classic period. During that time the Maya followed a calendar whose cycles of time were set to reach completion in the year 2012 of the Gregorian calendar. However celebrated this phase of Maya civilization's history might be, the Classic period still only represents a handful of centuries within millennia of continuous cultural development that runs up to the present day. Yet, the year 2012 does indeed mark the completion of a rare over-5000 year cycle of the Long Count calendar used by the ancient Maya. In fact, this anniversary has occasioned a recent regrettable and misleading apocalyptic interest in this civilization.
Therefore, now more than ever, it is important to contemplate and underscore the resilience of Maya culture and tradition throughout the millennia despite several major socio-political upheavals. To celebrate the nature of Maya society throughout this long period, this conference will conduct a "baktun count" to cover the development of Maya society from the time of mythical creation to the present. Each speaker will cover a single baktun (period of ca. 400 years) and summarize the ways in which Maya society both innovated and resisted change. In this way, we will travel methodically through millennia of time to learn how from their past, the Maya have and will face the future.
Speakers
"Maya Apocalypse Soon?" -- Anthony F. Aveni
"Making History &Materializing Sacred Place in the Text-Free Style of 7.0.0.0.0" -- Patricia McAnany
"Cycle 8: The Fall of a Giant and the Rise of a King" -- Katherine Reese-Taylor
"Terse Texts, Passive Participants: Classic Maya Texts of the Tenth Baktun (435-830 AD)" -- Marc Zender
"Bak'tun 10: Transitions and Transformations" -- Prudence Rice
"The Eleventh Baktun: A View from Mayapan, the Last Maya Capital in Mexico" -- Susan Milbrath
"The Thirteenth Baqtun: eve of the New Maya Dawn? Mayan peoples in the "last" Baqtun" -- Judith Maxwell