Desiree Smith | 2025 I.S. Symposium

Name: Desiree Smith
Title: Patron Deities and Ancestral Maya Ontologies: A Contextual Analysis of the Waka’ Burial 61 Akan Effigy, Petén, Guatemala
Major: Archeology; Environmental Geosciences
Advisors: Olivia Navarro-Farr; Meagen Pollock

In 2012, the tomb of a royal woman was discovered in a buried subphase of a central ceremonial building in the heart of ancient Waka’. The interred was identified as Lady K’abel, the site’s most significant Snake Dynast whose Calakmul origins and title of Ix K’aloomte (roughly translated to “lady supreme warrior”) positioned her as superior in rank to her spouse, 6th century classic Waka’ ruler K’inich Bahlam II. Situated in the pelvis of the interred, archaeologists discovered a roughly hewn figurine. This object has been interpreted as an effigy, depicting one of, if not the most significant of Waka’s patron deities known as Akan, the god of drinking, disease, and death (Grube 2004). The object seems to be made of soft carbonate stone and of small size. Its position in the pelvis of this woman in the birthing position has been identified by Navarro-Farr and colleagues (2024) as indicative of Lady K’abel’s role as a conjurer. In the following, I argue that in addition to the feature of its positioning, the object’s material composition further underscores its significance. The recognition of themes regarding divination, magic, sorcery, ritual, and ceremony, the importance of connecting with the supernatural who inhabit the world around them has led archaeologists to better understand and appreciate how material deposits represent/manifest these nuanced worldviews.

Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.