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Abstract:
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This thesis analyzes a series of stucco reliefs that decorate the piers of House D of the Palace of Palenque , a Classic Maya city in modern Chiapas , Mexico . Each of the five extant piers of House D depict pairs of individuals facing each other and engaged in what appears to be ritual performances associated with dance and sacrifice . I rely on an iconographic analysis of the reliefs of House D and on a reading of the architecture in relation to the surrounding built environment in order to reconstruct ancient patterns of viewership . I argue that the reliefs of House D of the Palace present a royal narrative where myth and history are fused , and that this combination is validated through ritual performance . The integration of mythical and historical narratives is transmitted through the ruler's enactment of past events that take place in a watery environment signifying the mythical origins of the city of Palenque . This performative narrative at the same time reproduces and perpetuates the actual ceremonies that took place in and around the building , specifically in the monumental stairway and in the ceremonial plaza that flank the building on its western margin . The dynastic messages embedded in the narrative of the piers , and its incorporation into the performances associated with the building , serve to promote the military accomplishments and the political legitimacy of a new ruling dynasty , initiated by the king of Palenque K'inich Janab Pakal , who is the main figure portrayed on the reliefs . |