Ritual, Violence, and the Fall of the Classic Maya Kings EDITED BY GYLES IANNONE, BRETT A. HOUK, AND SONJA A. SCHWAKE Diane 2 Chae and Aclen Chas, Series EditorsKilling the “Kings of Stone” “The Defacement of Clasic Maya Monuments ELEANOR HARRISON-BUCK Epiraphers suggested some time ago, base on thir decpherments of cent Maya hletopyphic texts, that scred objet suchas monuments ‘wer “ensoled via precious yl blood, cops, and ther prescribed ritual oferings (Fedele al 1993, 181-226 Houston and Star 1996, 294-295 Schleand Miler 1986,15-185 Start 996,160) In cae ofstone mon- ements David Stuart (936,160) further suggested thatthe carved images of Nay kings wer not just elite potas but were seen at actuaexenions of the royal self. Like humans, these “kings of stone” were named, clothed, nurture with oferings and acqulred ace, or iner life force (Start 1956, 157, Vogt 1998, 2). According to nuerous ethnographic account, the al costes a pr ofthe soul and inhabits the blood ofall mars" Houston and Start 1996, 295; se alo Pred et al 1993, 18-185) Following Vogt 19652, 3) and others, the term "ou" sed adviedly heres inherently distorts the nuances of ndigenoas bei. Most schol 8 of Maya ethnography and archacology (inching epigraphers) still use theterm “tou butacknowledge the imation tose Although may hae gone by a diferent came the concep ofa cui ley rendered in tints ropes of blood in the cnogrepy anit sls found inthe evigopy,whete it forms the gyphic element for fl (or hu), meaning “waren or “holiness (reidl etl 1953, 18; Houston and Start 1996, 294-285; Stuart 1984). As ative participants, fone monuments, or hilakamaun holy big stone, were engaged members of ongoing ual performance tat involved human and nonhuman sical actors an, like rulers, could eect change in the word (Stuart 1996 se lo Gilespe 200), 2008 Harison-Buck 20123, 103. Despite these andthe bresihroughs(4 Berar ack {nth ieroghyphic decpherments, few Maya archacologss hae seriously considered the role(s such nonhuman agents played as socal actors in ancient Maya soley. Here hese eas concerning the Maya sell, nonhuman agency, andthe construction of pertontood ar explored andthe ageacy of monument tue considered the contet of their defacement. Tis work bulls ona previous study ofa sercs of patterned terminal deposits that contain in {ome instances evidence of smashed and defaced monuments (Harrison Back 202} Elwhere Thave suggested that these epost ar the causal remains of "termination ritual found at ses acres a road area ofthe ‘Maya lowlands catngto the transton rom the Late the Terminal Cas- sic (AD 750-850) Harrison-Buck 2012; Harison-Backet al. 2007), Tee ‘ination rita are disingushed from midens or reverential deposits onthe base of several contextual criteria that Pagiaro and collegues have culined (2003, 79-60), These include intensive burning, structural dan ag, pot smashirg and satering, rapid deposition of material, dense con- entation oflage sherds with sharp, angular breaks and larg quanties of elite artifacts. Unlike most domestic trash depots, a key feature of desecaory (as eppsed to reverent) termination depos primary or ‘econdary-cntet human remains sich deposit may valve “purpote fal disturbance and/or desecration of elite bias ak wel atthe remains of sual sured elite inhabitants of « Maya community” (Paglia eta 2003, 80) tnstado beng along he side of behind structures, a8 ype of middens,desecratory termination deposts ae usually located at kay pins of tension, in ares tht block ces to rooms a elite residential lana group. anor nthe font tes ofbuldigs (see Houkthis volume). Ofrelevane hen isthe daficement and mutation of carved monuments other key fate ofterminationsituals that often concdes with he de struction of porubeabets and buldings Freie and Schle 98; Mock 13985). ‘argue that mutated monument were the victims of souls simed terminating the nal reigning Maya kings and tei ancestral ineapes. " bepn with «dscusion ofthe epgrapic and ethnographic references {tatsbedsomelphon nonhuman apeny among the May and ofthe an cient practice ofmonument mutilation aa method of soul dsplacement Then presenta dete study of several defced monuments dating 0 he nd ofthe Class period that have been documented at Piedras Negras, Dos Pas, Palenque, Tal, and Copan, among other Caste Maya cen: ters able 3). In tbe ase studies presented ere, the ule’ eskdence and