| Popis: |
This chapter examines the role of ritual and religion in the development of social complexity and the institutionalization of hierarchy in the Belize River valley. The authors synthesize Preclassic data from the sites of Blackman Eddy, Cahal Pech, and Xunantunich related to early religious behaviour and document how ritual activities and public architecture changed through time in order to both emphasize and reinforce inequalities within the society, and thus reflect transformations in shared religious beliefs. Evidence from the Belize River valley suggests that rituals revolving around the veneration of ancestors were a critical component in the processes of both establishing and maintaining social hierarchies. |
