A picture of one of the paintings at Bonampak, an ancient Maya site in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, bordering Guatemala

Washington, Oct. 3: Based on an analysis of magnificent stone sculptures of Classic Maya culture, anthropologists at University of Arizona have come to the conclusion that the State theatre played a prominent role in Mayan political organization.

Takeshi Inomata of University of Arizona says that the images from the sculptures of AD 250-900 show acts of public performance conducted by rulers, which is a clear indication of the prominent role that theatre played in that society.

After analyzing plazas where many stone monuments are placed, the anthropologists reached the conclusion that extensive gathering places were a crucial concern in Maya city planning, and that the spaces were designed in such a manner that they could accommodate almost the entire Kingdom's population.

Inomata says that Maya Kings wore ostentatious feathered head-dresses and elaborate costumes, and danced in these large plazas in front of a large audience.

He says that these mass spectacles were occasions in which the general populace shared the experience of witnessing rulers engaged in culturally charged ritual performances.

However, these occasions also suggest that the rulers were under constant evaluation by their subjects.

"Large-scale theatrical events gave physical reality to a community and helped to ground unstable community identities in tangible forms through the use of symbolic acts and objects," Inomata writes.

"The centrality of rulers in communal events suggests that the identities of a Maya community revolved around the images of supreme political leaders. … Large gatherings also gave the elite an opportunity to impose their ideologies and cultural values on the rest of society through performances," he added.

The study has been published in Current Anthropology. (ANI)