https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/71439/fullPolychrome vessel with glyphs and human figuresA.D.600-900[]Ceramic, paint, and slipSquat Maya cylindrical vessel decorated with human figures and glyphs; red, black, and brown painted decoration on white slip ground. Human figures stand with right arms raised and left arms lowered, wearing ear spools, loincloths, and elaborate headdresses. ___________ Food and Beverage Serving Vessels The bowls, plates, cups, and other food and beverage serving vessels found in the museum's collection are generally decorated rather than plain wares, but for everyday use, most serving ware would have been made of plain ceramics, dried gourds (for cups and bowls), carved wood, or basketry. Since most of the fancier pieces have been found in graves, we have to use clues from each item to determine its original function. An object's condition can give important clues as to whether or not it was used before being buried; scrape marks or chips (called use-wear) in the finish of the vessel interior are good indicators of use. Slip-painting involves decorating a ceramic item with liquid clay paints before firing. Unlike resin-based paints applied after firing, which wash off if scrubbed and burn off when heated, slip-painted decoration is relatively resistant to ordinary wear and tear. Slip paint is made by mixing different-colored clays or ground mineral pigments with water. Although some colors are found in nature, others can be made by adding powdered minerals to clay; for example, minerals high in iron produce rich oranges and reds, while those containing various forms of copper produce blues and greens. Maya (AD 250-850) The Maya civilization was one of the premier civilizations in the New World, achieving great masterpieces of art and architecture, a sophisticated calendrical system, and a formal system of writing which has only been deciphered in the past several decades. The decipherment of Maya writing enables us to have a much more detailed view of the political machinations of this series of city-states located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize, and adjacent areas of Guatemala and Honduras than had hitherto been possible. Although the exact details of the Maya collapse in the 800's are still controversial, it appears that excessive warfare and violence, coupled with environmental degradation and the stress of a large population, led to demise of this once-vibrant culture. Populations crashed, with survivors of the urban centers dispersing to more rural areas. Suggestions for further reading about the Maya: Henderson, John S. (1997): The World of the Ancient Maya. Cornell University Press: Ithaca. Schele, Linda and David A. Freidel (1990): A Forest of Kings: the Untold Story of the Ancient Maya. William Morrow:New York Sharer, Robert J. with Loa P. Traxler (2006): The Ancient Maya, sixth edition. Stanford University: Stanford.com.gallerysystems.emuseum.core.entities.Classification@61https://emuseum.cornell.edu/objects/7267/rdf