Papers by Stacey A Giulianti
The history of shamanism in pre-contact South and Mesoamerica follows a diverse, ranging pathway,... more The history of shamanism in pre-contact South and Mesoamerica follows a diverse, ranging pathway, much like the Amazon and Orinoco snake their way through the physical landscape of those regions. Indeed, even determining the boundaries of who is a shaman and what activities connote shamanism is a difficult scholarly task. It has been noted that the term shaman "has come to mean many things to many people." Many scholars "are using shamanism to provide predictable, easy, and ultimately inadequate answers to what are often very complex questions about the relationship of ... religion, medicine, and politics in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica." Shamans bring to light the spirits of the past; they use their skills to open the doorway between worlds, obtaining assistance from more powerful forces. Calling forth the sacred, by use of festivals or at ritual locations, shamans "render primordial beings present again but in less absolute guise.
"There is a never-ending struggle in This World between power and anti-power[.]" The shaman play... more "There is a never-ending struggle in This World between power and anti-power[.]" The shaman plays a key role, representing the hopes and dreams of the human world, against evil spirits and deadly sorcerers. Ethnographers, having collectively witnessed modern tribal shamans heal, dance, and lead their people. Shamans attempt to bring to their communities a sense of unity, prosperity, and understanding. Through the words and rituals of the shaman, the tribe "learns that the cosmos makes sense."
Museum exhibits carry weighty responsibility, acting as teachers and translators for everyone tha... more Museum exhibits carry weighty responsibility, acting as teachers and translators for everyone that walks through their portal. "Now an exhibition often bears the burden of being representative of an entire group or region. With multiplied opportunities, each exhibition will be just one assertion in an ongoing discussion." Moreover, any single exhibition illustrates the intellectual knowledge of the curators and researchers only at that point in time. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Jan Mitchell Pre-Columbian Gold Collection is presented "as a collection," with an entire room dedicated to the beauty and creativity of such objects. This essay reviews various pieces of the collection, how they are displayed, the history of the objects, issues of provenance, and our quest for understanding these regal cultures.
The Maya employed the ball game as a substitute for war, for both earthly (between polities) and ... more The Maya employed the ball game as a substitute for war, for both earthly (between polities) and heavenly (to appease the gods) battles. The Mesoamerican ball game, played by both children in fields and elite specialists honoring the gods, was believed to have had astronomical, cultural, military, and spiritual significance. While the ballgame was certainly played for recreation, entertainment and competition, it was -- in its highest form -- a re-enactment of warfare.
Religion -- and the symbolic representations in art, dance, ceremonies, and social institutions -... more Religion -- and the symbolic representations in art, dance, ceremonies, and social institutions -- acted as a "compulsive force" which held a Mayan polity together. Specifically, the Mayan elite promulgated "a state religion in which the political leaders were the intermediaries between gods and men." Speaking for the gods, as their agents on earth, would inevitably provide a rationale for the elite exercising power over the commoners.
Daily life in a Mayan kingdom was a complex, multi-faceted -- and often times difficult -- way of... more Daily life in a Mayan kingdom was a complex, multi-faceted -- and often times difficult -- way of life. Their geographic area encompassed a portion of Mesoamerica, from Southeastern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula down into Northern Central America. Mayan territory included Pacific coastline, mountainous highlands, and forested lowlands. Scholars today believe the total area covered approximately 125,000 square miles. Each area had its own unique challenges, from the fertile Pacific side, with warm, tropical conditions, to the highlands, with cooler, more temperate-like zones. Volcanoes, rivers, mountains and forests fill Mayan Mesoamerica, each with its own sub-zone and micro climate. Unlike North American tribal societies, where large animals were followed seasonally, the food sources of the Maya -- fish, small animals, deer, and birds -- remained mostly stationary, permitting earlier members of Mayan society to establish deep roots in particular locales.
In less than one hundred years, the Inca -- one of several ethnic groups in western South America... more In less than one hundred years, the Inca -- one of several ethnic groups in western South America -- had created a vast state, stretching 4,300 kilometers (2,672 miles). Calling itself Tawatinsuyu, the Land of the Four Quarters, researchers believe that this "was the largest empire ever formed in the Native Americas[.]" Both the increasing material needs of the reciprocity system, along with the split inheritance phenomenon in which dead kings maintained their territorial holdings, pushed the empire to its breaking point, ultimately ending its reign.
The inhabitants of the Pre-Columbian world created numerous religious belief systems, many of whi... more The inhabitants of the Pre-Columbian world created numerous religious belief systems, many of which included huge pantheons of deities, human sacrifice, and state controlled worship. The Andeans, and the Incas in particular, had a unique world view in which natural features -- mountains, springs, rivers, and hills -- were sacred. The entire universe was considered "an animate being, a living entity," created by higher powers that exercised continual control. (Jones, p.124, 2010)
The Inca "worshiped their ancestors and features of the landscape;" weather and natural phenomena were logical foci of prayers and offerings.
Since before the collective memories of the Huichol can remember, art has been produced for commu... more Since before the collective memories of the Huichol can remember, art has been produced for community spiritual use and as gifts to the gods and ancestors. "Very little has changed in Huichol art and symbolism in the decades since" early anthropologists lived among and studied the Huichol culture. Ethnologists consider the Huichol to be an extremely "visual" culture, and thus such "beautiful material objects" are embedded within the long history of the tribe. Artistic renderings of the Huichol illustrate the "magic of a natural environment that is alive and without firm boundaries between the here and now and the ancestral past." The other-worldliness described in similar tribal cultures is non-existent in the Huichol universe, as "divinity is inherent in nature," not standing apart from it or above it, and thus not "supernatural."
Analyzing and understanding the Aztec view of the cosmos is critical to extracting meaning from t... more Analyzing and understanding the Aztec view of the cosmos is critical to extracting meaning from their texts, symbols, and belief system. The entire Aztec world view is constructed from that foundation, with myriad variations and overlapping concepts. The fullness and intricacy of Mexica spirituality linked the world of heaven to the success (or failure) of mankind; it could "web the space between the mundane and the supramundane, lacing the world of ritual to the world of the everyday, and each to the sacred." Religious symbolism, published to the population of the Central Valley of Mexico through art, literature, and ceremony, was an attempt to unify the people behind the central authority.
Creating art — beauty in physical form — is not only a 20th century instinct. “Certain tendencies... more Creating art — beauty in physical form — is not only a 20th century instinct. “Certain tendencies are so universal that they have been accepted as instincts. Thus there has always been a stream of art consciousness - an awareness, sometimes conscious, but more often unconscious, of an attempt at, or a desire for, art-expression.” Artists themselves, whether they were considered as such (based on a modern definition), were important players in Pre-Columbian societies.
Most archeology and cultural anthropology studies, in past decades, have focused on the male aspe... more Most archeology and cultural anthropology studies, in past decades, have focused on the male aspects of civilization; androcentrism was the norm. Studies of history "claim[ed] for men all of the great inventions and activities of the past[.]" (Stanton & Stewart, 1995) Power, however, is not a single possession, held in all spaces for all time. Researchers have found that Pre-Columbian women had the ability to "assert power and hold sway in some arenas of social, political, and economic life[.]" (Gero, p.49, 2001) Importantly, women "exercised enormous de facto power," despite being kept in the background by centralized, male authority. (Gero, p.50, 2001) The modern Maya, similar to their ancestors, believe that the gender roles lead to a stable and productive community; "man produces the raw materials, and woman transforms them into objects of use and consumption." (McGuinness, 2012) This paper explores the symbolism of powerful, Pre-Columbian female spirits -- The Goddesses.
The collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts held for view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are ana... more The collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts held for view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are analyzed and reviewed, especially in terms of shamanic-related physical objects.
Florida Bar Journal, Apr 1, 2003
Huichol religion and cultural standards are explored, with an analysis of the role and importance... more Huichol religion and cultural standards are explored, with an analysis of the role and importance of the shaman within the community. A full explanation of the Peyote Hunt is provided, along with a full bibliography for further research and study of this profound culture.
The Pre-Columbian world was filled with gods and supernatural powers that influenced the lives of... more The Pre-Columbian world was filled with gods and supernatural powers that influenced the lives of mortals from cradle to grave -- and beyond. As creators of the 'natural world' -- the plants and animals upon which such people relied for survival -- the gods often had animal forms or familiars to represent them in man's earthly court. The power of the gods' animalistic strength, as carved into stone by Pre-Columbian artisans, was obvious even to the arriving conquistadors as Juan Diaz expressed above. The native cultures "sought their ancestors and origins in the close relationships between humans and animals." Man lived closer to the environment in Pre-Columbian times than in much of our modern world. The ancient people's "dependency on the environment gave rise to a sense of awe and respect for the entire universe."
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Papers by Stacey A Giulianti
The Inca "worshiped their ancestors and features of the landscape;" weather and natural phenomena were logical foci of prayers and offerings.
The Inca "worshiped their ancestors and features of the landscape;" weather and natural phenomena were logical foci of prayers and offerings.