@article {9749,
	title = {Ritual Procession and the Creation of Civitas Among the Ancient Maya: A Case Study from Naachtun, Guatemala},
	journal = {Canadian Journal of Archaeology},
	volume = {36},
	year = {2012},
	pages = {141-165},
	abstract = {<p>Ritual. As in many early civilizations, for the Ancient Maya ritual served as one of the principle mediators between religion and politics, between the State and its people. In this paper I explore these relationships through a discussion of ritual procession and its role in the creation of what the Romans termed civitas (one\&rsquo;s communal identity as a citizen of the State). I discuss how public rituals may be invoked to naturalize the socio-political structure of the State (the polis), while paradoxically breaking down status-based conventions of proxemics to foster a broader sense of community (communitas). Finally, I close this paper with a case study drawn from my Master\&rsquo;s research at the large Maya civic-ceremonial centre of Naachtun, Guatemala. I make a case for the maintenance of a formalized path through the heart of this monumental site and explore its possible role as a processional route.</p>},
	author = {Shawn G. Morton}
}
