The lintels of Yaxchilan Structure 23 seem to be a demonstrable case wherein specific symbols are singled out and deliberately used in an ordered sequence. Taken together as a unified series, Yaxchilan Lintels 24, 25, and 26 summarize the multi-step process of royal autosacrifice. An iconographic study of the huipil patterns depicted on these lintels yields a better understanding of complex bloodletting iconography and the way in which depictions of ceremonial autosacrifice reinforce Classic Maya beliefs relating to the divine role of Maya elite in eliciting communion with the gods and the subsequent rebirth of the cosmos. The rich iconography of the lintels gives depth to our understanding of importance of royal bloodletting on a cosmic level. Their detailed imagery clarifies what seems to have occurred during each step of the ritual process. The events and symbolism depicted on the three lintels build from each other to form a unified iconographic whole centered on the rebirth of the gods and the cosmos through royal autosacrifice. Iconographic changes from one lintel to the next communicate the pervasiveness of cycles of death and rebirth in Classic Maya cosmology. The symbolism of each lintel communicates the interrelatedness of death and rebirth, while underscoring the role of the ruler in initiating cosmic renewal through autosacrifice. As Yaxchilan Lintels 24, 25, and 26 present themselves in an interrelated series, the subtle differences within the iconography from one lintel to the next represent important progressions within cycles of death and rebirth, elucidating the significance of certain steps within the royal bloodletting ritual and the cosmic rebirth that takes place as a result. As a set, the combined iconographies present on the queen's huipil—crosses, flowers, and toads—epitomize the objective of the ritual, namely rebirthing the cosmos and the gods through the sacrifice of divine blood.

Iconography encapsulates the cultural knowledge of a civilization. The ancient Maya of Mesoamerica utilized iconography to express ideological beliefs, as well as political events and histories. An ideology heavily based on the presence of an Otherworld is visible in elaborate Maya iconography. Motifs and themes can be manipulated to convey different meanings based on context. An example of this mutability can be witnessed in the depiction of Otherworld gods. Maya gods were not like Old World pantheons; gods were fluid and could function in multiple roles. Protector gods are an example of the fluidity of Maya deities. Scenes of protector gods are closely related, indicative of a specific theme and meaning. This thesis aims to define a specific iconographic theme, centered around a “protector,” based on the similarities of the composition of each scene in the sample set of images found on monuments. In conjunction with archaeological evidence and epigraphy, I suggest the protector theme depicts deities in the role of a protector

The study of hieroglyphic texts is vital to the interpretation of the ancient Maya and how their worldview contributed to their daily lives. Hieroglyphic decipherment has been an arduous undertaking and a wide variety of the Late Classic Maya writing styles has also been documented. When specific hieroglyphic phrases are not fully understood it has been necessary to utilize other sources of information to help increase the understanding of these texts. The “lubat” glyphic phrase has been utilized in multiple mediums throughout the Late Classic period and is described as an artist’s signature. This artist signature is directly related to specific iconographic elements and themes that represent a cosmological view of the ancient Maya. This thesis demonstrates the connection between the lu-bat glyphic phrase and iconographic themes indicative of liminal powers exercised by the social elites in terms of the underworld. This connection is strengthened through the evaluation of the associated texts and iconographic analysis. While interpretations of the lu-bat glyphic phrase have suggested that it represented an artist’s signature, a concise articulation of the hieroglyphic values for the lu-bat glyphic phrase has not yet be achieved. The iconographic imagery involved with this glyph demonstrates an interactive level between the conduit being and liminal actions. This interaction depicts the individual involved as a direct medium for the ritual activities of the elites in terms of the underworld.

One of the more commonly known aspects of the ancient Maya culture is the ballgame. This ancient ballgame was played by most Mesoamerican cultures on a constructed ballcourt and many major Mesoamerican sites have at least one, if not more than one. Contemporary Mesoamericans still play versions of this ballgame today, but without the use of the ballcourts, questioning the importance and purpose of the ballcourt that is no longer the case today. After over a century of research, scholars have yet to unravel all the cosmological and mythological mysteries of the ballcourt and its purpose to the ancient Maya. Although the archaeological record rarely supports the well-known Postclassic Hero Twin myth, most scholars continue to use this myth to interpret Classic ballgame iconography. In this study, I link Classic period ballcourt architecture and iconography at Caracol to Preclassic cache practices, to an Early Classic tomb, and to an elite Classic structure, demonstrating a widespread set of cosmological symbols that were not exclusively reserved for the ballcourt. I suggest that the four eroded figures on Caracol Ballcourt Markers 1 and 2 represent east, west, zenith, and nadir, and that the north-south alignment of Classic Southern Lowland ballcourts was the result of a vertical visualization of the three ballcourt markers. This study shows that the Maya ballcourt was a cosmogram, intended to delineate sacred space and demarcate a portal into the underworld.

To address every aspect in which Cleopatra VII asserted her right to rule and maintain the favor of her own subjects and of Rome would be far too large a task for anything less than a book-length treatment. Rather than attempt to address multiple issues, this thesis addresses just one aspect of Cleopatra's political strategy to visualize her legitimacy as ruler: namely a combination of masculine and feminine elements in her iconography. This thesis will then follow the same themes in elements of Cleopatra's visual rhetoric was seized upon by the poets of Augustan Rome, who used it to the opposite effect, making her out to be unfit to rule. In the case of Cleopatra's visual rhetoric, the emphasis shifts in different periods, as Cleopatra adapted her rhetorical strategy to her personal circumstances and her intended audience, at times emphasizing certain masculine elements and at other times focusing on feminine. The Roman authors, on the other hand, see Cleopatra's status in ruler as a usurpation of the masculine rule and therefore monstrous and unspeakable. In order to take the queen and fit her into a Roman world view, they make use of various types of women customary to Classical literature to confine her to a role appropriate”from their perspective"for a woman. In every case, however, gender is used to demonstrate Cleopatra's legitimacy, or perceived lack thereof.

Grave markers represent a significant amount of highly important information related to the cultural patterns of a society, as well as how these patterns have changed over time. Although, cemetery studies are popular in other regions of the United States, few studies regarding grave marker attributes have been conducted in Florida. The purpose of this research was to analyze and interpret temporal and demographic changes in grave marker attributes in Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando, Florida. Another aspect of this research focused on the possible correlation between the age and inferred sex of the deceased individual in relation to the type of epitaph and iconography chosen to represent them in their mortuary context. Data was collected from 925 headstones within Greenwood Cemetery; these headstones further represent 1,102 individuals. Attributes analyzed include marker material, marker type, iconographic images, epitaph, memorial photographs, footstones and curbs. These attributes will be analyzed and compared to trends noted within a similar study conducted by Meyers and Schultz (2016), to allow for better interpretation of trends in grave marker attributes across a range of Florida cemeteries. Results indicate multiple trends. The popularity of marble headstones decreased greatly from 51% in Pre-1900 to only 8% from 2000 to 2017. Furthermore, the prevalence of epitaph and iconography categories vary greatly on both a temporal and demographic basis. Male infants are more likely than any other demographic group to be represented by a genealogical epitaph, at 41% representation. Ultimately, these trends illustrate important aspects of cultural changes related to mortuary practice and individual mortuary contexts within Orlando, Florida.

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The goal of this dissertation is to provide a comprehensive study of scenes of fresh water in Minoan art from the Middle Minoan II (MM II) through the Late Minoan I (LM I) periods. This dissertation addresses and fills the gap in the scholarship regarding the depiction of riparian environments and the special place of these depictions in Aegean art. It also attempts to clarify the use and function of riverscapes across chronological periods. Rivers, marshes, streams, and springs, appear on a variety of media and fulfil multiple functions from MM II onward. Images of fresh water were used as topographical markers, ornamentation and decoration, and for religious purposes. Moreover, several images suggest that the Minoans may have believed that the realm for the goddess (or one of the goddesses) was a lush, riverscape. A second goal of this dissertation is to clarify and dispose of the term “Nilotic” as a label for images of fresh water in the Aegean. Since its introduction into the literature of Aegean studies in the beginning of the 20th century, the term “Nilotic” has been used inconsistently to describe Aegean scenes of fresh water that may or may not contain Egyptian elements. This assumption has led some scholars to state that Aegean riverscapes are ultimately derived from Egyptian scenes of fishing and fowling because they share similar iconographic elements. Unfortunately, the process of synthesis is important to the understanding of Aegean riverscapes, and iconographic similarities are somewhat superficial. Furthermore, the term has been used without regard for a long-standing tradition of the depiction of riparian environments in Bronze Age Aegean art. To fully address both goals of this project, the origin of individual iconographic elements has been traced through various media, including glyptic art, pottery, and wall painting. Wall paintings from the Cyclades and some Late Helladic IA scenes have been included when appropriate. Whenever possible, categories of riverscapes have been grouped together, but each wall painting, has been examined and interpreted individually. Some unique, highly pictorial, and detailed images in other media have also been addressed separately. Parallels in Egyptian and, in some cases, Near Eastern art have been sought to determine the validity of the term “Nilotic,” and a special study of Egyptian scenes of hunting in the marshes has been conducted in comparison to Aegean scenes. Iconography, synthesis, and context have all been taken into consideration. / Art History

Athenian painted pottery from the late Archaic and early Classical period frequently depicts images of the symposion, a popular ancient Greek drinking banquet which played an important role in ancient Athenian society. Some of these depictions include images of Eastern foreigners alongside Athenian symposiasts, identified by clothing associated with ethnic groups from ancient Mesopotamia and regions around the Black Sea. Traditionally, scholars have accepted these images as literal depictions of Eastern foreigners in the symposion or as representations of a symposiarch's authority. However, a closer look at these images and their role in the symposion suggests a different interpretation of the Eastern figures. This thesis analyzes how images were perceived by viewers at the time in the social context of the symposion and how Athenian iconography of Eastern foreigners overlapped to create a generalized "Otherness" in the Athenian imagination. In this context, the common activities and images of the symposion reinforced a shared identity among the participants, using ancient Greek pottery to present the Eastern Other as an example of poor symposion behavior, thus associating Athenian identity with proper symposion behavior. / Master of Arts / During the 6th and early 5th centuries BCE, painted pottery in ancient Athens frequently depicted images of the symposion, a type of drinking banquet popular in Athens during the period. Some images of this drinking party depict images of Eastern foreigners alongside Greek banqueters, identified by clothing associated with ethnic groups from ancient Mesopotamia and regions around the Black Sea. Traditionally, scholars have accepted these images as literal depictions of Eastern foreigners in the drinking banquet. However, a closer look at these images and how they were understood by Athenian audiences suggests a different interpretation of the Eastern figures. This thesis analyzes how images were perceived by viewers at the time and how other images of Eastern foreigners on Athenian painted pottery created stereotypes of these groups in the Athenian imagination. In this context, the activities of the symposion drinking banquet and the images which depict it associate Eastern foreigners with poor drinking behavior to associate Athenians with proper drinking behavior by contrast.