Annales History and the Ancient Maya State: Some Observations on the "Dynamic Model"

Joyce Marcus has recently proposed a "dynamic model" for the ancient Maya state. In doing so she has emphasized the importance of spatiotemporal fluctuations between centralization and decentralization. Although this idea has obtained wide‐ranging support, there has been little consideration of why these oscillations occurred. This article proposes that one of the key factors was the fundamental tension between the institutions of kinship and kingship. Viewed through the lens of Annales, or "French Structural" history, this appears to constitute a classic example of the contradictions between a long‐term structure (kinship) and medium‐term (longship) cycle. [Key words: Maya, sociopolitics, integration, cycling, Annales]