Abstract
In this thesis I explore iconography displayed on flat and roller seals
manufactured during the Preclassic era in five Maya regions in Mexico, Guatemala,
Belize, El Salvador and Honduras as well as two collections of seals of the same age
from Ecuador and Peru. I gathered a corpus of images and established 21 categories of
basic motifs. As background to the analysis of seal iconography, I discuss the history of
the Preclassic period in terms of large scale political organization and seals as tools in
social interaction and ritual. Next, I describe sites and seal assemblages included in this
study. Analysis includes examining the frequencies of basic motifs, iconographic
interpretations and similarities between sites and regions. Structural analysis shows
iconography was chosen from a range of ancient motifs, executed with wide variation,
with particular similarities that suggest directly shared practices. The frequency model
put forth in this thesis reflects how seals were utilized in early symbolic communication
and to display cultural identities.
