Artist: Javier Álvarez Mon
Date: 600
Museum: Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia)
Technique: Carved
It is difficult to pinpoint the nature of the ritual depicted in this extraordinary relief, but clearly it involved the meeting of two large groups of people headed by two large-scale rulers. It can probably be assumed that it represents an actual event, perhaps an alliance of rulers or a periodic re-unification of mobile pastoralist and sedentary elements of the society. Such an event implies a sequence of rituals involving a journey, an organized body of people (and animals possibly for sacrifice) advancing in a ceremonial manner (a procession). The ascent of the most eminent ruler on a platform brings an additional symbolic dimension to the ritual, and transforms the platform into a “platform of exaltation”, enabling the ruler to oversee ritual activities with fitting solemnity.
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