ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the political organization of the late pre-Hispanic Yucatecan Maya. To briefly review Roys's interpretation of Late Post-Classic political structure, the highest organizational level was translated as provincia in early sources, referring to the eighteen or so regions familiar from late prehistoric maps of northern Yucatan. Mul tepal has gained a measure of popularity as a model for some of the more important northern Maya polities and courts. The chapter describes the Monjas quadrangle as the primary meeting place for the Uxmal court; by extension, certain quadrangles probably played a similar function at other sites. It explores that Proskouriakoff's typology by suggesting that the primary division was between Serpent Temple Group's and Basic Ceremonial Group's (BCG) with the remaining temple assemblages probably being variants of the BCG or special-purpose structures. The chapter emphasizes that large plazas or patios varied significantly in access, which presumably reflects function and the degree to which activities were confined to the court alone.
