ABSTRACT
In the case of the Classic Maya, ethnohistorical analogy, pictorial representation, and epigraphic references can join archaeological scrutiny of the buildings themselves to "flesh out" these remains and project viable views of their operation. Although Classic Maya architecture is rather limited in its basic typology, its cityscapes display an amazing variety. The basic elements of Classic Maya court complexes are well known. Varied records survive elsewhere in Mesoamerica for the involvement of exalted royal family members in craft production, and it has been proposed that at least some Classic Maya ceramic painting had royal authorship. Court architecture is a recurring and distinctive feature of ancient Maya cityscapes, and its form still has much to offer as a way of understanding the institutions that gave rise to it. Court architecture in the heart of the city is represented by the Central Acropolis, just south of the city's Great Plaza, a dense assemblage of forty-six buildings arranged around six courtyards.
