Recent Event Highlights: Palenque's Last Recorded Date, King Ahkal Mo’Nahb III "Turtle Macaw Lake", K'an Joy Chitam II is Captured, K'an Joy Chitam II Ascends Throne, The Temple of Inscriptions Latest Date, Pakal's son, Kan Bahlam II "Snake Jaguar" becomes King, and 16 more...
Created by luissito on Jul 6, 2009
Last updated: 03/11/10 at 03:35 PM
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The Mexican archeologist Alberto Ruz removes the large stone slabs on the floor of the Temple of the Inscriptions central chamber, and makes quite a discovery! A vaulted stairway rests beneath, leading into the pyramid’s core chamber, some 80 ft (24 m) down from the upper temple. In the chamber, the skeletons of five or six young adults are encountered, probably sacrifices. But at the far end of this chamber, blocked by a huge triangular slab, is a passageway that would lead to one of the most important discoveries in Mesoamerican studies. Here, we find a Funerary Crypt, its walls covered in stucco relief figures of men in archaic attire. These figures closely resemble the Nine Lords of the Night from the Maya creation myth, but could also represent distant ancestors of the deceased. Resting in this chamber is a huge rectangular stone slab, 12.5 ft (3.8 m) long, which overlies a monolithic sarcophagus, that of Pakal the Great. Pakal is shown in a relief carving on the slab; he is youthful in appearance as he falls through the gigantic jaws into the Underworld (“Xibalba”); the World Tree rises above him, on top of which sits the bird monster Wuqub Kaquix.
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Photo: The Temple of Inscriptions.
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Photograph by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of
Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
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More information about the significance of the World Tree and the Celestial Bird Monster:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popol_Vuh
Random abandonment of the site.
AD 799 is the last recorded date (thus found) at Palenque.
Ahkal Mo’Nahb III (“Turtle Macaw Lake”) accedes to the throne. As king, he helps revitalize the city and oversees the construction of several temples. --------------------------------------- Drawing: Text records a bloodletting ritual and a Yajawte relationship with Ahkal Mo' Naab III. ------------------------------------------ Drawing by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
K'an Joy Chitam II is captured by the Tonina and possibly killed by their leader, K'inich B'aaknal Chaak. --------------------------------------------- Drawing: Monument 122. K'an Joy Chitam II is shown bound in the posture of a captive. --------------------------------------- Drawing by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
K'an Joy Chitam II, the younger brother of Kan Bahlam II (“Snake Jaguar”) and son of Pakal, ascends the throne upon the death of his older brother. ------------------------------------------ Drawing: Carved limestone panel. K'an Joy Chitam II is the central figure. His father, Pakal (right), and mother, Lady Tz'akbu Ajaw (left), sit beside him. The anniversary of the death of his ancestor, K'an Joy Chitam I, is recorded in text. ------------------------------------------- Drawing by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
This is the latest date recorded on the walls of the central chamber of the Temple of Inscriptions, a temple that rests on a 65-ft-high (19.8m) stepped pyramid. In total, there are 620 hieroglyphs that correspond with many dates on the panels of the central chamber.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Inscriptions
This date, recorded within all three temples of the Cross Group (temples of the Cross, Foliated Cross, and Sun), documented the accession of the king known as Kan Bahlam II (“Snake Jaguar”). Kan Bahlam II was the son Pakal the Great. ------------------------------------------ Drawing: Kan Bahlam II stands on a flowering mountain while holding a Jester God figurine. At center is a World Tree (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_world_tree) with the Celestial Bird (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vucub_Caquix) perched atop. ------------------------------------------ Drawing by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
Pakal the Great dies at the venerable age of eighty, having ruled for 68 years, the longest reign known to Maya history. ----------------------------------------- Photo: Stucco head of Pakal. ----------------------------------------- Photograph by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
Ahkal Mo’Nahb III (“Turtle Macaw Lake”), grandson of Pakal the Great, is born. ----------------------------------------- Drawing: Fragment of limestone panel from Group XVI. Three figures carry a large bundle. The name of Ahkal Mo' Naab III is recorded in small glyphs between the two figures on the left. ---------------------------------------- Drawing by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
Pakal builds a massive second story platform over the previous palace, placing his residence and meeting halls on top. --------------------------------------------- Photo: West side of palace. ---------------------------------------------- Photo by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
Palenque conquers the site of Comalcalco.
Pakal commissions his first temple, the Olvidado, a structure dedicated to his parents who had died just years before. The temple was placed in the far western side of the city, one of the oldest sections, perhaps establishing a connection between his parents and the beginning of the dynastic bloodline.
The son of Sak K’uk’(“Lady White Queztal”), Janahb Pakal (“Great Sun Flower [?]-Shield”) or Pakal the Great, ascends the throne. Pakal inherits a city demoralized by decades of unyielding attacks from Calakmul and still suffering from the breakup of its dynastic lineage.
Aj Ne’Ohl Mat dies. A text from the Temple of Inscriptions read, “Lost was the king, lost was the queen… the rituals were not performed.” Sak K’uk’ (“Lady White Queztal”), Palenque’s second queen, accedes to the throne.
Palenque is attacked by Calakmul again, according to Pakal’s texts.
Aj Ne’Ohl Mat, son of Yohl Ik’nal (“Lady Heart of the Wind Place”), accedes to the throne. During his reign, Palenque suffers its most deadly attack from Calakmul.
Yohl Ik’nal (“Lady Heart of the Wind Place”) dies having ruled for 21 years.
Pakal, the grandson of Yohl Ik’nal (“Lady Heart of the Wind Place”), records that Calakmul “axed” Palenque. He also records that the Palenque Triad of patron deities were “thrown down.”
Yohl Ik’nal (“Lady Heart of the Wind Place”), Palenque’s first Queen, accedes to the thrown.
Kan Balam I (“Snake Jaguar”) accedes to the throne. His reign lasts 11 years until his death in 583.
Ahkal Mo’ Naab II (“Turtle Macaw Lake”) dies having reigned for 5 years.
K’an Joy Chitam I (“Yellow Tied Peccary”) dies having ruled for 36 years. He is succeeded by Ahkal Mo’ Naab II (“Turtle Macaw Lake”).
K’an Joy Chitam I (“Yellow Tied Peccary”) accedes to the throne. The nearby city of Calakmul begins its assault on Palenque’s dynasty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calakmul
Ahkal Mo’Naab’I (“Turtle Macaw Lake”) dies having ruled for 23 years
Ahkal Mo’Naab’I (“Turtle Macaw Lake”) accedes to the throne. --------------------------------------------------- At right is a line drawing of a limestone panel from Temple XVII in Palenque. The text to the left records an event in AD 490 by Ahkal Mo’Naab’I (“Turtle Macaw Lake”). The picture depicts a captive kneeling before a warrior. ----------------------------------------------------- Drawing by Linda Schele, © David Schele, courtesy Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., www.famsi.org
“Casper” dies, age 65. B’utz’aj Sak Chiik (“Smoking White Coati”) accedes to the throne. His reign lasts 14 years.
http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/features/boot/media/SmokingLark.pdf
K’uk’Balam’s successor, nicknamed “Casper” with no true translation, accedes to the throne at age 13. K’uk’Balam probably died an early and unexpected death for this to have happened so early in his reign.
K’uk’Balam (“Queztal Jaguar”) accedes to the throne.
K’uk’Balam (“Queztal Jaguar”), the founder of Palenque’s Classic Period dynasty, is born.
Ceramic shards from AD 300-400 are the earliest evidence of occupation at Palenque.
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