Chan Chak K'ak'nal Ajaw

Last updated March 19, 2019

Uxmal Stela 14 Drawing Uxmal Stela 14 Drawing.jpg — Uxmal Stela 14 Drawing

K'ahk' Pulaj Chan Chaahk, also known as Lord Chac before the decipherment of his corresponding name glyphs, is currently the only archaeologically identified ruler of the pre-Columbian Maya polity at Uxmal, who ruled in the early 10th century. Only a handful of details are known from this king, as hieroglyphic inscriptions, while very prominent in the Southern Maya Lowlands, are scarce in the north. What is known is that Lord Chac acceded to the throne somewhere at the end of the 9th century. During his rule, between 890-910 AD, some of the largest and most impressive buildings in Uxmal, such as the so-called Nunnery Quadrangle and the Governor's Palace, were built. An inscription at a large ballcourt in Uxmal, for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame, informs us it was dedicated in 901 during the reign of this king.

The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples, and noted for its logosyllabic script—the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in pre-Columbian Americas—as well as for its art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical system. The Maya civilization developed in an area that encompasses southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador. This region consists of the northern lowlands encompassing the Yucatán Peninsula, and the highlands of the Sierra Madre, running from the Mexican state of Chiapas, across southern Guatemala and onwards into El Salvador, and the southern lowlands of the Pacific littoral plain.

A polity is any kind of political entity. It is a group of people who are collectively united by a self-reflected cohesive force such as identity, who have a capacity to mobilize resources, and are organized by some form of institutionalized hierarchy.

Uxmal is an ancient Maya city of the classical period in present-day Mexico. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with Palenque, Chichén, and Calakmul in Mexico, Caracol and Xunantunich in Belize, and Tikal in Guatemala. It is located in the Puuc region of the eastern Yucatan Peninsula, and is considered one of the Maya cities most representative of the region's dominant architectural style. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its significance.

Lord Chac in the hieroglyphic inscriptions

While informally named Lord Chac (or Chan Chaak K'ak'nal Ajaw), hieroglyphs found in Uxmal give his full personal name as K'ahk' Pulaj Chan Chaahk (Chaahk That Burns The Sky With Fire)^[1]. The phrase K'ahk'nal Ajaw may very well be a title denoting him as the king of K'ahk'nal, which may indicate this to be the local toponym of Uxmal itself instead of a part of the king's name. An argument in favour of this idea is that, while the title is given on the aforementioned ballcourt marker, it is absent on stela 14, on which this paramount is depicted. Here Lord Chac is depicted as a Chaahk impersonator, wearing a cutaway mask of the deity, his broad hat, conch-shell trumpet, axe and incense bag. The hieroglyphic inscription transcribes as ubaah k'ahk' pulaj chan chaahk tzeh kab k'in, meaning "it is the image of K'ahk' Pulaj Chan Chaahk, left hand of the sun" (transcription and translation by the editor; for a better drawing see external links).

Maya script, also known as Maya glyphs, was the writing system of the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica and is the only Mesoamerican writing system that has been substantially deciphered. The earliest inscriptions found which are identifiably Maya date to the 3rd century BCE in San Bartolo, Guatemala. Maya writing was in continuous use throughout Mesoamerica until the Spanish conquest of the Maya in the 16th and 17th centuries.

More Lord Chacs

Many Maya archaeologists agree that there was only one Lord Chac king of Uxmal^[2]^[3]. However, disagreement has risen among a few archaeologists, indicating that there may have been more rulers of Uxmal that carried one form or another of the name Chac. ^[4]. On Altar 10 the hierglyphic compound for the name Chaahk (written phonetically as CHAAK-ki) occurs at least twice: once with the by now familiar name K'ahk' Pulaj Chan Chaahk, but the second time as part of the possible name K'inich ? Chaahk. A third individual whose name includes Chaahk might also be named on the same monument, although the hieroglyhs are eroded, decreasing legibility.

It is not uncommon for Maya polities to have recurring names: many kings at the site of Piedras Negras carry Ahk (turtle) as part of their name; at the site of Toniná, Chapaht (centipede) is a prevalent name; and at Calakmul the name Yuknoom (meaning unknown) occurs several times. It might be that Chac is a recurring name at Uxmal, similar to those at the aforementioned sites. The scarcity of inscriptions at Uxmal (and other Puuc sites for that matter) makes this question difficult to answer, however, and most archaeologists still favour the idea of a single Lord Chac.

Piedras Negras (Maya site) ruined city of pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Guatemala

Piedras Negras is the modern name for a ruined city of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization located on the north bank of the Usumacinta River in the Petén department of northeastern Guatemala. Piedras Negras is one of the most powerful of the Usumacinta ancient Maya urban centers. Occupation at Piedras Negras is known from the Late Preclassic period onward, based on dates retrieved from epigraphic information found on multiple stelae and altars at the site. Piedras Negras is an archaeological site known for its large sculptural output when compared to other ancient Maya sites. The wealth of sculpture, in conjunction with the precise chronological information associated with the lives of elites of Piedras Negras, has allowed archaeologists to reconstruct the political history of the Piedras Negras polity and its geopolitical footprint.

Tonina is a pre-Columbian archaeological site and ruined city of the Maya civilization located in what is now the Mexican state of Chiapas, some 13 km (8.1 mi) east of the town of Ocosingo.

Calakmul is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region. It is 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the Guatemalan border. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities ever uncovered in the Maya lowlands.

Related Research Articles

Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region, on the frontier with the Isthmo-Colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-Maya peoples.

Quiriguá An ancient Maya archaeological site in south-eastern Guatemala

Quiriguá is an ancient Maya archaeological site in the department of Izabal in south-eastern Guatemala. It is a medium-sized site covering approximately 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) along the lower Motagua River, with the ceremonial center about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the north bank. During the Maya Classic Period (AD 200–900), Quiriguá was situated at the juncture of several important trade routes. The site was occupied by 200, construction on the acropolis had begun by about 550, and an explosion of grander construction started in the 8th century. All construction had halted by about 850, except for a brief period of reoccupation in the Early Postclassic. Quiriguá shares its architectural and sculptural styles with the nearby Classic Period city of Copán, with whose history it is closely entwined.

Yaxchilan is an ancient Maya city located on the bank of the Usumacinta River in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. In the Late Classic Period Yaxchilan was one of the most powerful Maya states along the course of the Usumacinta River, with Piedras Negras as its major rival. Architectural styles in subordinate sites in the Usumacinta region demonstrate clear differences that mark a clear boundary between the two kingdoms.

Naranjo is a Pre-Columbian Maya city in the Petén Basin region of Guatemala. It was occupied from about 500 B.C. to 950 A.D, with its height in the Late Classic Period. The site is part of Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. The city lies along the Mopan and Holmul rivers, and is about 50 km east of the site of Tikal. Naranjo has been the victim of severe looting. The site is known for its polychrome ceramic style

El Perú, is a pre-Columbian Maya archeological site occupied during the Preclassic and Classic cultural chronology periods. The site was the capital of a Maya city-state and is located near the banks of the San Pedro River in the Department of Petén of northern Guatemala. El Perú is 60 km (37 mi) west of Tikal.

Sayil is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatán, in the southwest of the state, south of Uxmal. It was incorporated together with Uxmal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Ajaw or Ahau ('Lord') is a pre-Columbian Maya political title attested from epigraphic inscriptions. It is also the name of the 20th day of the tzolkʼin, the Maya divinatory calendar, on which a king's kʼatun-ending rituals would fall.

Uaxaclajuun Ubʼaah Kʼawiil, was the 13th ajaw or ruler of the powerful Maya polity associated with the site of Copán in modern Honduras. He ruled from January 2, 695, to May 3, 738.

Ucanal is an archaeological site of the ancient Maya civilization. It is located in the Petén department of northern Guatemala.

La Joyanca is the modern name for a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site located south of the San Pedro Martir river in the Petén department of Guatemala. It is east of the Maya site of La Florida (Namaan), now the modern town of El Naranjo on the Mexico-Guatemala border. The site was discovered in 1994 during the construction of the Xan-La Libertad oil pipeline in Guatemala. It was immediately recognized as an important, undiscovered Classic period Maya city and became the focus of an archaeological project. Directed by Charlotte Arnauld, Erik Ponciano, and Veronique Breuil, the La Joyanca project conducted excavations here between 1998 and 2003. Several members of this group have continued work at other related locations in the Northwest Peten, including the sites of Zapote Bobal and Pajaral, as part of the Proyecto Peten Noroccidente (PNO).

Kʼinich Yoʼnal Ahk I, also known as Ruler 1, was an ajaw of Piedras Negras, an ancient Maya settlement in Guatemala. He ruled during the Late Classic Period, from 603–639 AD. It has been proposed that he began a new dynasty at Piedras Negras, following years of ineffective kings. As to how Kʼinich Yoʼnal Ahk I came to power, a consensus has not yet been reached, although it is known that he waged several successful wars against Palenque and Sak Tzʼiʼ. He was succeeded by his son, Itzam Kʼan Ahk I, in 639 AD and left behind several monuments, including stelae at Piedras Negras and a large mortuary temple now known as Pyramid R-5.

Itzam Kʼan Ahk II, also known as Ruler 4, was an ajaw of Piedras Negras, an ancient Maya settlement in Guatemala. He ruled during the Late Classic Period, from 729–757 AD. Itzam Kʼan Ahk II ascended to the throne following the death of Kʼinich Yoʼnal Ahk II. Itzam Kʼan Ahk II may have fathered the following three kings of Piedras Negras: Yoʼnal Ahk III, Haʼ Kʼin Xook, and Kʼinich Yat Ahk II. Following Itzam Kʼan Ahk II's demise, he was succeeded by Yoʼnal Ahk III in 757 AD. Itzam Kʼan Ahk II left behind several monuments, including stelae at Piedras Negras and a large mortuary temple now known as Pyramid O-13. In addition, the details of his life and his Kʼatun-jubilee were commemorated on Panel 3, raised by Kʼinich Yat Ahk II several years following Itzam Kʼan Ahk II's death.

Yoʼnal Ahk III, also known as Ruler 5, was an ajaw of Piedras Negras, an ancient Maya settlement in Guatemala. He ruled during the Late Classic Period, from 758 to 767 AD. Yoʼnal Ahk III ascended to the throne upon the death of Itzam Kʼan Ahk II, who may have been Yoʼnal Ahk's father. He was succeeded by his probable brother, Haʼ Kʼin Xook in around 767 AD. Yoʼnal Ahk III left behind two surviving stelae at Piedras Negras, namely Stelae 14 and 16, the former of which has been called one of the finest niche stelae, according to Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube.

Kʼan II was a Maya ruler of Caracol. He reigned AD 618–658.

Haʼ Kʼin Xook, also known as Ruler 6, was an ajaw of Piedras Negras, an ancient Maya settlement in Guatemala. He ruled during the Late Classic Period, from 767–780 AD. Haʼ Kʼin Xook was a son of Itzam Kʼan Ahk II, and he ascended the throne following the death of his brother, Yoʼnal Ahk III. Haʼ Kʼin Xook's reign ended with either his death or his abdication in favor of his brother Kʼinich Yat Ahk II; archaeologists and Mayanists have not arrived at a clear consensus. Haʼ Kʼin Xook left behind several monuments, including stelae at Piedras Negras and a stone fragment from El Porvenir. In addition, a stone seat known as Throne 1 and erected by Kʼinich Yat Ahk II records either the death or abdication of Haʼ Kʼin Xook.

Kʼinich Yat Ahk II, also known as Ruler 7, was the last ajaw of Piedras Negras, an ancient Maya settlement in Guatemala. He ruled during the Late Classic Period, from 781 to roughly 808 AD. Possibly a descendant of Itzam Kʼan Ahk II, Kʼinich Yat Ahk II ascended the throne upon the death of his brother, the sixth ajaw of the site, Haʼ Kʼin Xook. While Kʼinich Yat Ahk II presided over the destruction of the rival Maya site Pomona, his reign likely ended with Kʼinich Tatbu Skull IV of Yaxchilan capturing and subjugating Piedras Negras. Itzam Kʼan Ahk II left behind several monuments, including stelae at Piedras Negras, a stone seat known as Throne 1 which records either the death or abdication of Haʼ Kʼin Xook, and Panel 3 which recounts the exploits of Itzam Kʼan Ahk II.

Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District of Belize. It is situated approximately 40 kilometres south of Xunantunich and the town of San Ignacio Cayo, and 15 kilometers away from the Macal River. It rests on the Vaca Plateau at an elevation of 500 meters above sea-level, in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. Long thought to be a tertiary center, it is now known that the site was one of the most important regional political centers of the Maya Lowlands during the Classic Period. Caracol covered approximately 200 square kilometers, covering an area much larger than present-day Belize City and supported more than twice the modern city's population.

References

↑ http://www2.tulane.edu/liberal-arts/newsletter/mari-stela-feb-2014.cfm
↑ Dunning, N. P., & Kowalski, J. K. (1994). Lords of the hills: Classic Maya settlement patterns and political iconography in the Puuc region, Mexico. Ancient Mesoamerica, 5(1), 63-95.
↑ Sprajc, I. (2015). Governor's Palace at Uxmal. Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy, 773.
↑ Cobos, R., Anda Alanís, G., & Moll, R. G. (2014). 5 Ancient Climate and Archaeology: Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, and Their Collapse at the End of the Terminal Classic Period. Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association, 24(1), 56-71.

External links

Photos and drawings of Uxmal's monuments, including stela 14.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] ttp://www2.tulane.edu/liberal-arts/newsletter/mari-stela-feb-2014.cfm

[2] Dunning, N. P., & Kowalski, J. K. (1994). Lords of the hills: Classic Maya settlement patterns and political iconography in the Puuc region, Mexico. Ancient Mesoamerica, 5(1), 63-95.

[3] Sprajc, I. (2015). Governor's Palace at Uxmal. Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy, 773.

[4] Cobos, R., Anda Alanís, G., & Moll, R. G. (2014). 5 Ancient Climate and Archaeology: Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, and Their Collapse at the End of the Terminal Classic Period. Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association, 24(1), 56-71.