Ha' K'in Xook

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Ha' K'in Xook
Ajaw of Piedras Negras
Ha' K'in Xook.svg
Ha' K'in Xook's glyph, from Throne 1
Reign 767–780 AD
Predecessor Yo'nal Ahk III
Successor K'inich Yat Ahk II
Father Itzam K'an Ahk II
Religion Maya religion

Ha' K'in Xook (Mayan pronunciation:  [haʔ k’in ʃoːk] ), 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. Ha' K'in Xook was a son of Itzam K'an Ahk II, and he ascended the throne following the death of his brother, Yo'nal Ahk III. Ha' K'in Xook's reign ended with either his death or his abdication in favor of his brother K'inich Yat Ahk II; archaeologists and Mayanists have not arrived at a clear consensus. Ha' K'in 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 K'inich Yat Ahk II records either the death or abdication of Ha' K'in Xook.

Ajaw

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.

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.

Maya civilization Mesoamerican civilization

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.

Contents

Biography

Reign of Piedras Negras

Throne 1 of Piedras Negras, which details the transfer of power from Ha' K'in Xook to his successor K'inich Yat Ahk II. Piedrasnegrastrono.jpg
Throne 1 of Piedras Negras, which details the transfer of power from Ha' K'in Xook to his successor K'inich Yat Ahk II.

Ha' K'in Xook, who has also been referred to as Ruler 6, [1] was likely the son of Itzam K'an Ahk II, based on a translation of Stela 23. [2] [3] According to both Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube, as well as Scott Johnson, Ha' K'in Xook's name translates to "Water Sun Shark". [2] (His name notably does not feature a turtle glyph, a feature found in all the previous rulers of Piedras Negras, as well as his successor.) [4] He ascended the throne on February 14, 767 AD (9.16.16.0.4, 7 K'an 17 Pop in the Long Count), [2] following the death of his brother Yo'nal Ahk III. [5] The Mayanist Tatiana Proskouriakoff had initially overlooked Ha' K'in Xook's reign, as she mistakenly assigned the title Ruler 6 to a sajal (or lesser Maya leader) of La Mar, based on a misreading of Stela 16. [3] [6]

Simon Martin is a British epigrapher, historian, writer and Mayanist scholar. He is best known for his contributions to the study and decipherment of the Maya script, the writing system used by the pre-Columbian Maya civilisation of Mesoamerica. As one of the leading epigraphers active in contemporary Mayanist research, Martin has specialised in the study of the political interactions and dynastic histories of Classic-era Maya polities. A former honorary research fellow at the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, as of 2018 Martin holds a position at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology where he is an Associate Curator and Keeper in the American Section and is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Nikolai Grube German Mesoamericanist

Nikolai Grube is a German epigrapher. He was born in Bonn in 1962. Grube entered the University of Hamburg in 1982 and graduated in 1985. His doctoral thesis was published at the same university in 1990. After he received his doctorate, Grube moved to the University of Bonn. Nikolai Grube has been heavily involved in the decipherment of the Maya hieroglyphic script.

Not much is known about either Ha' K'in Xook or his predecessor Yo'nal Ahk III, which led Flora Clancy to refer to both their reigns as "shadowy". [7] James L. Fitzsimmons argues that, politically, Ha' K'in Xook (like Yo'nal Ahk III before him) was a weak leader who erected only a handful of monuments and did not enforce his power on a larger scale. [8] According to the stone monuments that he did raise, Ha' K'in Xook's reign was comparatively quiet, as the only notable event recorded was the burial of a contemporary sajal at San Ignacio, Belize (El Cayo). [2] According to Zachary Nathan Nelson, the reign of Ha' K'in Xook was also relatively free from war, as none of his extant stelae show representation of captives, and records do not indicate any sort of "bellicose action" in the region during his reign. [6]

San Ignacio, Belize Town in Cayo, Belize

San Ignacio and Santa Elena are towns in western Belize. San Ignacio serves as the cultural-economic hub of Cayo District. It got its start from mahogany and chicle production during British colonialism. Over time it attracted people from the surrounding areas, which led to the diverse population of the town today. San Ignacio is the largest settlement in Cayo District and the second largest in the country, after Belize City.

Death or abdication

In the night (of March 24, 780 9.17.9.5.11) Ha’ K’in Xok, Ruler 6, Lord of Piedras Negras abandoned the Lordship of Paw Stone place.

Translation of part of Throne 1 by Mark Pitts, detailing either Ha' K'in Xook's demise or abdication. [9]

Ha' K'in Xook's reign ended on March 24, 780 AD (9.17.9.5.11 10 Chuwen 19 Sip), [2] but the reason why it ended has been a topic of debate. Throne 1, when translated, notes that Ha' K'in Xook "abandoned/transferred rulership" (yaktaaj ajawlel), [2] which American Mayanist Stephen D. Houston interprets to mean that he abdicated so that his brother, K'inich Yat Ahk II, could take the throne. [5] Mayanist David Stuart also noted that the wording on the throne "implies a more active event on the ruler's part", but that "'lose' might be more neutral as far as an interpretation goes." [10]

A Mayanist is a scholar specialising in research and study of the Mesoamerican pre-Columbian Maya civilization. This discipline should not be confused with Mayanism, a collection of New Age beliefs about the ancient Maya.

Stephen Douglas Houston is an American anthropologist, archaeologist, epigrapher and Mayanist scholar, who is particularly renowned for his research into the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. He is the author of a number of papers and books concerning topics such as the Maya script, the history, kingships and dynastic politics of the pre-Columbian Maya, and archaeological reports on several Maya archaeological sites, particularly Dos Pilas and El Zotz.

Abdication voluntary or forced renunciation of sovereign power

Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societies, abdication was a regular event, and helped maintain stability during political succession.

However, yaktaaj ajawlel is the same wording found on a monument, Zoomorph G, at Quiriguá, Guatemala, which details the death of the ajaw K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat in AD 785. [11] [10] [12] This is possible evidence that, rather than abdicating, Ha' K'in Xook died in 780 AD, and K'inich Yat Ahk II took up rule later. [2] Adding to this hypothesis is the testimony on Throne 1, which notes that K'inich Yat Ahk II later "remembered" Ha' K'in Xook in some way, and that the new king may have even wept at Ha' K'in Xook's memory, according to anthropologist Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos. [13]

Zoomorphism attribution of characteristics or appearance of animals to human beings, deities, or natural phenomena

The word zoomorphism derives from the Greek ζωον (zōon), meaning "animal", and μορφη (morphē), meaning "shape" or "form". It can mean:

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.

Guatemala republic in Central America

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, Belize and the Caribbean to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. With an estimated population of around 16.6 million, it is the most populated country in Central America. Guatemala is a representative democracy; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as Guatemala City.

Regardless, K'inich Yat Ahk II took up the throne on May 31, 781 AD (9.17.10.9.4 1 K'an 7 Yaxk'in), almost a year after Ha' K'in Xook's reign officially ended. Despite this lengthy gap, there is no evidence that anyone ruled Piedras Negras in the interim. [14]

Monuments

Stelae

Ha' K'in Xook raised up several stelae, including Stelae 13, 18, and 23. [10] Stela 13, bearing the leader's oldest dedicatory date, features the only extant carving of the ajaw. [7] According to O'Neil, it "captures the essence of the period-ending celebration." [14] This 2.39-metre (7.8 ft) tall stela retains elements of other "niche" stelae, but it also shows innovations and differences from the standard style. [14] It depicts the king dispersing incense, [2] similar to iconography found on Piedras Negras Stelae 2 and 32. [14] Clancy has argued that the iconography on the stela revolves around three motifs: "divination, the quest, and accession". [15] Divination—a motif that had been introduced in the iconography of Piedras Negras by K'inich Yo'nal Ahk II —is shown via the act of Ha' K'in Xook dispersing the incense. [2] [15] The stela also features Ha' K'in Xook wearing a headdress composed of "three knots and forehead scrolls, the projecting Water Lily Jaguar ... and the flexible rectangular emblem made of a thick net and a jaguar pelt". [15] It has been postulated that this headdress was inspired by a similar headdress featured on Stela 5. [15] Clancy argues that this headdress is a representation of "the royal theme of quest", due to its iconographic similarity to other stelae at Piedras Negras. [16]

Not much remains of Stela 18—the king's accession monument—and what is left is heavily eroded. However, archaeologist Sylvanus Morley claimed that it expressed a Calendar Round date of 6 Ahaw 13 K'ayab (corresponding to a Long Count date of 9.17.5.0.0 or Dec. 27, 775), which is within Ha' K'in Xook's reign. [1] [10] This stela originally featured carvings on all four of its sides, but at some point in the past, it tipped over and crumbled. The largest portions remaining include the base, and the remnants of a panel featuring the feet of two individuals. Similar to Stela 18, Martin and Grube argue that Stela 23 dates to the rulership of Ha' K'in Xook because the Calendar Round date on the monument is contemporary with the date found on Stela 13. [17] This stela details a puluuy utz'itil ("passing of the torch") [18] ceremony for Itzam K'an Ahk II, [14] and, when translated, reads "Ruler 6 [Ha' K'in Xook], child of Ruler 4 [Itzam K'an Ahk II] … acceded to the rulership", seemingly proving that Ha' K'in Xook was indeed the offspring of Itzam K'an Ahk II. [3]

All three of the stelae were discovered by Teoberto Maler in 1901 near Pyramid O-13. [7] Stela 13 was possibly erected on a terrace reached by the pyramid's main stairway, and Stela 18 lies in a row on the plaza in front of the aforementioned stairway. [19] Stela 23, on the other hand, was erected at the very base of the pyramid. [10] This pyramid was most likely the burial place for Itzam K'an Ahk II, and was revered by Ha' K'in Xook, Yo'nal Ahk III, and K'inich Yat Ahk II (further evidence that Ha' K'in Xook was the son of Itzam K'an Ahk II). [10] [20]

Other

As mentioned before, Throne 1 details either the death or abdication of Ha' K'in Xook. After the fall of Piedras Negras, the throne—which was not constructed by the king himself, but rather by his successor, K'inich Yat Ahk II—was smashed, likely by Piedras Negras's enemies (although it has since been reconstructed). [9] In addition to on-site remains and relics, an artifact known as the "El Porvenir Fragment" was discovered—as its name suggests—at El Porvenir and bears the name of Ha' K'in Xook. [10] [21]

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References

  1. 1 2 Clancy (2009), pp. 140–141.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Martin & Grube (2000), p. 151.
  3. 1 2 3 Pitts (2011), pp. 157–161.
  4. ↑ Clancy (2009), p. 141.
  5. 1 2 Sharer & Traxler (2005), p. 428.
  6. 1 2 Nelson (2005), p. 35.
  7. 1 2 3 Clancy (2009), p. 135.
  8. ↑ Fitzsimmons (2010), p. 154.
  9. 1 2 Pitts (2011), pp. 162–170.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Zender (n.d.).
  11. ↑ Martin & Grube (2000), p. 222.
  12. ↑ Martin & Grube (2000), p. 222.
  13. ↑ Clancy (2009), p. 152.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 O'Neil (2014), p. 142.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Clancy (2009), p. 143.
  16. ↑ Clancy (2009), p. 144.
  17. ↑ Clancy (2009), pp. 145–146.
  18. ↑ Fitzsimmons (2009), p. 152.
  19. ↑ Weeks et al. (2005), p. 23.
  20. ↑ Martin & Grube (2000), p. 150.
  21. ↑ Teufel (2004), p. 215.

Bibliography

Clancy, Flora (2009). The Monuments of Piedras Negras, an Ancient Maya City. University of New Mexico Press. ISBN   9780826344519. 
Fitzsimmons, James (2010). Death and the Classic Maya Kings. University of Texas Press. ISBN   9780292781986. 
Johnson, Scott (2013). Translating Maya Hieroglyphs. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   9780806189406. 
Martin, Simon; Grube, Nikolai (2000). Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens. Thames & Hudson. ISBN   9780500051030. 
Nelson, Zachary (2005). Settlement and Population at Piedras Negras, Guatemala (PDF) (PhD). The University of Pennsylvania . Retrieved February 21, 2014. 
O'Neil, Megan (2014). Engaging Ancient Maya Sculpture at Piedras Negras, Guatemala. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   9780806188362. 
Pitts, Mark (2011). A Brief History of Piedras Negras as Told by the Ancient Maya: History Revealed in Maya Glyphs (PDF). Pre-Columbian Society of the University of Pennsylvania Museum . Retrieved March 2, 2014. 
Sharer, Robert; Traxler, Loa (2005). The Ancient Maya. Stanford University Press. ISBN   9780804748179. 
Teufel, Stefanie (2004). Die Monumentalskulpturen Von Piedras Negras, Petén, Guatemala (PDF) (PhD) (in German). University of Bonn . Retrieved February 21, 2014. 
Weeks, John M.; Hill, Jane A.; Golden, Charles, eds. (2005). Piedras Negras Archaeology, 1931–1939. University of Pennsylvania. ISBN   9781931707756. 
Zender, Marc (ed.). "Ha' K'in Xook". Mesoweb Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 6, 2014. 
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