K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I

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K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I
Ajaw of Piedras Negras
K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I.svg
K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I's glyph, from Stela 25
Reign 603–639 AD
Predecessor Unknown [nb 1]
Successor Itzam K'an Ahk I
Died February 3, 639
Consort Lady Bird Headdress
Religion Maya religion

K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I (Mayan pronunciation:  [kʼinitʃ joːnal ahk] ), also known as Ruler 1 (died February 3, 639 AD), 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 K'inich Yo'nal 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 Tz'i'. He was succeeded by his son, Itzam K'an 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.

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

According to stela at Piedras Negras, K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I waged a successful war against Palenque (pictured). The Palenque Palace Aqueduct.jpg
According to stela at Piedras Negras, K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I waged a successful war against Palenque (pictured).

K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I, also known as Ruler 1, was an ajaw (leader) of Piedras Negras in the 7th century AD. [1] According to Mayanists Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube, the ruler's name means "Great-Sun ?-Turtle". [2] His name was later taken by the future leaders of Piedras Negras, K'inich Yo'nal Ahk II and Yo'nal Ahk III. The title k'inich translates to "red-faced", and is a reference to the settlement's rulers' belief that they were the "lords of the sun". [3] K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I ascended to the position of ajaw on November 14, 603 AD (9.8.10.6.16 10 Kib 9 Mak in the Long Count), although the exact details surrounding his ascension are unknown. [2] [4] Mayanists Stephen D. Houston and Charles Golden have hypothesized that he founded a new line of rulers at Piedras Negras, possibly following some disaster that dethroned the previous leaders. [5]

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.

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.

K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I systematically razed buildings and monuments at Piedras Negras erected or associated with previous kings, seemingly to thoroughly cleanse the center of any reminder of these "discredited" rulers. This period of destruction—which focused heavily on structures in and around the West Group of the site—was likely ritualized, as evidenced by tell-tale clues left behind, such as offerings of pottery, jade, and small figures. After this period of destruction, K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I moved his focus to the South Group, where he began to erect new buildings. [5]

Maya ceramics

Maya ceramics are ceramics produced in the Pre-Columbian Maya culture of Mesoamerica. The vessels used different shapes, colors, sizes, and had varied purposes. Vessels for the elite could be painted with very detailed scenes, while utilitarian vessels were undecorated or much simpler. Elite pottery, usually in the form of straight-sided beakers called "vases", used for drinking chocolate, was placed in burials, giving a number of survivals in good condition. Individual examples include the Princeton Vase and the Fenton Vase.

Jade use in Mesoamerica

The use of jade in Mesoamerica for symbolic and ideological ritual was highly influenced by its rarity and value among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Olmec, the Maya, and the various groups in the Valley of Mexico. Although jade artifacts have been created and prized by many Mesoamerican peoples, the Motagua River valley in Guatemala was previously thought to be the sole source of jadeite in the region.

K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I waged battles against Palenque (Piedras Negras's main rival in the area) and Sak Tz'i' (a "lesser polity"); in the former war, he reportedly captured an aj k'uhuun ("lord") named Ch'ok Balam, and in the latter he is said to have captured an ajaw named K'ab Chan Te'. [4] [6] K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I died on February 3, 639 AD (9.10.6.2.1 5 Imix 19 K'ayab), was likely buried at Pyramid R-5, and was succeeded by his son, Itzam K'an Ahk I, who later dedicated or re-opened his father's tomb in 658 AD. [6]

Palenque former city state in Central Amrica in present-day southern Mexico

Palenque, also anciently known as Lakamha, was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. AD 799. After its decline, it was absorbed into the jungle of cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees, but has since been excavated and restored. It is located near the Usumacinta River in the Mexican state of Chiapas, about 130 km (81 mi) south of Ciudad del Carmen, 150 m (164 yd) above sea level. It averages a humid 26 °C (79 °F) with roughly 2160 mm (85 in) of rain a year.

Plan de Ayutla (Maya Site) archaeological Maya site in Mexico‎

Plan de Ayutla is an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the municipality of Ocosingo of the Mexican state of Chiapas. The ruins are notable for having the earliest urban remains in the Upper Usumacinta region, as well as a unique ancient theater for elite use. The ancient identity of the site is subject to debate.

Monuments

Stelae

K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I erected numerous stelae, many of which became veritable models for those constructed by other rulers of Piedras Negras. [4] The first stela raised by the lord, Stela 25, cemented the use of "niche" style stelae; these monuments feature the ajaw in a small hollow, seated on an intricately decorated elevated platform, thereby symbolically suggesting that the leader has been lifted into the air. On Stela 25, K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I is seated on a "jaguar cushion", connected to the ground by a ladder stained with bloody footprints (representing human sacrifice). Above the king is the sky, iconized as a great canopy, and above this is a "great celestial bird, the avian aspect of the [Maya] god dubbed Itzamna". [2]

Jaguars in Mesoamerican cultures

The representation of jaguars in Mesoamerican cultures has a long history, with iconographic examples dating back to at least the mid-Formative period of Mesoamerican chronology. The jaguar is an animal with a prominent association and appearance in the cultures and belief systems of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican societies in the New World, similar to the lion and tiger in the Old World. Quick, agile, and powerful enough to take down the largest prey in the jungle, the jaguar is one of the biggest felids in Central or North America, and one of the most efficient and aggressive predators. Endowed with a spotted coat and well adapted for the jungle, hunting either in the trees or water, making it one of the few felines tolerant of water, the jaguar was, and remains, revered among the indigenous Americans who live closely with the jaguar.

Human sacrifice rite

Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans, usually as an offering to a deity, as part of a ritual. Human sacrifice has been practiced in various cultures throughout history. Victims were typically ritually killed in a manner that was supposed to please or appease gods, spirits or the deceased, for example, as a propitiatory offering or as a retainer sacrifice when a king's servants are killed in order for them to continue to serve their master in the next life. Closely related practices found in some tribal societies are cannibalism and headhunting.

Itzamna deity

Itzamna was, in Maya mythology, the name of an upper god and creator deity thought to reside in the sky. Although little is known about him, scattered references are present in early-colonial Spanish reports (relaciones) and dictionaries. Twentieth-century Lacandon lore includes tales about a creator god who may be a late successor to him. In the pre-Spanish period, Itzamna, represented by the aged god D, was often depicted in books and in ceramic scenes derived from them.

Stela 26, dating from 628 AD, depicts the aforementioned war with Palenque. [2] This monument marks the first time that a stela at Piedra Negras featured carvings on multiple sides (which, in this case, were dedication texts). [7] [8] Stela 26 is aligned with Itzam K'an Ahk II's Stela 35, conveying "an image of continuity, repetition, and renewal over time and across generations." [9] Stela 31, which dates from around 637 AD and depicts the war with Sak Tz'i', [2] [10] was raised in front of Structures R-3 and R-4—the location of many of Piedras Negras's earliest monuments. [11] This stela was also extremely tall, at about 4.5–5-metre (15–16 ft) meters in height, and featured an "expansion" platform that allowed for easier observation. [10] [12]

Both Stelae 26 and 31 feature another theme popular with K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I: the "warrior king" motif. This design often depicts the king facing forward, wearing a large headdress featuring iconography of the "Teotihuacan War Serpent". [2]

R-5 Pyramid

K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I was likely buried in the R-5 Pyramid, based mostly on evidence from Panel 4, crafted by Itzam K'an Ahk I. This carving explicitly labels the pyramid as the muk (i.e. burial) of K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I, and records how Itzam K'an Ahk I either dedicated or ceremonially re-opened the structure. [13] Despite this testimony, no body has ever been found in the pyramid, although the search was complicated by—and eventually abandoned because of—loose detritus left behind by looters. [14] Most of the pyramid was probably constructed following K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I's death, likely under the supervision of Itzam K'an Ahk I, [13] who eventually raised six stelae at its base. [15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Although it is known that Ruler C reigned over Piedras Negras prior to K'inich Yo'nal Ahk I, the two kings are separated by a gap of almost 64 years. [1]

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Itzam Kʼan Ahk II

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

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.

Haʼ Kʼin Xook

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Kʼinich Yat Ahk II

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.

Parrot Chaak was a ruler of La Mar, an ancient Maya settlement in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

References

  1. 1 2 Witschey & Brown (2012), p. 247.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Martin & Grube (2000), p. 142.
  3. ↑ O'Neil (2014), p. 9.
  4. 1 2 3 Sharer & Traxler (2005), p. 425.
  5. 1 2 Sharer & Traxler (2005), p. 423.
  6. 1 2 Martin & Grube (2000), pp. 142–143.
  7. ↑ O'Neil (2014), p. 71.
  8. ↑ O'Neil (2014), p. 91.
  9. ↑ O'Neil (2014), p. 120.
  10. 1 2 O'Neil (2014), p. 117.
  11. ↑ O'Neil (2014), p. 119.
  12. ↑ O'Neil (2014), p. 80.
  13. 1 2 Houston et al. (1999), p. 6.
  14. ↑ Scherer (2003), p. 127.
  15. ↑ Martin & Grube (2000), p. 143.

Bibliography

Houston, Stephen D.; Héctor Escobedo; Richard Terry; David Webster; George Veni; Kitty F. Emer (1999). "Investigations at Piedras Negras, Guatemala: 1999 Field Season" (PDF). Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies. Retrieved August 3, 2014. 
Martin, Simon; Grube, Nikolai (2000). Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens. Thames & Hudson. ISBN   9780500051030. 
O'Neil, Megan (2014). Engaging Ancient Maya Sculpture at Piedras Negras, Guatemala. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   9780806188362. 
Scherer, Andrew (2003). "Classic Maya Death at Piedras Negras, Guatemala". Antropologa de la Eternidad: La Muerte en la Cultura Maya. Sociedad Espaola de Estudios Mayas. pp. 113–144. ISBN   9788492354535. 
Sharer, Robert; Traxler, Loa (2005). The Ancient Maya. Stanford University Press. ISBN   9780804748179. 
Witschey, Walter Robert Thurmond; Brown, Clifford (2012). Historical Dictionary of Mesoamerica. Scarecrow Press. ISBN   9780810871670. 

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