ROYAL LEGITAMACY: Palenque
While the Peten region was caught up
in war, west of the Peten,PALENQUE
flourished in what has become known
as a “Golden Age” of the classic Maya
Of the 13 kings of Palenque, none
were as powerfull as Lord Pakal and
his son Lord Chan-Bahlum
Born in 602AD/Died 683 AD-Lord
Pakal ruled Palenque for over 67
Years!
Palenque
Bonampak
Dos Pilas
Discovery
The world first learns of
Pakal in 1952 when his
tomb is dicovered by
Alberto Ruz in the temple
of inscriptions
This is the first
archeological confirmation
of Maya kingship.
THE SARCAPHAGUS
LORD PAKAL
Legitimacy-Problem
The majority of Maya kings could
trace their bloodline to the founder of
the city state.
Pakal was king through his mother
(Lady Zac-kuk)not his father, as he
was the kings stepson.
Pakal could be considered
ILLEGITIMATE because he was not a
direct desendant of Bahlum Kuk I, the
founder of Palenque.
ROYAL LINEAGE OF
PALENQUE
Legitimacy-Solution
Faced with this
legitimacy problem,
Pakal began a
lifelong monument
building program
claiming that his
mother (Lady Zackuk)was not just a
noble, but the
goddess mother who
gave birth to the 3
primary Mayan gods.
Pakal claimed he was
born on the day of the
goddesses birth.
Connecting his mother
and birth to well
known Maya religious
folklore, his claim to
the throne
transcended a mere
link with the founder of
Palenque.
His legitimacy was
based on a
supernatural link to
the gods.
After Pakal’s death in 683 AD-Lord
Chan- Bahlum rules Palenque for the
next 18 years.
He continued to commission
monuments that linked his reign to
Pakal and his grandmother.
He construction programs are
massive and after his death, the city
goes into decline.
COLLAPSE OF THE
CLASSIC MAYA
The Maya collapse occurs in between
750 to 950 AD.
Primary reasons:
Warfare
Drought
Over-forestation
Warfare
By the 8th
century, there is
a rise in warfare
between the
states
The
killing/capture
of kings
impacts Mayan
society
Evidence of
Invasion from
outsiders
Drought
Evidence of massive drought has been
discovered by archeologists
De-forestation
As cities grew
larger, more food
was needed
The constant use
of soil to feed
larger population
led erosion.
“Temple Plaster
Theory”
The Maya leave their cities into the
jungles.
The Maya/Toltec cities in the
highlands continue on into the Postclassic period.
The last Maya city(Tayasal) falls until
1697!