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!

Dos Pilas

Palenque

Bonampak

DiscoveryThe 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.

http://www.laneta.apc.org/elquetzal/50atpal/FotobiografíaFP.htmlhttp://www.laneta.apc.org/elquetzal/50atpal/FotobiografíaFP.html

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-SolutionFaced with this legitimacy problem, Pakal began a lifelong monument building program claiming that his mother (Lady Zac-kuk)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.

http://www.ease.com/~randyj/travel.htmhttp://www.ease.com/~randyj/travel.htm

COLLAPSE OF THE

CLASSIC MAYA

The Maya collapse occurs in between

750 to 950 AD.

Primary reasons:

Warfare

Drought

Over-forestation

WarfareBy the 8thcentury, 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 Post-

classic period.

The last Maya city(Tayasal) falls until

1697!