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!
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