A History of the Maya: Late Classic Period

As portion of an exploration into Mexico’s agelong and affluent history, Mexico News Daily has teamed up with 1 of the country’s apical Maya experts to analyse the past satellite that flourished crossed Mesoamerica. This is Part 3 successful a bid of articles connected the past Maya. Follow the links to work Part 1 and Part 2.

Traditionally, the Classic play has been considered to extremity successful astir A.D. 1000, with A.D. 550 marking the opening of the play known arsenic the Late Classic. But it’s worthy noting that academics inactive statement these dates. 

Academics inactive reason implicit dates, but the important sites for the classical and post-classic Maya are well-established. (Kmusser – Foster, Lynn (2002)/Wikimedia Commons)

Some scholars person questioned the A.D. 550 to 909 timeframe for the Late Classic play — A.D. 909 being the past day recorded successful the Long Count calendar strategy on monuments successful cities similar Toniná oregon Calakmul. Other scholars person projected subperiods, designated arsenic the Epiclassic oregon Terminal Classic, extending from A.D. 800 to 1000. These debates stay open.

The expanding complexity of the Maya satellite successful the Late Classic period

No substance the world disagreements astir time, what is indisputable is that the Late Classic play is characterized by a process of expanding complexity astatine each levels successful the Maya world. 

Governmental operation was present configured astir the fig of the k’uhul ajaw, the “sacred ruler” of the chiefdom. The operation nether the k’uhul ajaw included assorted entities that accompanied and complemented the ruler’s authority. Thus, successful hieroglyphic records recovered successful assorted artifacts — specified arsenic ceramic vessels, stelae and murals we find references to these powerfulness groups forming a “courtly elite,” with antithetic titles, positions and privileges. 

For example, Panel 3, from the metropolis of Piedras Negras (Figure 1) successful Guatemala, allows america to observe an mundane courtly scene. The ruler of the tract is depicted successful the center, seated connected his ample throne and resting connected a cushion covered with jaguar skin, a awesome of authority.

Seated earlier the ruler, astatine a little level that emphasizes their secondary presumption are a bid of individuals whose names and titles we cognize acknowledgment to the accompanying hieroglyphic inscriptions. Advances successful deciphering Maya hieroglyphic penning person allowed researchers to observe the beingness of priestly titles specified arsenic ajk’uhun, subject titles specified arsenic yajawte’, governmental titles specified arsenic baahkab, administrative titles specified arsenic yebet, honorary titles specified arsenic itz’aat, and truthful on, demonstrating a societal enactment acold much analyzable than antecedently assumed successful 20th-century studies. Likewise, the iconographic survey of assorted archaeological materials reveals the large diverseness of professions and individuals who lived successful the Classic Maya courts, highlighting the beingness of artists, musicians, contortionists, radical with achondroplasia and others who accompanied the k’uhul ajaw (Figure 2).

Sacred rulers and the vertical authorization model

The ineffable ruler and his humor relatives formed the apex of the chiefdom’s vertical authority. Indeed, the k’uhul ajaw was the earthly embodiment of the gods —  patron deities and dynastic ancestors who conferred upon him the legitimacy to rule. However, the k’uhul ajaw besides needed the enactment of assorted firm entities to assistance him support powerfulness and power of the sociopolitical operation helium ruled over. 

Figure 1, a tribunal country from Piedras Negras, with the ruler successful the center. (Mesoweb.com)

Although hereditary succession from begetter to lad was the astir communal practice, determination are besides known cases wherever the regularisation of the chiefdom fell to women who exercised their authorization with an robust fist. Such is the lawsuit of the pistillate known arsenic “Six Heaven,” ruler of the metropolis of Naranjo successful Guatemala successful the eighth century. She was instrumental successful the territorial enlargement controlled by this governmental dynasty. 

Marriage betwixt elite members of antithetic cities was a recurring strategy among ruling lineages to forge intricate governmental alliances during the Late Classic period. For example, we cognize that Lady Six Sky of Naranjo (Figure 3) — a metropolis successful the Peten country of Guatemala — was the girl of B’ajlaj Chan K’awiil, the ruler of the metropolis of Dos Pilas, besides successful the Peten area. Lady Six Sky’s begetter was allied with the rulers of the Kanu’l dynasty, based successful the large metropolis of Calakmul, astir 200 kilometers distant successful what is present Campeche, Mexico. 

The Kanu’l dynasty

It’s not astonishing that this confederation existed. The Kanu’l dynasty dominated the geopolitical scenery of the Late Classic period. In a shrewd governmental move, Calakmul’s rulers pressured their allies successful Dos Pilas to found this matrimony of convenience successful Naranjo successful bid to power this important strategical enclave adjacent their large rival city: Tikal. In this way, Naranjo and Dos Pilas would autumn nether the web of strategical allies of the Kanu’l dynasty, on with the Belizean metropolis of Caracol, against the latent Tikal threat. 

During this humanities period, cities accrued their architectural spaces to location the elite. These residential units were typically restricted spaces characterized by a ample fig of rooms connected by courtyards wherever the elite could gather, enactment and clasp societal events. Thanks to bioarchaeological studies, we tin besides infer the culinary preferences of these groups, successful peculiar maize and squash, but besides different protein-rich foods specified arsenic venison and fish, among others. Ceramic archaeological remains recovered some successful these areas and successful burial sites person revealed the usage of plates, vessels and cups, peculiarly those intended for cacao and maize beverages mixed with antithetic flavorings, which were the astir sought aft by these elite.

Population and operation booms

The important colonisation maturation of this play was accompanied by an summation successful cities’ municipality spaces, and, consequently, successful the size of the cities’ civic-ceremonial structures. For example, successful the Campeche metropolis of Calakmul’s large pyramid, besides known arsenic Structure II, the tract yet reached astir 55 meters successful tallness aft having been renovated during 7 operation stages since its archetypal operation successful the Preclassic period. 

This operation roar was accompanied by a sizeable summation successful the fig of chromatic monuments, altars, stelae and truthful on, which bore hieroglyphic and iconographic inscriptions owed to the large development, refinement and specialization of penning and art. The artists of cities similar Palenque merit peculiar notation for the accomplishment of their maestro scribes and carvers, who depicted the dynastic, mythological and governmental histories of their ruling lineages successful spectacular works specified arsenic the polychrome ceramics known arsenic “dynastic vessels” oregon panels carved and painted successful vibrant colors.

Figure 2, from a polychrome vase showing the diverseness of tribunal beingness successful the Late Classic Maya period. (Mayavase.com)

Researchers person estimated that ample cities similar Calakmul and Tikal astatine their highest whitethorn person housed astir 150,000 inhabitants. This aggravated colonisation unit that began astatine the opening of the seventh period besides meant that these cities’ cultivation systems had to beryllium intensified to enactment these ample populations. It besides motivated the strongest governmental entities to grow their territory successful bid to predominate commercialized routes that facilitated their entree to some indispensable goods and the luxury goods that the elite demanded. 

Warfare and large rivalries

Not surprisingly, this resulted successful accrued warfare passim the Maya world, with ruling dynasties clashing successful bloody wars. Toniná, located successful modern-day Chiapas, for example, engaged successful protracted conflicts with the rulers of Palenque, and its victories and captives were depicted connected galore of the city’s chromatic monuments. 

In the Usumacinta River basin, the cities of Yaxchilán and Piedras Negras, successful Chiapas and Guatemala, respectively, engaged successful a large rivalry arsenic they vied for power of the stream way and determination hegemony. In the Petexbatún region, successful southwestern Petén, Guatemala, the battles surrounding power of the Pasión River were significant. This important stream way connected the confederate territories — from which galore of the jade, obsidian, and quetzal feather cores originated — with the cardinal Petén region. In this area, the large competitors included Dos Pilas, Ceibal and Tamarindito, among others, not to notation the large Early Classic power: Tikal.

The clashes betwixt Tikal and Calakmul

Following the boost Tikal had received by the accomplishment of foreigners from the immense city-state of Teotihuacán successful the 4th century, Tikal became the ascendant powerfulness successful the confederate Maya Lowlands until the aboriginal seventh century, controlling the region’s main commercialized routes. However, successful A.D. 562, the geopolitical world of the Maya Lowlands was shaken by a important event. 

Altar 21 from the metropolis of Caracol successful Belize — astir 75 kilometers eastbound of Tikal —  allows america to recognize the determination governmental configuration astatine the opening of the sixth century, successful which Tikal and Caracol were allies. A fewer years later, however, the confederation broke down with the commencement of a struggle involving a almighty radical from a metropolis located acold to the north, successful Quintana Roo, Mexico. This was the metropolis of Dzibanché, ruled by the Kanu’l dynasty.

In A.D. 562, the Kanu’l dynasty — whose emblem was the serpent-head glyph — allied with Caracol and went to warfare unneurotic against the leaders of the metropolis of Tikal, marking a turning constituent successful the sociopolitical past of the Maya Lowlands. 

Figure 3, a stela of Lady Six Sky successful the past Maya metropolis of Naranjo. (Guatemala.com)

With its defeat, Tikal entered a play of decline, and the Kanu’l rulers cemented their beingness successful the territory, establishing their caller superior successful the large metropolis of Calakmul, becoming the ascendant powerfulness and a bitter force of Tikal and its allies.

Pablo Mumary holds a doctorate successful Mesoamerican studies from UNAM and presently works astatine the Center for Maya Studies astatine IIFL-UNAM arsenic a full-time subordinate researcher. He specializes successful the survey of the lordships of the Maya Lowlands of the Classic period.