Before the rule of king Itzamnaaj Balam II, who reigned from 681 to 742, the city was relatively small. Yaxchilan (pronounced ʝaʃtʃiˈlan) is an ancient Maya city located on the bank of the Usumacinta River in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. It is undated and depicts three incised figures and some hieroglyphs. It is a particularly unusual monument because it is sculpted from a stalactite.

The structure overlooks the plaza and the river and would have been prominent to river traffic in the 8th century. This series of lintels are among the finest relief sculpture surviving in the Maya region. Two sculptured altars are located in front of the structure, which still has the remains of a perforated roof comb.

These lintels, together with the stelae erected before the major buildings, contain hieroglyphic texts describing the dynastic history of the city. Lintel 26 was the third in the series set above the doorways of Structure 23, it is now in the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. The events depicted on the lintel are described as having occurred “in front of the water of Siyan Chan”, a reference to the main plaza of the city being located on the shore of the Usumacinta River.

Stelae

The doorways that open onto the plaza were blocked up in antiquity and new doorways were cut into the sides of the structure. It is in a good state of preservation and has six doorways, three facing the plaza and three facing the river. The stela is fairly small and depicts Lady Eveningstar (also known as Lady Ik Skull), the mother of king Bird Jaguar IV.

• Yaxchilan has long been difficult to reach other than by river.
• The architectural remains extend across the higher terraces and the hills to the south of the river, overlooking both the river itself and the lowlands beyond.
• Structure 30 is in the Central Acropolis, it has three doorways facing onto the Plaza.

This event, together with the other victories of Itzamnaaj Balam II’s reign, is described both in the hieroglyphic texts of Structure 44 and also on a series of stelae near Structure 41. It depicts the victorious king Itzamnaaj B’alam II standing over a kneeling captive, who is identified as Aj Popol Chaj, the ruling lord of Lacanha. The stela was removed in 1964 and shipped upriver to Agua Azul to be flown to Mexico City for display in the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

• It was sculpted from limestone and was originally set above the central doorway of the central room.
• During his reign, the kingdom of Yaxchilán extended to include the nearby sites of La Pasadita and El Chicozapote to the northwest of the city.
• These lintels, together with the stelae erected before the major buildings, contain hieroglyphic texts describing the dynastic history of the city.
• There are niches in both the roof comb and the frieze, the niche in the roof comb contains the remains of a sculpted figure.

Hieroglyphic stairways

Like the other two structures in the South Acropolis, it has three doorways that open onto a single room. It has been restored and also has three doorways opening onto a single room and the remains of a perforated roof comb. It has plain lower walls with three doorways, each of which supports a well-preserved lintel (Yaxchilan Lintels 1 to 3).

However, it was too heavy to fly and was returned to Yaxchilan in 1965 and now lies near the bank of the river. It is largely intact and depicts the 7th-century ruler Bird Jaguar III. Stela 3 stands on a platform in the middle of a plaza by Structure 20.

Yaxchilan: Verstecktes Juwel der Maya-Kultur

The three doorways to this structure once supported sculpted Lintels 12, 13 and 14, although only two now remain. The lintels were commissioned by K’inich Tatb’u Skull II, their original location is unknown, being reset into Structure 12 in the 8th century by king Bird Jaguar IV. This structure also had doorways facing both the river and the Main Plaza.

Hieroglyphic stairways

The facade of the building facing the plaza has a surviving frieze with a sculpture of a head. The site is aligned with relation to the Usumacinta River, at times causing unconventional orientation of the major structures, such as the two ballcourts. The site contains impressive ruins, with palaces and temples bordering a large plaza upon a terrace above the Usumacinta River. Yaxchilan has long been difficult to reach other than by river. Circa 790 CE, Yaxchilan’s king Shield Jaguar III oversaw the installation of Chan Muwaan II in Bonampak, and hired Yaxchilano artisans to commemorate it (and the previous Chan Muwaan) in “Structure I”‘s murals. If Yopaat B’alam II was king of Yaxchilan at this time, this would indicate that he was subordinate to the king of Piedras Negras.

Structure 23 is in the Central Acropolis, overlooking the Main Plaza. Structure 20 was excavated by Ian Graham in 1982, during the excavations a hieroglyphic step was found in front of the building, it was reburied in order to preserve it. A small amount of the roof comb of the building remains, and the sloped roof still has surviving friezes containing niches. The structure is a temple with rooms spread over three levels, linked by interior stairways. It contains Lintels 38 through to 40, which have been reset in their original positions. Five sculpted ballcourt markers were found here, three of which were aligned on the playing area and one on each of the platforms to either side.

Stelae

Maudslay ordered several lintels to be removed, and the British Museum acquired lintels 24 in 1932. During his reign, the kingdom of Yaxchilán extended to include the nearby sites of La Pasadita and El Chicozapote to the northwest of the city. In 514, Knot-eye Jaguar I was taken captive by Ruler C of Piedras Negras, as depicted on Lintel 12 from that city, where he is shown kneeling before the enemy king with his wrists bound. Knot-eye Jaguar I was a warlike king who was recorded as capturing nobles from Bonampak, Piedras Negras, and the great city of Tikal. Hieroglyphic inscriptions dating to the Late Classic describe a series of wars in the Early Classic between the city and its neighbors.

Yaxchilan is located on the south bank of the River, at the apex of a horseshoe-shaped meander. Epigraphers think that the ancient name for the city was probably the same as that of its realm, Pa’ Chan. Architectural styles in subordinate sites in the Usumacinta region demonstrate clear differences that mark a clear boundary between the two kingdoms.

Structure 12 is a small structure in the Central Acropolis, close to the river. Structure 8 is located in the Main Plaza in front of Structure 7 and divides the plaza into northwestern and southeastern sections. The structure has a surviving perforated roof comb and is believed to date to the Early Classic. The architectural remains extend across the higher terraces and the hills to the south of the river, overlooking both the river itself and the lowlands beyond.

Late Classic

This victory over Lacanha is compared to the earlier victory of Knot-eye Jaguar II against the same city. A sajal (subordinate lord) of Itzamnaaj B’alam II was captured by the enemy city, an event that is completely absent from inscriptions at Yaxchilán itself although, importantly, there is no false claim of victory. In 629, Bird Jaguar III was enthroned as king of Yaxchilan. Little is known of the history of Yaxchilan from 537 to 629, although four kings are known to have reigned in this period. Bird Jaguar II, the next king of Yaxchilan, captured a vassal of the king of Piedras Negras around 478.

The upper part of this monument depicts king Itzamnaaj B’alam II. Lintel 41 was set above the south doorway of Structure 42 in the West Acropolis. The hieroglyphic inscription on the lintel is unusual, being reversed as if it were meant to be read in a mirror, although the significance of this is unknown. It was carved from limestone during the reign of king Itzamnaaj B’alam II and shows Lady Xook invoking the Vision Serpent to commemorate the accession of her husband to the throne.

The city-state then grew to a regional capital and the dynasty lasted into the early 9th century. Some retrospective inscriptions appear to have been used to rewrite Yaxchilan’s dynastic history to suit king Bird Jaguar IV. It is 80 kilometres (50 mi) downriver from the Maya site Altar de Sacrificios. The site lies in Ocosingo Municipality in the state of Chiapas, on the Mexican side of the international border with Guatemala, which follows the line of river. The site is 40 kilometres (25 mi) upriver from the ruins of Piedras Negras, its major rival.

It has three stepped doorways that open onto a single, irregularly shaped room. Leading up to the front of https://chickenroadapp.in/ Structure 33 from the plaza is a stairway, the top step of which is sculpted, this step is known as Hieroglyphic Stairway 2. There are niches in both the roof comb and the frieze, the niche in the roof comb contains the remains of a sculpted figure. The roof of the structure is largely intact, including a sloped roof supporting a frieze and a well-preserved roof comb.

Yaxchilan: Verstecktes Juwel der Maya-Kultur

Lintel 25 was originally set above the central doorway of Structure 23. The lintel depicts Bird Jaguar IV and his wife Lady B’alam Mut participating in a bloodletting ritual. Lintel 17 was another lintel from a doorway in Structure 21 that is now in the British Museum. Lintel 15 depicts Lady Wak Tuun, one of the wives of king Bird Jaguar IV, during a bloodletting ritual that results in the appearance of the Vision Serpent. It was originally set above the southeast doorway of the central room. Like Lintels 16 and 17 from the same series, it was carved from limestone.

It was discovered during excavations of the structure in 1984. Lintel 50 is set into Structure 13 in the Central Acropolis. The king is shown preparing for a battle that took place in 755, his wife is offering him his spear, she is Lady Wak Jalam Chan Ajaw from the site of Motul de San José in the Petén Lakes region of Guatemala. Lintel 38, Lintel 39 and Lintel 40 have been reset in their original positions in Structure 16 in the Central Acropolis.