Mystery Mayan ruler revealed to be a woman

Ongoing analysis of an ancient monument among the Mayan ruins at Cobá has revealed the identity of one of the sprawling city’s previously unknown rulers. According to archaeologists with Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the king referenced multiple times in the historical accounts described on the city’s Foundation Rock wasn’t a king at all. She was a queen named Ix Ch’ak Ch’een.

INAH researchers discovered the 111-square-foot limestone monument in the state of Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula last year. Since then, they’ve spent extensive time documenting and interpreting the massive edifice’s 123 hieroglyphics. The Mayan artwork dates back to at least 6th century CE, an era of political and economic ascension for the city.

Early examinations indicated that the Foundation Rock included information on Cobá’s Classic period such as timelines outlining when specific dynasties ruled and important construction projects in the city. A year of additional work has yielded even more findings, including a more precise date for the founding of the city’s monumental district, Nohoch Mul. 

“It is possible to identify the date 9.6.15.6.9 (corresponding to May 12, 569 CE),” the INAH said in its announcement. 

Specifically, archaeologists can tie it to a structure called Kehwitznal, or “place of the deer mountain.”

Importantly, the glyphs also spell out details about the ruler who oversaw the endeavor. Decoding these epigraphs allowed researchers to corroborate passages on the Foundation Rock with nearby monuments mentioning the queen, Ix Ch’ak Ch’een.

“In such monuments, the name variants are slightly different, as in Stela 30, where she is referred to as Ix Ch’ak Ch’een Yopaat, while in the wash text she is associated with the term K’awiil,” the INAH explained. “However, the closeness of the dates indicates that they are the same sovereign.”

K’awiil is the name of a Mayan deity associated with divine lightning and royalty. Associating the god with Ix Ch’ak Ch’een would confer absolute legitimacy and military authority equal to that of a kaloomte, the highest Mayan political position.

The Foundation Rock also describes the coronation of Ix Ch’ak Ch’een, as well as her relations with Cobá’s protective deities like Bolon Tz’akab Ajaw, “Lord of Innumerable Generations.” During her reign, the queen oversaw other municipal projects such as a ballcourt, as well as a major ceremonial calendar event in the year 573 CE.

Ix Ch’ak Ch’een isn’t the only female Mayan ruler known to historians. At least three other women governed Cobá, including one who reigned for four decades. Taken altogether, it indicates that Mayan gender dynamics were likely far more egalitarian than initially believed.

 

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