Calakmul Part 2 of 6: Structure II's palace, elite residences, and temple

View of the lower part of the north facade of Structure II. At what appears to be the very top, you can see the remains of three doorways that were the entrances of a palace. What are not visible from the ground level are the several additional levels that make up the Structure II pyramid. These unseen levels contain the ruler's palace, elite residential areas, and a large temple. They will be the subjects of this posting.  

In addition to the pyramid's architecture, I will talk about Calakmul's great dynasties and some of the major changes in our understanding of them. Much of this knowledge has been developed only recently through new discoveries or re-examination of existing sources.

The great pyramid called Structure II. This is how it would have appeared in 800 AD, during the Terminal Classic Era (600-900 AD). By this time the functions of Structure II had changed considerably from those of Pre-Classic times (500 BC - 250 AD). In that earlier time, the pyramid was used exclusively for religious and ceremonial purposes. However, in the Early Classic era (250-600 AD), a political function was added, when rulers began building their tombs within the structure. 

Then, in the Terminal Classic period (600-900 AD), the structures on the pyramid's seventh level (Structures IIb, IIc, IId) were rebuilt into a palace for rulers and housing for elite families. The lower levels of the north facade were used for workshops and housing for the artisans' families. In total, the pyramid has thirteen levels. This number  probably refers to the thirteen levels of heaven in the Maya cosmos. (Drawing from Extending the Calakmul Dynasty Back in Time)

Structure IIb

View of the west side of Structure IIb, located on level seven. At the top of the main staircase are the three north-facing doors of the palace. Previous to the Terminal Classic era, another structure (called Substructure IIb) stood here. Under it are several royal tombs. This earlier structure was covered by Structure IIb, which became the palace.

Archeologists who study ancient Maya sites like Calakmul have a difficult job. Imagine working on an immense, three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle with only a vague idea of the final picture. Most of the pieces have been lost and many that remain are damaged, some severely. Further, the puzzle has a fourth dimension: time. What you are trying to understand has changed several times over the centuries. This is the complex task archeologists face. 

Early Europeans who encountered Maya ruins refused to believe they were built by the ancestors of the Maya farmers they saw about them. The Europeans preferred to believe that the ancient cities were built by Egyptians, or perhaps a Lost Tribe of Israel. Then, in the mid-19th century, John Stephens and Frederick Catherwood explored Yucatan and Central America. What they found convinced them that the highly sophisticated builders were indigenous Maya. 

Drawing of Structure II, viewed from above. The stairways lead up to the seventh level on which the Structure IIb palace stands. Structures IIc and IId, on either side, provided housing for top-level elites. These probably including the ruler's extended family. Not shown in the drawing is the temple which also stands on the seventh level, directly behind Structure IIb. (Drawing from A Dynastic Tomb from Campeche, Mexico)

Archeologists who followed Stephens and Catherwood to the Maya areas over the next 125 years couldn't decipher the hieroglyphic inscriptions they found. As a result, they speculated that the Maya had been peaceful astronomers, mathematicians and artists, with little conflict among their various cities. Then, in the 1970s, the Maya code was finally deciphered. The results were startling. 

View of Structure IIb's interior from the center door. Originally, the structure had only three parallel east-to-west rooms. Later, walls were put up to break the three long rooms into nine smaller ones. The front rooms were used for food preparation and cooking. One of the rear rooms was used as a temescal (sweatbath).

When the ancient hieroglyphic codes were deciphered, they revealed that Maya warfare was both incessant and bloody. The prevailing belief was that all these conflicts were just local squabbles between individual city-states. That view began to change as archeologists studied the "emblem glyphs" found within the inscriptions. These are dynastic symbols that are usually associated with the name of a city or ruler.

Snake head emblem glyph of the Kaan'ul, or Snake Dynasty. The carving shows a left profile of a  snake head with a toothy and rather sinister smile and a large frowning eye. Emblems such as this were usually found on stone monuments such as stelae and hieroglyphic stairs, as well as wooden door lintels. In addition to Calakmul, Kaan'ul emblems have been found in city-states all over the Petén region, indicating a broad network of power and influence. 

Most of the emblem glyphs found at Calakmul have been those of the Kaan'ul, leading archeologists to believe that the Snake Dynasty originated at Calakmul. However, all of the Kaan'ul emblems found here carry dates from the 7th and early 8th centuries. Only two of Calakmul's monuments contain earlier dates. One of these carries the the emblem of the Chatahn Winik (Lords of Chatahn) and the other carries the Bat Dynasty emblem. Neither has a Kaan'ul glyph.

A tourist stands on the roof of one of the east-west rooms. Because Maya architects never mastered the true arch, they used the corbel arch, which allows only narrow rooms. While the rooms may seem cramped, particularly for a palace, we should remember that the climate allowed outside living most of the time. Elite Maya residences usually had comfortable patios and terraces where most of daily living occurred. 

Stela 43 contains the earliest Chatahn Winik emblem at Calakmul. It is dated 514 AD, placing it within the Early Classic era. "Chatahn" is the archaic name for the basin surrounding the great Pre-Classic civilization called El Mirador (600 BC-100 AD). Calakmul was founded in 500 BC and is located only 38 km (24 mi) north of El Mirador's ruins. The two cities were linked by a raised limestone road called a sacbe, portions of which still exist.

It is possible that the Lords of Chatahn may have ruled Calakmul at the time El Mirador was abandoned around 100 AD. Adopting such a dynastic name might have been an attempt to establish themselves as the successors of the lost civilization. It is also possible that members of El Mirador's elite fled the collapse, took power at Calakmul, and adopted a dynastic name which emphasized their link to a glorious past.

View of Structure IIb from the rear, looking north. I took this shot from the terrace of Structure IIa, the temple-pyramid behind it. Poking through the foliage at the top of the photo you can see the temple called Structure VII, which faced south from the north end of the central plaza. Structure VII will be shown in a subsequent post.

The Bat Dynasty's emblem appears on Stela 114 (see Part 1 of this series). Its date, 431 AD, is earlier than the one on Stela 43. However, since only two Early Classic Stelae have been found at Calakmul so far, it is difficult to say that the order of the dates indicates which dynasty came first. 

There was a peaceful, power-sharing arrangement between these two early dynasties, possibly based on intermarriage. This relationship lasted throughout Calakmul's history, although the Bat Dynasty seems to have become the predominate partner at times. Bat emblems are sometimes linked with the title kaloom'te (overlord), which implies an authority that extends beyond one city-state. By contrast, the Chatahn Winik never get a title higher than Ajaw (lord), which signifies authority in a specific location. 

The Elite Residential Area of Structure II

Structure IId stands on the west side of the IIb palace. This was constructed during the Terminal Classic period when a residential function was added to the pyramid's religious and political functions. This building provided living space for elites, probably including members of the extended royal family.

Archeologists once believed that the Kaan'ul had originated at Calakmul, but they were puzzled that the earliest date associated with the Kaan'ul at Calakmul is 631 AD. Then, in 1994, a Snake Head emblem dated to 495 AD was found in the city of Dzibanche, 201km (125mi) to the northeast. The date and emblem were linked to a ruler thought to have been from Calakmul. Evidence began to accumulated that the Kaan'ul had ruled Dzibanche for at least 400 years prior to their appearance at Calakmul. 

Needless to say, this thunderbolt overturned many long-accepted views of the Classic Maya period. One of the seminal events in that history was the defeat of Tikal in 562 AD by a coalition of city-states. They were led by Sky Witness, a Kaan ruler previously believed to have been from Calakmul. Instead, he was part of a whole list of supposed Calakmul rulers who were actually based in Dzibanche!

Narrow hall in Structure IId. The changes to Structure II during the Terminal Classic era were not unique. At about the same time, something similar was happening to the north, at the Pyramid of the Five Levels at Edzna as well as at the Great Palace at Sayil. Not coincidentally, during this period, Calakmul was re-focusing to the north, away from the collapsing civilization of the Petén to the south and toward the still vibrant cities of the Yucatan Peninsula.

At La Corona, a Snake Dynasty ally, an inscription states that the seat of the Kaan'ul dynasty officially moved to Calakmul in 635 AD. Apparently, a fratricidal struggle had broken out at Dzibanche, possibly involving the very question of  the dynastic move. In the end, the faction that favored the move won. However, even after establishing itself at Calakmul, members of the winning faction continued to rule at Dzibanche for least 250 years. 

But why move to Calakmul? A practical reason may have involved the broader political interests of the Kaan'ul. They were allied with cities throughout the Petén region and Calakmul was simply more geographically central than Dzibanche. Another reason might have involved Calakmul's historical connection to El Mirador. Ruling from there would have allowed the Kaan'ul to position themselves as the political and cultural successors of El Mirador's glorious past.

View from above of Structure IIc, on the east side of the palace. This is another area of elite housing. 

The Chatahn Winik and Bat dynasties were sharing power at the time of the Kaan'ul arrival. Why did they peacefully submit to the takeover of their city? Perhaps the Kaan'nul were not seen as usurpers but as powerful partners. As well as existing linguistic and cultural connections, there were possible links through marriage. In addition, although the Kaan'ul began their move in 631 AD, they apparently did not become dominant for another four years.

Further, the Kaan dynasty had formed and led the great coalition which defeated Tikal and consolidated control over most of the Petén. Perhaps Calakmul's two resident dynasties viewed the arrival of the victors as an honor. The Kaan'ul apparently eased the transition by agreeing to leave the day-to-day control of the city in the hands of the two subordinate dynasties. The Kaan'ul simply used Calakmul as the headquarters for their growing empire.

Structure IIa: The Temple

Structure IIa sits just behind IIb on the pyramid's seventh level. It is the one part of the Structure II pyramid which never changed functions. It remained a religious site for more than a millennia. Since it sits behind Structure IIb at the back of the seventh level of the main pyramid, it is invisible from the level of the plaza.

In 636 AD, a year after the official establishment of Calakmul as the seat of the Kaan'ul, Yuknoom Ch'een II (He Who Makes the Cities Tremble) was seated as kaloom'te (overlord) of the new empire. Born in 600 AD, he was the son of Scroll Serpent, a Kaan ruler of Dzibanche who famously raided distant Palenque twice and died in 611 AD. Several of Scroll Serpent's sons ruled briefly between 611 and 636 AD. 

An inscription dated 631 names the third son, Yuknoom Head, as the first Kaan ajaw (lord) connected with Calakmul. This may be the name of the person who, after he acceded to the throne in 636 AD, re-named himself Yuknoom Ch'een II. Archeologists sometimes call him Yuknoom the Great, because he extended Calakmul's area of control over 13,000 sq km (8,078 sq mi), inhabited by more than 1.5 million people. He ruled for an extraordinary 50 years and died in 686 AD.

Ceramics belonging to Yuknoom Ch'een II and his successor. A statement of their ownership is written on the each piece in hieroglypic script. This was a normal practice by the Classic era Maya elite. (Photo from Distribution Analysis of the Central Maya Lowlands)

Yuknoom Ch'een II was the first of three Kaan rulers who dominated the Maya world during the 7th and early 8th centuries. His son Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ahk' was born in 849 AD. This was previously translated as Jaguar Paw, but the correct name is Claw of Fire. In his father's later years, Claw of Fire may have been responsible for the victories over Tikal in 677 and 679 AD. 

Claw of Fire took the throne after his father's death in 686 AD. Inscriptions at various Petén cities record his installation of local rulers, in his role as overload. However, in 695 AD, Calakmul was disastrously defeated by Tikal, which was trying to reestablish its preeminence after 130 years in the shadow of the Kaan'ul. It was once believed that Claw of Fire was captured and sacrificed after the battle, but he apparently escaped back to Calakmul.

Front view of the temple. Three staircases rise up the first level of the pyramidal structure to a broad terrace. From there, a single staircase reaches to the top, where rituals were once performed. This point of the temple is the highest in Calakmul. From here, there is an expansive view of the central plaza and the countryside around. 

The 695 AD defeat by Tikal was a turning point in Calakmul's history. Although Claw of Fire apparently made it back home alive, he appears to have died that same year, possibly from wounds received in the battle. His successor, Split Earth, appears to have been a puppet installed by Tikal. However, in 702 AD, Yuknoom Took' K'awiil acceded to the throne and restored the Kaan'ul to power. 

In spite of the restoration, the fortunes of Calakmul and its Kaan rulers continued to decline. About 20 years after becoming ruler, Yuknoom Took' K'awiil lost a battle with Tikal, was taken captive, and apparently sacrificed. His successor, Wamaw K'awiil, was the last of the Kaan'ul to rule Calakmul. In 726 AD, he visited the ruler of Quirgua and recklessly encouraged him to overthrow his kaloom'te, the ruler of Copán, an ally of Tikal. 

Ritual area at the top of Structure IIa. At the left-center of the photo you can see a niche which may have once contained a statue. Rituals conducted in this area would have been completely out of view of people standing at the base of the Structure II pyramid. It was not unusual for the Maya priests to consider certain religious acts to be too sacred to be conducted in public.

Wamaw K'awiil's interference apparently reignited hostilities with Tikal. Finally, in 736 AD, Tikal decisively defeated Calakmul.  The defeat succeeded in snuffing out the Kaan dynasty. After 736, the Kaan'ul emblem no longer appears in connection with Calakmul. B'olon K'awiil I took the throne in 741 AD. He and the rulers who followed are associated with the emblems of the Bat and the Chatahn Winik dynasties, who appear to have moved into a power vacuum. 

Fresco of Maya nobles at the Maya Museum of Chetumal. These men would have closely resembled those of the elite class at Calakmul, including those who lived in Structures IId and IIc.

Beginning with Claw of Fire's defeat in 695 AD, fewer and fewer of Calakmul's satellite city-states acknowledged its overlordship. By the beginning of the 9th century AD, climate change, environmental degradation and incessant warfare was causing a general collapse of Classic era Maya civilization. The rulers of Calakmul tried to cope by re-oriented their focus to the north, where cities like Edzna were still economically and culturally vibrant. 

The presence of royalty continued at Calakmul until the beginning of the 10th century. The last date recorded there was on a crudely inscribed stela showing the Maya equivalent of 909 AD. After that, the population drifted away. The jungle began to creep in and cover the great city, concealing it from the world for more than a thousand years. 

This completes Part 2 of my Calakmul series. In Part 3, I'll focus on the royal tomb of Claw of Fire found inside Structure II, as well as some of the grave goods from other Calakmul tombs. I hope you have enjoyed this posting. If so, please leave any thoughts or comments in the Comments section below or email me directly. 

Hasta luego, Jim