14th European Maya Conference (November 13–14, 2009)

Saktz’i’, ‘Ak’e’ and Xukalnaah:

Reinterpreting the Political Geography
of the Upper Usumasinta Region

Dmitri Beliaev & Alexander Safronov

Maya area
Western Maya Lowlands
Upper Usumasinta Basin
“Emblem Glyphs” of Bonampak area

k’uhul ‘Ak’e ajaw k’uhul Xukalnaah ajaw

Lacanha, panel 1

xu-ka-la-NAH - Xukalnaah - “House of …?” (LACANHA)

Political structure of Usumasinta Valley
(after Peter Mathews)
Occurrence of ‘Ak’e’ and Xukalnaah “Emblem Glyphs”
on monument of “Bonampak area”

26 monuments from ‘Ak’e’ Xukalnaah Double EG

Bonampak area

BONAMPAK I IIII IIII

NEIGHBORING
SITES
I I
UNPROVENANCE
MONUMENTS
IIIIIIII IIII
EXTERNAL
MENTIONS
IIIII IIIIII
Place Names of Bonampak and Lacanha

‘u-si-WITZ (Temple I, Room 1)

‘u-’USIJ-WITZ (BPK:Ssc.4)

‘Usijwitz
‘u-’USIJ-WITZ (BPK:Ssc.5) “Vulture Hill”
BONAMPAK

‘a-’USIJ-WITZ (BPK:Lnt.1)

tu-KAB’-CH’EN ‘u-’USIJ-WITZ
(BPK:Ssc.1)

‘ Xukalnaah
“House of …?”
xu-ka-la-NAH
LACANHA
Accession of Xukalnaah king in ‘Usijwitz
(Bonampak, Sculptured Stone 4)
Accession of Xukalnaah king in ‘Usijwitz
(Bonampak, Sculptured Stone 4)
Mentions of Xukalnaah in Yaxchilan
(YAX:HS 3, step 1; YAX:St.18)

Caption o Xukalnaah lord by

Pa’chan king
‘Itzam-…(PBD)-B’ahlam III in
729
Saklakal Place Name in Bonampak area

Bonampak, Ssc.4:
‘aj-payaal jukuub’
from Saklakal

SAK-la-ka-la
‘Saklalal
“Place of White
Grasshoppers”

Piedras Negras, Pan.2:

‘Aj Chak Jol,
Yaxchilan, lintel 44: from Saklakal.
Capture of Saklakal sublord sublord of Xukalnaah
in 689
Bonampak orientation
Lacanha as the early capital of Xukalnaah

Lacanha (after Frans Blom) Lacanha, stela 7

Early ‘Ak’e’ monuments
(Houston panel, “Po-Throne panel”)
“Gravity model” and political structure
of Upper Usumasinta (after Armando Anaya)
Saktz’i’ “Emblem Glyph”

k’uhul ‘Saktz’i’ ajaw

Piedras Negras, stela 26 a.k.a. “Saktz’i’ panel”

‘Ak’e’ defeated by Saktz’i’ in 693
(Denver + Brussels panels a.k.a. “Saktz’i’ panel”)

Сha’ ‘Hul-Ohl huux Chan chuhkaj ‘Ek’ Mo’ ‘Ak’e’

‘ajaw y-itaji Yab’ K’awiil ‘aj-K’ante’l. Chan Cham
pehkaj Yab’ K’awiil ‘aj-K’ante’l ‘aj-K’inyaha’ ‘aj-
Chaktoo’k’al ‘aj-…us ‘aj-Paniil ‘aj-‘Atuun ‘aj-‘Amu’a
pehkaj y-ichnal K’ab’ Chante’ Saktz’i’ ‘ajaw

In the day of 2 ‘Hul-Ohl, 3 Chan (7.4.693) was

captured ‘Ek’ Mo’ king ‘Ak’e’, he companied by Yab’
K’awiil, he from K’ante’l. In the day of 4 Cham
(8.4.693) were called Yab’ K’awiil, he from K’ante’l,
he from K’inyaha’, he from Chaktoo’k’al, he from
…us, he from Paniil, he from ‘Atuun, he from
‘Amu’a , they were called to the face of K’ab’
Chante’, king of Saktz’i’.
Double “Emblem Glyph” of Saktz’i’ and ‘Ak’e’
(Caracas panel and Stendahl panel)
Saint Louis column, 715 A.D.
“Knot-eye”-B’ahlam as
the ruler of ‘Ak’e’ and Xukalnaah

Lacanha, panel 1

Bonampak, lintel 3
“Knot-site” Place Name of Bonampak area

‘aj-”KNOT” ‘aj-”KNOT” ‘aj-”KNOT” k’uhul Xukalnaah ‘ajaw

Bonampak murals,
Room 2, caption 10
El Chorro, altar 6 K’UH-”TIED-HAIR”-’AJAW-wa
‘Ix-”TIED-HAIR”-la ‘ajaw
Alliance of Xukalnaah and Pa’chan
against Saktz’i’

Bonampak, Temple I
murals

Bonampak, lintel 1 Bonampak, lintel 2

Tonina victory over Saktz’i’
(ca. 787-806)
Place Names of Xukalnaah kingdom

Usijwitz - “Vulture Hill” (BONAMPAK)

Xukalnaah - “House of …?” (LACANHA)

Saklakal - “Place of White Grasshoppers” (???)

B’ub’ulha’ - “Throating water” (Ojo de Agua ?)

”KNOT-site” - ? (???)

Kij - “?” (???)

Political structure of Upper Usumasinta
(after Armando Anaya)
New reconstruction of political boundaries
of Lacanha Valley
 THANK YOU

FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!!