1. ROYAL LEGITAMACY: Palenque
While the Peten region was caught up in war, west of the Peten,PALENQUE
flourished in what has become known
as a “Golden Age” of the classic Maya
Of the 13 kings of Palenque, none were as powerfull as Lord Pakal and his son Lord Chan-Bahlum
Born in 602AD/Died 683 AD-Lord Pakal ruled Palenque for over 67 Years!

2. Palenque
Bonampak
Dos Pilas

3. Discovery
The world first learns of Pakal in 1952 when his tomb is dicovered by Alberto Ruz in the temple of inscriptions
This is the first archeological confirmation of Maya kingship.

6. THE SARCAPHAGUS

7. LORD PAKAL

8. Legitimacy-Problem
The majority of Maya kings could trace their bloodline to the founder of the city state.
Pakal was king through his mother (Lady Zac-kuk)not his father, as he was the kings stepson.
Pakal could be considered ILLEGITIMATE because he was not a direct desendant of Bahlum Kuk I, the founder of Palenque.

9. ROYAL LINEAGE OF PALENQUE

10. Legitimacy-Solution
Faced with this legitimacy problem, Pakal began a lifelong monument building program claiming that his mother (Lady Zac-kuk)was not just a noble, but the goddess mother who gave birth to the 3 primary Mayan gods.
Pakal claimed he was born on the day of the goddesses birth.

11. Connecting his mother and birth to well known Maya religious folklore, his claim to the throne transcended a mere link with the founder of Palenque.
His legitimacy was based on a supernatural link to the gods.

14. After Pakal’s death in 683 AD-Lord Chan- Bahlum rules Palenque for the next 18 years.
He continued to commission monuments that linked his reign to Pakal and his grandmother.
He construction programs are massive and after his death, the city goes into decline.

16. COLLAPSE OF THE CLASSIC MAYA

17. The Maya collapse occurs in between 750 to 950 AD.
Primary reasons:
Warfare
Drought
Over-forestation

18. Warfare
By the 8th century, there is a rise in warfare between the states
The killing/capture of kings impacts Mayan society
Evidence of Invasion from outsiders

19. Drought
Evidence of massive drought has been discovered by archeologists

20. De-forestation As cities grew larger, more food was needed
The constant use of soil to feed larger population led erosion.
“Temple Plaster Theory”

21. The Maya leave their cities into the jungles.
The Maya/Toltec cities in the highlands continue on into the Post-classic period.
The last Maya city(Tayasal) falls until 1697!