Kʼan I (also known as Ruler II, Lord Jaguar and Antenna Top I) was a
Maya king of
Caracol in
Belize. He reigned AD 531-534.
Biography
Kʼan was a son of the king
Yajaw Teʼ Kʼinich I, who was maybe a son of
Kʼahkʼ Ujol Kʼinich I and Lady of Xultun.
His monuments are Stela 16 and Altar 14.
Because it was carved in
slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
rather than
limestone, Stela 15 survives only in fragments, but it seems to record this ruler's accession and states that it took place under the auspices of a higher authority; because so little of the text can be read, it is not known whether this was a superordinate political power or a god.
[Martin and Grube 2000:87] The inscription also mentions an attack against Oxwitzaʼ ("Three Hill Water"), as Caracol was anciently known, and refers to lords from Caracol and
Tikal; it is by no means certain, however, that these events happened during the reign of Kʼan.
His wife was
Lady Kʼal Kʼinich, who bore him
Yajaw Teʼ Kʼinich II, his successor. His son was King
Knot Ajaw.
References
{{reflist
Bibliography
*Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens by
Simon Martin and
Nikolai Grube
Kings of Caracol
6th century in the Maya civilization
6th-century monarchs in North America