Lady of Tikal,
[The ruler's name, when transcribed is IX-KALO꞉M EʼIX-?-KʼIN?, Martin & Grube 2008, p.38.] also known as Woman of Tikal (1 September 504 – after ), was a
queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
of the
Mayan
Mayan most commonly refers to:
* Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Mayan languages, language family spoken ...
city of
Tikal
Tikal () (''Tik’al'' in modern Mayan orthography) is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Co ...
. She took the throne on 19 April 511 and reigned until about 527.
[These are the dates indicated in the Maya inscriptions in Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, Birth: 9.3.9.13.3 8 Akʼbal 11 Mol and Accession: 9.3.16.8.4 11 Kʼan 17 (Pop, Martin & Grube 2008, p.38).][Martin & Grube 2008, p.38.]
Biography
According to the inscription on Stela 23, the Lady of Tikal assumed a leadership role on 19 April 511, at the age of six, but did not rule on her own. Instead, she co-ruled with an individual named
Kaloomteʼ Bahlam. She was possibly the daughter of
Chak Tok Ichʼaak II
Chak Tok Ichʼaak II,The ruler's name, when transcribed is CHAK-TOK-ICHʼA꞉K, translated "Great Misty? Claw", Martin & Grube 2008, p.37. also known as Jaguar Paw II and Jaguar Paw Skull (died 24 July 508), was an ''ajaw'' of the Maya city of Tika ...
. Lady of Tikal was depicted on
Stela 23, which was broken and later re-erected incomplete. It is presumed that Stela 6 and Stela 12 also mention Lady of Tikal, but she is referred to by a different name.
Her relationship to
Bird Claw, who may have been her successor (and the 20th ruler of Tikal), is unknown due to problems deciphering the text of Stela 8, but it is important to note that Bird Claw does not carry the Tikal emblem.
The name "Lady of Tikal" can also refer to
Lady Six Sky of
Dos Pilas
Dos Pilas is a Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization located in what is now the department of Petén, Guatemala. It dates to the Late Classic Period, and was founded by an offshoot of the dynasty of the great city of Tikal in AD 62 ...
/
Naranjo
Naranjo is a Pre-Columbian Maya city in the Petén Basin region of Guatemala. It was occupied from about 500 BC to 950 AD, with its height in the Late Classic Period. The site is part of Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. The city lies along the ...
, more commonly known as "Woman of Tikal". The first Lady of Tikal was born in September 504 while Lady Six Sky acceded to the throne at Naranjo in 682.
[Martin & Grube 2008, p.74.]
Notes
Footnotes
References
*
{{Tikal
Rulers of Tikal
Tikal
Tikal () (''Tik’al'' in modern Mayan orthography) is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Co ...
6th century in the Maya civilization
6th-century monarchs in North America
6th-century women rulers
504 births
Year of death unknown
Date of death unknown