Siyaj Kʼakʼ (alternative spelling: Siyah Kʼakʼ), also known as Fire is Born (formerly nicknamed "''Smoking Frog''"), was a prominent political figure mentioned in the glyphs of

Classic Period Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of prehispanic Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian (first human habitation until 3500 BCE); the Archaic (before 2600 BCE), the Preclassic or Formative (2500 BCE –&nbs ...

()

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () of the Mesoamerican people is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. Its Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is also noted for its art, a ...

monuments, principally

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-C ...

(which he conquered in January 378), as well as

Uaxactun Uaxactun (pronounced ) is an ancient sacred place of the Maya civilization, located in the Petén Basin region of the Maya lowlands, in the present-day department of Petén, Guatemala. The site lies some north of the major center of Tikal. T ...

and the city of Copan. Epigraphers originally identified him by the nickname "Smoking Frog", a description of his name glyph, but later deciphered it as ''Siyaj Kʼakʼ'', meaning "Fire is born". He is believed by some to have been the general of the

Teotihuacan Teotihuacan (Spanish: ''Teotihuacán'') (; ) is an ancient Mesoamerican city located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, which is located in the State of Mexico, northeast of modern-day Mexico City. Teotihuacan is known today as t ...

o ruler

Spearthrower Owl "Spearthrower Owl" is the name commonly given to a Mesoamerican personage from the Early Classic period, who is identified in Maya inscriptions and iconography. Mayanist David Stuart has suggested that Spearthrower Owl was a ruler of Teotihuacan ...

Overview

Originally from

or very closely allied with that city, Siyaj Kʼakʼ was a warlord in the Maya heartland of the Petén (modern Guatemala) during the fourth century. In 378 and 379 he oversaw the replacing of the kings of important Maya states such as Tikal, Uaxactun and Copan with new rulers who claimed descent from

, possibly the ruler of Teotihuacan. As Fire is Born, he caused himself to be portrayed wearing Teotihuacano battle dress. It is during his lifetime that the public architecture of the Central Mexican capital began to be emulated in the Maya region; particularly the ''

talud-tablero Talud-tablero is an architectural style most commonly used in platforms, temples, and pyramids in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, becoming popular in the Early Classic Period of Teotihuacan. ''Talud-tablero'' consists of an inward-sloping surface or p ...

'' style so characteristic of the Mexican highlands, and so atypical of Maya building styles. Siyaj Kʼakʼ remained a power in the region until his death early in the fifth century, acting as overlord to such kings as

Yax Nuun Ayiin I Yax Nuun Ahiin I, also known as Curl Snout and Curl Nose (died 17 June 404?), was a 4th-century ruler of the Maya city of Tikal. His name when transcribed is YAX-?-AH:N, translated "First ? Crocodile". He took the throne on 12 September 379, and ...

(aka "Curl Nose") of Tikal. The appearance of Siyah Kʼakʼ marks the beginning of a strong cultural influx from the

Valley of Mexico The Valley of Mexico ( es, Valle de México) is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with present-day Mexico City and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico w ...

, although whether this was accomplished via peaceful interaction or military invasion is still being very actively debated.

References

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External links

The name glyph of Siyah Kʼakʼ
* ttps://decipherment.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/naachtuns-stela-24-and-the-entrada-of-378/ Naachtun's Stela 24 and the Entrada of 378 (Maya Decipherment, David Stuart, 2014)* Wade, Lizzie (2022) "The arrival of strangers: New evidence points to a clash between two ancient Mesoamerican cultures, Teotihuacan and the Maya,"''Science'' 28 Feb 2020 Vol 367, Issue 6481, pp. 968-973. DOI: 10.1126/science.367.6481.96 {{DEFAULTSORT:Siyaj Kak 4th-century North American people Mesoamerican people Tikal Teotihuacan

Overview

See also

References

External links