Caracol Stela 16

Location: Caracol

Dates: 9.5.0.0.0 11 Ajaw 18 Zec / July 13, 534 CE

Kings: 7

Though we know little about the context, Caracol Stela 16 marks the first confirmed mention of a Copan king outside of the Southeastern region (Martin and Grube 2008, 197).

While one side depicts the Caracol king K’an I, commissioner of this monument, the textual side describes the erection of the stelae as well as familial and political relations (Grube 1990; Martin and Grube 2008, 87). After a now illegible portion of the text, K’an I discusses yitah and tz’akab - siblinghood and succession respectively - which may indicate a network of related royalty throughout the region. The text continues with a “royal woman from Xultun”, a city in the Peten region in Guatemala and concludes with reference to “Copan Ajaw” Bahlam Nehn (Martin and Grube 2008, 87; Grube 1990).

With the focus on family in the text, Bahlam Nehn may have been a relative of K’an I. The Founder himself, Yax K’uk’ Mo’, is presumed to have been from the Central Peten Region, perhaps more specifically from Caracol (Price et al. 2010). On Stela 63, Popol Hol refers to the Founder as Uxwitza’ ch’ajoom, or “Three Hills Water Lord”, with Three Hills Water being understood as a place name for Caracol. A similar title “Three Hills Lord” would later appear on Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awiil’s Stela J (Stuart 2007).

Unfortunately, we do not currently know why the seventh king’s name appears here, whether he was an ally or relative (Martin and Grube 2008, 87). Regardless, the fact that his name appears at all speaks to Copan’s power at this time (Grube 1990). The thirteenth ruler Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awiil would later asssociate Copan with Maya Lowland Capital Tikal, Palenque, and Calakmul with cardinal directions on his Stela A, asserting the city’s prestige (Fash 2011, 59). With Copan’s influence reaching to Caracol, the thirteenth ruler’s claims may have been justified.


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