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El Peru-Waka Regional Archaeological Project
A carved alabaster jar found in the burial chamber of a high-ranking Maya woman led archaeologists to conclude the tomb was that of Lady K'abel, who was one of the great queens of the Classic Maya civilization. These pictures show the two sides of the jar. On the left, the head of a woman rises from the conch-shell carving. On the right, Maya glyphs identify the jar's owner.
Glyphs carved into a tiny alabaster jar have led archaeologists to conclude that the tomb in Guatemala where the jar was found belonged to one of the greatest queens of the Classic Maya civilization, known as Lady K'abel.
"She was not only a queen, but a supreme warlord, and that made her the most powerful person in the kingdom during her lifetime," David Freidel, an archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a report released today. That description would put Lady K'abel in the same class as other ruling women of the ancient world, ranging from the biblical Queen of Sheba to Egypt's Hatshepsut and Cleopatra.
Freidel is the co-director of an excavation at the royal Maya city of El Peru-Waka in Guatemala's northwestern Peten region, near the Mexican border. The tomb site has been under study for almost a decade. Freidel and his colleagues found artifacts suggesting that a high-ranking female personage had been buried there, and Lady K'abel was the No. 1 candidate. But it took the alabaster jar, small enough to fit in a queen's hand, to clinch the case.
The jar is carved to look like a conch shell, with the head and arm of an aged woman emerging from the opening. Four Maya hieroglyphs were carved into the back of the jar, including two titles referring to the owner: "Lady Waterlily-Hand" and "Lady Snake Lord." These names have long been associated with Lady K'abel.
David Freidel, an archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis, discusses the case of Lady K'abel.
Stanley Guenter
Four glyphs were found on the alabaster vessel: The first appears to read "the house of." The second is thought to refer to the contents of the vessel. The third can be translated as "Lady Waterlily-Hand." The fourth is "Lady Snake Lord," identifying the lady as a princess of Calakmul.
"It's as close to a smoking gun in archaeology as we can get," Freidel told me today. "Archaeology is a circumstantial science, but we're putting this forward as our working hypothesis."
Like Cleopatra, Lady K'abel held her own in the midst of powerful men — including her husband, K'inich Bahlam II, with whom she ruled the Wak kingdom for at least 20 years in the late 7th century (672 to 692). Because K'abel held the additional title of military governor, she was considered more powerful than the king. This wasn't strictly a love match: K'abel was a princess from the Kan dynasty, the imperial family who ruled from the great city of Calakmul. Her marriage was in line with a political alliance between the king in Waka and the emperor in Calakmul — against the region's other superpower, the city-state of Tikal.
The artifacts found in the tomb suggest that the person buried there was held in great reverence. For example, the alabaster jar contained red cinnabar pigment, which the Maya used in royal burial chambers. Freidel and his colleagues believe the jar served as a funerary "white soul flower cache vessel," which was thought to hold one of the several souls specified in Maya religious texts.
Another ritual item, a jade jewel representing the Maya maize god, was found on the body of the woman in the tomb. And a potbellied figurine was placed at the woman's groin. Freidel said this figurine appears to represent the Blue Moon Akan, a Maya death god that was the companion of kings. "That is remarkable," he said. "I see an image of the Akan, born mystically by the dead queen who was the warlord of her kingdom."
After Lady K'abel's reign, Tikal's rulers continued their war against Waka and Calakmul. By the middle of the eighth century, Tikal had the upper hand in the Maya superpower struggle. And by the middle of the ninth century, the Classic Maya civilization was well on its way to its mysterious collapse. But the lady's tomb remained, apparently serving as a monument to a take-charge woman warrior.
Does this close the case of the princess with the alabaster jar? Not yet. The word from Freidel is that there's much more to come. For example, there's still a chance that the jar was actually an heirloom item, passed down from Lady K'abel to another woman in the royal family who was buried in the tomb.
"A royal tomb of this kind is very complicated, forensically," he told me. "It will take years to publish this out, but that's normal for Maya archaeology."
More about the Maya:
- How the Maya lived
- Maya myth revealed
- Maya doom teaches climate lesson
- Maya workshop documents time beyond 2012
- 2012 and Maya prophecies: What were they thinking?
The El Peru-Waka excavation is co-directed by Juan Carlos Pérez, former vice minister of culture for cultural heritage of Guatemala. Olivia Navarro-Farr, assistant professor of anthropology at the College of Wooster in Ohio, directed the excavations with Griselda Pérez Robles, former director of prehistoric monuments in the National Institute of Anthropology and History, and archaeologist Damaris Menéndez.
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
Leave a Comment:
This is just a silly thought, so no need to freak out on me: Ever think how it's illegal to dig up burial grounds in a cemetery? But if they are 1000+ years old and dig it, then you are a commeneded. LOL It's just funny to me. Leave the dead alone. My lord.
imrightnotyou, I have always had the same thought. It's not just the age of the grave, it's what culture is buried in the particular grave that gives the right, it seems.
If the dead are alone if pretty much depends on if there is a my lord.
I would actually be flattered if a few thousand years from now somebody dug my body up and put it in a museum. Either way, "I" wont be there. Hmmm....maybe I should start planning a tomb.
It is the only way we can get the good stuff to sell on the black market and Craigslist.
Seriously we do need to understand more of our own histories.
In the future someone will unearth our modern day caskets and Tombs.
Yes, and kick off a new fashion craze of three piece suits and frumpy dresses.
Catmandeux
Nice one!
My father-in-law was buried in a light blue leisure suit in the 70's....I've often wondered if he is still having to wear it in his afterlife!
Wonderful art and very interesting history. Great article, thanks!
I agree. same with ancient Egypt. why is it illegal to do that to a king of England. but okay to dig up ancient graves? can someone explain? please!
They are hoping they have dug up King Richard III's bones now. They are waiting on DNA analysis. Pretty cool, yes?
It depends if someone in authority objects. Apparently, there aren't any Mayans to stop them. And Mexico needs whatever tourist attractions or museum objects they can get.
The dig is in Guatemala.
To: REALCHRIS... There are quite a few MAYANS still. Though long subjected, I know a few who are leaders on these digs. Your reference to Mexico is not entirely incorrect (per MAX WEST) as much of Southern Mexico, the whole of the Yucatan, was Guatemala until the end of the 19th c when Mexico ( in a political sense) made a deal of guns for land. The article mentioned that the 'Dig' was located in the Peten in North West Guatemala... The Peten in actually in North East Guatemala with what was once known as 'British Honduras' just to the east of it.
The National Museum in Mexico has quite a collection of Guatemalan artifacts. If you happen to see it as an anthropological rather than Political picture.
The Mayan, Toltec and Aztec empires are so fascinating. I wish I knew as much about them as we know about the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. It's very interesting and I wish we could see more articles like this one.
Good job. Wonderful find and interesting subject matter.
Most libraries of any size has a descent collection of books that cover these civilizations. Dig in.
Girl power forever. One of the most powerful queen of her time. Too bad she is not around today to encourage more women to be a success.
Yeah, Im all for women empowerment...however as for another warlord...im not so sure... we have enough worldwide as it is.....
I doubt she'd want any competitors. Cleopatra killed her brother and sister.
Those Mayan women were butt ugly.
Beauty is in the eye on the beholder, perhaps you have to much butt in your eye.
lmao good one BTW!
Hardly.While an amusing play on words we know there are universal parameters of beauty that cuts across races,at least in the first world
pained1 Only if you allow the media to dictate beauty to you. And before Twiggy in the '70's beauty was much different than it is today. Take a look at some old magazine advertisements from the 60's or earlier. The women who are featured actually look normal and healthy. Not like the models of today who look like they would kill for a chocolate chip.
I said nothing about skinny women with boyish figures,you did.I am talking about facial structyure mr expert
Expert? Hardly. And thanks for the clarification.
She looks hot! <3
I wonder what the archealogists of 100 years will say???
I know...."It appears it was a custom for women to identify themselves with tattoos right above their butt crack, while men, it was customary to a red "S" encased in a triangle on one of their biceps".
Imagine what they'll say about that woman from Brazil living in England now who holds the record for most piercings!!! AND tattoos!
That she was a self indulgent idiot with a likely mental health issue
I really don't think it's an issue. Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for literally MILLIONS of years. Then pfft they became birds and it was over for them. Then mammals had their day then pfft one of them stood up on his hind legs and picked up a club and wham-o, mammals became second-class citizens and homo sapiens were the big dogs (so to speak). But we've only held the title for a little over a hundred thousand years. A flash in the pan in cosmic terms AND we're already showing signs of decline. World War One, World War Two and more yet to come. I don't think the Dinosaurs or the pre-human mammals have to worry about their records, we won't come close to lasting as long as they did.
Frankly, I don't think our insect successors will care one way or the other about tattoos or piercings. Unless, in a couple of million years, they evolve into more sentient beings.
skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City
I hate to break it to you, but we are mammals. We may be extra clever animals, but at the end of the day we have more in common, genetically, with a chimpanzee than a zebra does with a horse.
Well, I hate to break it to YOU, but we are a highly evolved, hybrid mammal. A mutant with a larger brain and reasoning ability beyond other mammals. Besides our great big giant brains we have one other quality that sets us aside from other mammals, our predilection for self-deception. For all of our brain-power and advanced technology we can't seem to get beyond our human chauvinism, our "made in God's image" mentality that is the root of so many evils and will eventually lead to our self-immolation.
Which is why I say our insect successors won't have these issues and won't care one bit about our body art. If they get possession of this world before we strip it down to a life-less rock they will almost certainly outlast the dinosaurs as the rulers of this planet and will still be here when the sun becomes a red giant and absorbs the earth.
So, have nice day.
Our downfall is that we came up with the best culture seen and are now actively dismantleing because of white guilt.Skip the sci fi skip.It'll be long after the doggies or some such have 'self-immolated' their culture[need some few million more years] before the insects get their culture[they've already been around millions of years]
Pretty high-falutin sociological theory for someone who can't spell dismantling
Thanks Doug, spelling isn't my strong suit either so I was going to let that one pass, but I'm glad you called him on it.
"White guilt?" "Sci-fi?" No wonder you're pained, you're still stuck in the late 19th/early 20th century.
Hey, wake-up, it's 2012 already. You're going to be late for the future.
Aaa, but what else is new?
I for one welcome our insect overlords.
Pained,
I think you benefit from revisiting my comments about "self-deception" and "human chauvinism." You do own a mirror don't you?
skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City
Thanks for the laugh. I really needed to do that after the week I have had.
I think you may be confused as to what makes creatures mammals. Mammals are "air-breathing vertebrate animals characterized by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young." The primary feature being the mammary glands used for nursing the young.
Brain size and personality traits don't actually factor into the classification at all. "Mammal" is considered a "class" which is quite a high level biological classification. Being such a high level there are very few distinct characteristics required for inclusion. For humans to be "Mammal hybrids" we would have to share specific mammal traits and perhaps some non mammalia traits as well. Perhaps reptilia traits.
So of we nursed our young, had hair and reptilian scales...then we would be mammal hybrids.
Michael's comparison is also kind of funny talking the differences between horses and zebras. Humans, chimps, horses and zebras are all straight up mammals regardless of our genetic differences.
Cali_45451 - I was going for what I had hoped was an easy comparison. Something simple to understand. But, you are correct, it was a bit of a stretch.
Oh crap, you guys are no fun.
.An extra 'e' gets your panties in a wad and you're talking about insect overlords?The insects already have been here hundreds of millions of years and are still-insects
Don't think I'd want to mess with a woman named Lady Snake Lord.
God I hate Snakes.
"And a potbellied figurine was placed at the woman's groin. Freidel said this figurine appears to represent the Blue Moon Akan, a Maya death god that was the companion of kings. "That is remarkable," he said. "I see an image of the Akan, born mystically by the dead queen who was the warlord of her kingdom."
Is Akan specific to this particular area or is she a goddess known to the Mayan culture generally? I would tend to think that a pot-bellied figurine placed at a woman's groin would represent fertility, rather than death (or a rebirth of a death god?). I looked it up and found reference to Ixchel, the Mayan Moon/Fertility goddess. Ixchel had two representations: one as a young, fertile woman, and another as an old "grandmother." Just speculating on this archaeologist's interpretation of that particular figurine. Anyone?
These are the most intelligent posts, ever!
Sorry about that I flunked Comp 101, twice.