Archaeologists working at the ancient Mayan city of Coba deep in the jungles of the Riviera Maya, Mexico, teamed up with experts in Mayan epigraphy to decipher the hieroglyphic inscriptions on standing stones or stelae and carved panels on temple walls at the site. Through their analysis, they have been able to identify a dynasty of 14 rulers who reigned over the city from the end of the 5th century A.D. until A.D. 780.
The 10-year study has also revealed the names of the supreme leaders of the city: Ju’npik Took’; ¿K’ahk Chitam?; Ux Man; …K’awiil; Yopat Taj… Nah; Ixik… Yopaat; K’ahk’… Yopaat; Kalo’mte’…; Lord A, Xaman K’awiil, and Lords B, C, D and E. Glyph inscriptions have linked five of the earliest rulers to the construction of buildings in the Cobá group, the oldest at the site.
The longest inscription was found on Panel 7 at the ball court and by cracking the code the project team was able to trace the founding of the dynasty to around A.D. 500.
The inscriptions also reveal the links that other rulers had with cities in the Yucatan such as Ek Balam and to city states further afield in the Petén region of northern Guatemala, such as Motul de San José, Naranjo and La Corona, and to Uxul and Calakmul in southern Campeche. Although its name does not appear in the glyph inscriptions unearthed to date, experts know that Cobá also had ties to its powerful northern neighbor Chichen Itza. A sacbe or ceremonial Mayan road connected the city to Yaxuna near Chichen Itza, a distance of 101 kilometers, the longest such highway found to date in the Maya World.
Visiting Coba
Travel back in time and book a day trip to the ancient city of Coba during your next Cancun or Riviera Maya vacation. It is a fascinating ancient Mayan site and boasts the tallest pyramid in northern Quintana Roo, Nohoch Mul. The pristine jungle setting is rich in wildlife, visitors see parrots, turquoise-browed motmots, woodepeckers, agoutis, coatimundis, iguanas and huge iridescent blue morph butterflies, among others. Ask at the Thomas More Travel desks at Royal Resorts for tour options or visit www.thomasmoretravel.com
(Source: INAH)
