Quirigua – An Ancient Maya Archaeological Site
Stela E
K’ak’ Tiliw Chan Yopaat (also known as Cauac Sky and Fire-burning Sky Lightening God) was known as the greatest ruler of the city Quirigua, Guatemala. He reigned for over 60 years and not only was he a great warrior conquering the city of Copan, Honduras, but built the largest standing stone in not just the Maya area but the whole of the Maya world.
The events of his reign would make a great blockbuster movie!
In AD 724 the king of Copan, a neighbouring city, installed K’ak’ Tiliw Chan Yopaat upon Quirigua’s throne as his subordinate, but the new king started to refer to himself as K’ul Ajaw, holy ruler, instead of using the lesser term Ajaw and at the same time began to use his own Quirigua emblem (city) glyph.
Then in AD 738 he betrays the king of Copan by capturing him and on 3rd May AD 738 executes him in a public ritual at Quirigua – for all to see. He then proclaims Quirigua as the new capital of south-eastern Maya region and now controlled the trade routes.
After this capture, K’ak’ Tiliw Chan Yopaat initiates a great building programme at Quirigua, including building a grand ceremonial plaza at 325 m long, the largest in the Maya area.
He also had the largest standing stone in the Americas built, Stela E, which was 10.5 m in height (including a buried portion that was 3 m deep) and weighed 65 tons! The stela shows the king in all his glory holding the instrument of royalty (a sceptre) and includes the date 24 January 771.
Activity: Why don’t you have your class make their own stelae, noting their achievements? Instructions on how to do this can be found below.
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