Bonampak murals depict heir presentation and graphic warfare, with 2010 tomb discovery

June 07, 2026

MexicoArt

City/town/settlement500 - 1000 AD

Source: How the Murals of Bonampak Changed Maya History by World of Antiquity

Room 1 at Bonampak shows Chan Muwaan II presenting his son as heir on December 12, 790. Room 2 shifts dramatically to warfare, with over 100 figures battling in jaguar pelts, and captives stripped and tortured. A 2010 discovery beneath Room 2 revealed a 35–42-year-old male with rich grave goods.

Key facts

Room 1 depicts a ceremony dated December 12, 790, in which Chan Muwaan II presents his young son to assembled nobles as his heir.
Body language in Room 1 suggests competition for influence between the king's natal family and his Yaxchilan relatives by marriage.
A dance performance in Room 1 is connected to Venus observations, timed to ensure the heir would become a great warrior.
Room 2 presents a dramatically different tone, with vivid depictions of warfare and violent treatment of captives.
Room 2 murals show over 100 individual human figures engaged in battle and its aftermath, with warriors in jaguar pelts using long spears that perforate enemy bodies.
Captives are shown stripped of clothing (symbolizing loss of identity) and subjected to torture including having their fingernails torn out.
In 2010, a tomb was discovered beneath the floor of Room 2 containing the remains of an adult male aged 35–42 with rich grave goods; some objects suggest he may be one of the sacrifice victims depicted in the murals.