Palenque's darkest hour: In 599 CE, the mighty Snake Kingdom (Calakmul) attacked and sacked the city center of Lakam Ha, defeating Queen Yohl Ik'nal and desecrating temples by toppling the sacred triad gods. In 611 CE, Calakmul's king Uneh Chan attacked again, capturing and killing the ruling lord Ajaw Mat (also transcribed as Ajen/Ahen Jol Mat) and his wife. In the chaos that followed, Palenque fell into ruin with no royal family left. When Pakal the Great and his mother Lady K'uk' Bahlam arrived around 612 CE, they found a city in shambles—and began its remarkable revival.
Calakmul destroys Palenque in 599 and 611 CE attacks
MexicoGeneral
Key facts
- In 599 CE, Calakmul (the Snake Kingdom) attacked Palenque, destroying Lakam Ha (city center) and desecrating temples by throwing down the three Palenque triad gods
- In 604 CE, Lady Yohl Ik'nal died and was succeeded by her son Ahen Yol Mat
- In 611 CE, Calakmul's king Scroll Serpent attacked again, captured and killed Ahen Yol Mat and his wife
- The texts record: 'Lost was the Lord. Lost was the lady. The rituals were not performed.'
- By 612 CE, when Pakal and his mother arrived, Palenque was a city in ruins with no royal family
Site mentioned
Sources
Scroll Serpent - April 23, 0599 | Important Events on ... - CalendarZcalendarz.com
Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city.
Lady Yohl Ik'nal -- A Woman that Ruled Palenque - Ancient Maya Lifeancientmayalife.blogspot.com
Four years before that, there may have or actually was an attack by the Kaan or Snake polity/city-state, on April 21 -- though The Historical ...
Yohl Ikʼnal - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Calakmul control. edit. On 23 April 599 CE, Palenque suffered a devastating military defeat at the hands of Calakmul, one of the two great Maya superpowers of ...
Palenque - Mayan Ruins Websitethemayanruinswebsite.com
These defeats occurred in 599 CE under the rulership of Queen Yohl Ik'nal, and in 611 CE under King Ajen Jol Mat. On 9.8.19.7.18 9 Etznab 6 Keh, October 19 612 ...
Ancient - Facebookm.facebook.com
After the defeat, Palenque apparently maintained its political identity but Yohl Ik'nal probably had to pay tribute to the king of Calakmul.
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.