Calakmul destroys Palenque in 599 and 611 CE attacks. 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
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.
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
Related site: Palenque — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Pakal: The Most Famous Maya Ruler Ever by Archaeologist Ed Barnhart