city state · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Yaxchilan

359 CE – 810 CE (approx.) · capital Yaxchilan

A Classic Maya kingdom in a loop of the Usumacinta river, celebrated for its carved lintels showing royal bloodletting and the reigns of the Shield Jaguar kings.

Origins

Yaxchilan, anciently Pa' Chan, occupied a defensible bend of the Usumacinta on today's Mexico-Guatemala border. Its dynasty traced descent from Yopaat B'ahlam I, who took power in 359 CE, and early rulers fought repeatedly with neighbouring Piedras Negras for control of the river.

Rule and society

Its greatest age came under Itzamnaaj B'ahlam (Shield Jaguar), who reigned from 681 to 742, and his son Yaxuun B'ahlam IV (Bird Jaguar). Lintels 24 to 26, commissioned for Lady K'ab'al Xook, show a royal woman drawing blood from her tongue and conjuring a vision serpent. Temples and palaces were set on terraces above the river, and its kings dominated nearby Bonampak.

Decline and legacy

The last known ruler, K'inich Tatbu Skull IV, is recorded around 808, and the city was abandoned soon after. Its lintels, some now in the British Museum, are among the finest Maya reliefs.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Yaxchilan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yaxchilan
MLA
“Yaxchilan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yaxchilan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Yaxchilan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yaxchilan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Yaxchilan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/yaxchilan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻