K'ak'-u-pakal, Hun-pik-tok' and the Kokom
The hieroglyphic texts from Chichén Itzá
reveal a particular emphasis on the buildings of the city. Some of the
more conspicuous structural elements, like facades, doorways, lintels,
and jambs are mentioned as being carved and finished at specific dates.
Following the terms of these architectural features, one encounters the
names of individuals who owned or sponsored entire buildings as well as
single rooms in them. These names are constituent parts of rather
elaborate phrases which feature titles, special occupations and
offices, as well as genealogical and ethnical terms (Davoust 1980;
Kelley 1982; Krochock 1988; Ringle 1990; Grube 1994; García Campillo
1995; Wagner 1995).
Among
the names of the 57 male and 7 female individuals identified so far in
the inscriptions of Chichén Itzá, there are two which are also
mentioned in historical sources from colonial times: K’ak’-u-pakal and
Hun-pik-tok’ (Kelley 1968b; Schele and Freidel 1990: 498, Note 16;
Wagner 1995: 45-92, 129-133). Also, the glyphic expression for the
Kokom dynasty who figure so prominently in the late history of Yucatán,
when the location of the peninsular
political center had been shifted to Mayapán, has been identified in
two inscriptions at Chichén Itzá (Grube and Stuart 1987; Grube 1994:
327).
Among the dates which introduce the hieroglyphic texts at Chichén Itzá
there is but one Initial Series date: 10.2.9.1.9 9 Muluk 7 Sak (July
30, 878 A.D.)1. This date is recorded on the lintel which was found in
structure 5C4 and which gave this building its present-day-name: The
Temple of the Initial Series. All other dates at Chichén Itzá are
recorded in the Short Count fashion (Thompson 1937, 1950: 197-204). As
a result emerges a definite period of only 65 years, from 10.0.2.7.13
(832 A.D.) till 10.3.8.14.4 (897 A.D.), with the Initial-Series-date
being positioned roughly in the middle between these two extremes
(Grube 1994: 325, 344;
Krochock 1995: 1-2).
The uniform style of hieroglyphic carvings2 and the coherent
architectural layout of the buildings into which the hieroglyphic texts
are embedded suggest that these buildings and their hieroglyphic texts
are contemporaneous (cf. Lincoln 1990). The content of these texts,
when viewed in connection with the short period of dates which
accompany them, suggest that they describe the first phase of building
activities at Chichén Itzá, i.e. the period when the city was founded
(cf. Landa 1959: 13). This suggestion is supported by the fact that in
some of the buildings bearing inscriptions, e.g. Caracol, Las Monjas,
Temple of the Initial Series, the inscribed stones were obscured,
covered by or reused in later constructions (Ruppert 1935:
135-143; Bolles 1977:145; Morley 1927: 135).
Updated: Sep 16, 2005 - 19:08
Created: Sep 01, 2004 - 17:14
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