Dos Pilas

ceramic plate joanbanjo

stela 1 ela ginalska

stela detail bob king

central plaza ela ginalska

central group site plan stephan houston

stela 14 el duende group ela ginalska

hieroglyphic stairway 2 ela ginalska

stela 2 ela ginalska

DOS PILAS

stela 16 detail bob king

hieroglyphic stairway 2 merel greene robertson

el duende site map stephan houston

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hieroglyphic stairway2 federico fashan

DOS PILAS-Peten, Guatemala

DESCRIPTION

Dos Pilas (Two wells/springs) is a medium sized archaeological zone which played an important role in the Tikal/Calakmul superpower rivalry during the Classic Era (250-900 CE). It was the capital of what has become known as the Petexbatún Kingdom, and used the same emblem glyph as Tikal; Mutul.

The site is notable for the informative hieroglyphic stairways and numerous stelae that have provided extensive information on the lives of the rulers. There is a well-defined list of rulers from 629-761 CE, and this is when its most notable monumental constructions occurred. A large cave system is found throughout the area.

Dos Pilas was strategically situated between the Pasión and Salinas rivers in the Petexbatún region of northern Guatemala, 5miles/8km from the Mexican border. It was founded by the great city-state of Tikal, about 73 miles/117 km to the northeast, to control the important trade along the two rivers, part of the great Usumacinta River system which facilitated the exchange of goods from the Guatemalan Highlands down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Dos Pilas is located 17 miles/27 kms west of the site of El Ceibal/Seibal. Both of these sites are located in the general vicinity of Highway 5 near the village of Sayaxche. It is most easily reached by flying into Flores, an island city in Lake Petén Itza, and then about an hour drive south to the town of Sayaxché. From there it is about 10 miles/17kms to the site. Sayaxché, can also be reached by road traveling north from Guatemala City on Highway CA14 to Highway 5, or by road west from Belize on Highway CA13 to Flores.

Modern Flores, ancient Tayasal, was the last independent Maya Kingdom to hold out against the Spanish onslaught which finally fell in 1697.

HOURS: 8 A.M.– 5 P.M.
ENTRANCE FEE: U.S.$8/Q60
GUIDES: Tours and guides can be arranged at Sayaxche or Flores
SERVICES: None
ON-SITE MUSEUM: No
ACCOMODATIONS: Food and lodging can be found in Sayaxche or Flores
MISC:

HISTORY AND EXPLORATION
The site contains a number of informative hieroglyphic staircases that has greatly expanded the understanding of the social-political events that unfolded in the central Petén during the 7th through the 8th centuries. The discovery of ten additional hieroglyphic steps belonging to Hieroglyphic Stairway 2 in 2001 has provided important information relating to the history of Dos Pilas, and its interactions with Tikal and Calakmul.

A royal dynasty at Dos Pilas was founded by the Tikal King K’inich Muwaan Jol II in 629 CE, though there is ceramic evidence of earlier settlement activity dating from the Preclassic (300 BCE-250 CE). He installed his young son, B’alaj Chan K’awiil (ruled 629-692 CE), as ruler of this new kingdom. The daughter of B’alaj Chan K’awiil, the famous Wak Chanil Ajaw (Lady Six Sky), later went on to found her own dynasty at Naranjo (ruled 682-741 CE), later giving birth the famous K’ahk’ Tiliw Chan Chaahk.

This intrusion into an already inhabited region was designed to exert direct control through force over the important river trade routes running through the area. The existing kingdoms of Arroyo de Piedra and Tamarindito were subjugated, and only returned to prominence after the demise of Dos Pilas in the latter part of the 8th century. A hieroglyphic stairway at Tamarindito mentions the defeat of Dos Pilas ruler Kʼawiil Chan Kʼinich (ruled 741-c761).

Tikal was bitter enemies with the equally powerful city-state of Calakmul. Both of these great kingdoms fought for control over the extensive river trade routes that connected the Guatemalan Highlands to the Petén region, and eventually west to the Gulf of Mexico, or east to the Caribbean. These two fought continuous wars over a period of centuries, with each defeating the other at times. The results of these wars severely weakened the losers and their allies, and strengthened the winners.

Dos Pilas had remained a loyal ally to Tikal until events led to a treasonous outcome. By this time, Tikal and Dos Pilas were separately ruled by brothers of the same dynastic lineage. Calakmul king Yuknoom Chʼeen II ("Yuknoom the Great") attacked and defeated Dos Pilas in 648 CE, but did not remove B’alaj Chan K’awiil from power, instead making him a vassal of that great kingdom. In 657 CE Dos Pilas attacked and defeated a lord of Tikal beginning a long-running civil war between the two brothers. Tikal later returned the favor by defeating Dos Pilas in 672 CE forcing B’alaj Chan K’awiil into exile for around five years until Calakmul defeated an ally of Tikal in 677 CE forcing Tikal to abandon Dos Pilas. In 679 CE B’alaj Chan K’awiil scored a significant victory against his brother, Nuun u Jol Chaahk, ruler of Tikal. The glyphs read: “pooled was the blood, mountained were the skulls”. So, back and forth it went.

After the death of B’alaj Chan K’awiil, he was succeeded by a son, Itzamnaaj B’ahlam who ruled for a brief period before another son, Itzamnaaj K’awiil gained the throne on 9.13.6.2.0, 11 Ajaw 18 Wo, March 24, 698 CE (ruled 698-726 CE). In 700 CE Aguateca, located about 9.5 miles/10 km to the southeast, was incorporated into the Petexbatún Kingdom and made a co-equal dynastic center.

Ruler Uchaʼan Kʼin Bʼalam/ Lord of the Jaguar Sun (ruled 727-741 CE) ascended the throne on 9.14.15.5.15, 9 Men 13 K'ayab, January 6, 727 CE. He was a non-royal and is thought that he acted as regent for the future king. In 735 CE Dos Pilas attacked and captured the king of Ceibal/Seibal, Yich’aak B’alam, which thereafter became a vassal city. In 745 CE the great city of Yaxchilan on the Usumacinta River became the next victim.

However, after the crushing defeat of Calakmul in 761 CE by the resurgent Tikal, Dos Pilas was abandoned with the last known king, K’awiil Chan K’inich (ruled 741-761 CE) fleeing, possibly to Aguateca, though he is not mentioned in any texts there from this time period. Some members of the royal family apparently did relocate to Aguateca as an apparent son of Uchaʼan Kʼin/Kan Bʼalam, Tan Te' K'inich, was set on the throne in 771 CE taking the Mutul/Tikal title.

The downfall of K’awiil Chan K’inich marks the final decline of Dos Pilas’ control over the Petexbatún region and the area along the Pasión River. It is interesting to note that an individual named Ajaw B'ot ascended the throne at the now independent polity of Ceibal/Seibal (ruled 771-c800 CE) with the same royal title "Divine Lord of Mutal" as that of Tan Te' K'inich. The plot thickened, so to speak, but the end was drawing neigh.

The whole area became embroiled in endless warfare with the result being the collapse and abandonment of many of the sites throughout the region. Dos Pilas was briefly reoccupied in the early part of the ninth century. Structures were stripped of their stone to erect defensive walls which proved insufficient from attack, and the site was soon permanently abandoned.

Dos Pilas was first reported on by Jose Maria and Lisandro Flores of Sayaxché in 1953. Ian Graham visited the site in 1967 and produced the first site map and descriptions. Stephen Houston of the University of Yale, and the University of Vanderbilt conducted surveys and excavations beginning in 1984-1994. Federico Fashen oversaw excavations on Hieroglyphic Stairway 2 under a grant from FAMSI in 2001-2.

STRUCTURES
There are close to 500 mounds stretched along an east-west axis with two main groups of monumental architecture. There are four known hieroglyphic stairways that have been recovered. A number of caves and underground rivers are found within the site. Caves were an important focal point for religious ceremonies, and structures were often built above or around them.

The terminology for structure identification can be confusing, so a simplified structure numbering sequence is followed according to a site map from by Stephan Houston. The alpha-numeric system used by archaeologists are in parenthesis.

The Central Group is set around a large plaza at the western end of the axis, and oriented slightly east of north. Several stelae are located within the plaza. A three-tiered platform forms the base for a structure known as Structure 2 (L5-49), which is the tallest at the site, about 65 feet/20 meters. It is located on the south side of the plaza, and is accessed by a broad central stairway to the first tier containing the informative Hieroglyphic Stairway 2. The stairway is separated into three sections; East, West, and Central. Ten new risers of the stairway were discovered in 2001, and in total contains one of the longest inscriptions in the Maya area. The text of the stairway reveals the history of the interactions between the principal sites in the region from 623-684 CE during the reign of B’alaj Chan K’awill. Flanking the base of the stairway are two hieroglyphic panels that are part of the narrative.

A narrower stairway leads up from the first-tier terrace to the summit. There are three small temples that surmount the summit platform, reminiscent of those found at sites such as Palenque and Tikal.

Structure 4 (L5-1) is a pyramidal temple located on the east side of the plaza. A richly furnished, corbel-vaulted tomb was discovered within the structure. In front is Stela 8 erected by Ruler Ucha’an Kin Balam (ruled 726-741 CE) in 726 CE. It honors the memory of the previous ruler, Itzamnaaj K’awiil (ruled 698-726 CE), who may be the occupant of the tomb. At the northeast corner of the plaza is the ball court, Structures 5 and 6 set on a north/south axis. Two stelae had been repurposed as panels, Panels 18 and 19, imbedded into each side of the ballcourt structures that face each other across the ballcourt alley. On the north side of the plaza is a long, low platform, Structure 7, that may have featured structures of a perishable nature, possibly used for civic or ritual purposes.

The west side of the plaza has an elongated temple platform, Structure 1. Hieroglyphic Stairway 1 is located here, and commemorates the dynastic history of B’alaj Chan K’awiil. Behind this structure and to the northwest is an elite residential complex, Group L-4, centered around a small plaza with several buildings. Structure 15 is an elongated temple platform structure set on the west side of the plaza. An east facing central stairway features Hieroglyphic Stairway 4, and relates the dynastic history of B’alaj Chan K’awiil.

To the south behind the Central Group is located the Palace Group. This is a large complex with two interior raised courtyards, each surrounded by low platforms and masonry structures. It is accessed from a lower plaza staircase on the east side of the complex. The southside of the lower plaza is anchored by Structure 30, an elongated temple platform, which features Hieroglyphic Stairway 3.

The Duende Group is found at the eastern end of the axis, about .6 mile/1km from the Central Group. It was constructed under the reign of Izamnaaj K’awill. This group is centered atop a raised, two tier platform base, and is oriented slightly west of north. It was built into the side of a natural hill giving the complex a larger appearance. Structure 146 is located on the north side of a plaza, and is the second highest structure at the site. The structure is similar to Structure 2 except that it is surmounted by only one temple instead of the three found there. The east and west sides of the plaza contain small linear platforms. Six stelae have been rediscovered within the group, while a nearby cenote was found to contain a cave which runs underneath the main structure. The cave was possibly used for ritual activities as numerous artifacts and human boned were discovered.

Centrally located between the two main groups is a smaller group known as the Bat Palace Group. This was an elite residential/ritual complex centered around a cave entrance. The complex was used extensively by ruler Uchaʼan Kʼin Bʼalam (ruled 727-741 CE). A destroyed royal throne was recovered from within one of the structures demonstrating the violent end to Dos Pilas.

The structures suffered greatly from the hasty construction of defensive walls just prior to the sites’ abandonment. They are still visible, and surround the two main groups.