Naachtún

The ancient city of Naachtún real name was Masuul, and it is situated in the heart of the Maya region, in northern Guatemala. It was rediscovered by western archaeologists in 1922, and remains one of the most remote sites in the Maya area. In fact, it has been the subject of only a few fleeting visits over the past 80 years. (map of the central acropolis)

 

Site center

Group B

Site map

Although presently considered a very remote place, during the Late Pre-Classic (400 BC - AD 250) and Classic Maya period (AD 250 - 900), Naachtún was very much in the thick of things. Naachtún lies on the north-eastern edge of the Mirador Basin, a broad area approximately 40 km. in diameter, where the earliest development of complex society in the Maya area took place. Río Azul another large Maya site is to the east. The Naachtun Archaelogical Project directed by Dr. Kathryn Reese-Taylor, University of Calgary, Canada and Co-Director Lic. Martin Rangel Guillermo, from the Universidad de San Carlos, Guatemala, are working at the site and uncovering  important data about the Classic Maya Culture and political relationships.

Many of the great cities in the Mirador Basin did not survive the end of the Preclassic period; Naachtún was one of the few, apparently, that did. This transition from the Late Preclassic to the Classic period equals in complexity the Classic Maya Collapse,  yet its causes and immediate aftermath remain elusive.

Because if its successful navigation through this transition period, Naachtún is the key to understanding the changes that took place during the Preclassic-to-Classic shift.

Early Classic

But Naachtún did more than merely survive these tumultuous events, apparently it thrived. The Early Classic period (AD 250-600) was one of exponential growth at Naachtún. Indeed, the size of the Classic period city, the grandeur of its temples and palaces, and the presence of over 40 carved Stelas indicate that Naachtún grew to be the centre of a powerful kingdom.

 The site lies about 44km (27 miles) south-south-east of Calakmul, and 65km (40 miles) north of Tikal,  the two 'superpowers' of the Classic Maya world. lying directly between two such powerful entities, Naachtún held not only a strategic position, but also a vulnerable one during the frequent wars of the time, and control of the city must have been seen as a necessary prologue to any attempt by Tikal or Calakmul to attack the other.

Wartime affiliations

The dates recorded on the Naachtún monuments span a period from AD 504 to 762, suggesting that the city flourished for most of the Classic period. Yet because of its geographical position, Naachtún was tied either to Tikal or Calakmul for much of its existence, changing its warfare affiliation several times during its history.

Naachtún central position and fluctuating political affiliation can be deduced from the architectural diversity found at the site. Buildings in the Tikal tradition are evident in the main plaza, while the extensive, rambling, elite residential section of Naachtún is reminiscent of the Calakmul palace precinct.

 

A recent uncovered Stela (26) shows a Queen that show that women play an important role in The Maya culture not known before

Stela 26
 

Stela 26 name glyph	Site map	Palace	Structure 39 Southside
Stela 26 detail	Structure 23, 1941	Palace. north side	Structure 5
Stela 26	Str.  41 exterior wall	Altar	Structure 39
Water Reservoir walls	Stela	Temple 3, stela 3	Lady from Tikal, Naachtún Stela 9 Probably Tzucz Nuhm Grand daughther of Chan Ak from Rio Azul, Married to K’an Chitam I of Tikal 458-486

 

The emblem glyph representing the name of Masuul

The size of Naachtún, the grandeur of its public architecture, and the presence of over 40 stelae, indicate that it was the centre of a very powerful kingdom during the Classic period. Yet the name of the kingdom, as recorded in hieroglyphic texts, remained a mystery until the mid 1990s, when the German epigrapher Nikolai Grube discovered the ancient Mayan name of Naachtún.

In a fragmentary passage on Stela 1, he found an 'emblem glyph' (a hieroglyphic compound), which included the names of Classic period Mayan kingdoms. According to the emblem glyph, Naachtún ancient name was 'Masuul'.

References to the Masuul kingdom are found not only in hieroglyphic inscriptions at Naachtún, but also on scattered monuments throughout Guatemala and Tabasco. Taken as a whole, the inscriptions on these monuments record a history for the Masuul kingdom that spans from AD 486 to 761, and includes details of familial relationships, warfare events and funerary rites.

The earliest dated reference to the Masuul kingdom is found on Tikal's Stela 10. Dating to 486, the passage states that the capital of the Masuul kingdom (Naachtún) was conquered by Chak Tok Ich’aak the young king from Tikal. The defeated king was brought before the Tikal king 'seven days later' and may well be the captive shown on the front of Stela 10.

                                                                                           Hieroglyphs on Stela 10, Tikal, describes the Conquer of Massul.

 

The early hostilities between Naachtún and Tikal were almost certainly the result of power struggles with Calakmul, Tikal's bitter enemy. Earlier on it seems probable that Naachtún had been in Calakmul's sphere of influence. Yet during the early fifth century, Tikal went on the offensive against Calakmul, and pushed northwards in a series of campaigns aimed at enlarging and consolidating its northern frontier. The last reference to Masuul, in also in Tikal, on altar 5, that describes the funeral of an important Masuul´s Lady, that was attended by the kings of Tikal and Masuul.