Tierra Maya
The Dunbarton Oaks Tablet
Palenque
The majority of images at Palenque chronicle the geneology of the royal family. On this relief one of the kings of Palenque is depicted with his parents. His mother (at left) and his father (at right) hold family “maniken” dolls, objects of spiritual significance passed from one generation to another. The presenation of these objects to the king by his parents validate his royal bloodline. However, in the Late Classic period of the Maya a king had to do more than inherit the throne to become a legitimate ruler. He also had to be a warrior who had proven himself in battle. This king holds an atalatl and spears in one hand and a pouch that contains the spoils of his victory in the other. For detailed translations of the glyph texts please read Linda Schele’s or Michael Coe’s groundbreaking books.
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