Dos Pilas

16°26′45″N 90°17′45″W / 16.44583°N 90.29583°W / 16.44583; -90.29583[1]

Dos Pilas
629–761
CapitalDos Pilas
GovernmentMonarchy
• 648–692
Bʼalaj Chan Kʼawiil
• 698–726
Itzamnaaj Kʼawiil
• 727–741
Uchaʼan Kʼin Bʼalam
• 741–761
Kʼawiil Chan Kʼinich
Historical eraLate Classic
• Established
629
• Conquered by Calakmul
648
735
• Site abandoned
761
The Central Plaza of Dos Pilas

Dos Pilas is a Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization located in what is now the department of Petén, Guatemala. It dates to the Late Classic Period, and was founded by an offshoot of the dynasty of the great city of Tikal in AD 629 in order to control trade routes in the Petexbatún region, particularly the Pasión River.[2] In AD 648 Dos Pilas broke away from Tikal and became a vassal state of Calakmul, although the first two kings of Dos Pilas continued to use the same emblem glyph that Tikal did.[3][4] It was a predator state from the beginning, conquering Itzan, Arroyo de Piedra and Tamarindito. Dos Pilas and a nearby city, Aguateca, eventually became the twin capitals of a single ruling dynasty.[5] The kingdom as a whole has been named as the Petexbatun Kingdom, after Petexbatún Lake, a body of water draining into the Pasión River.[6]

Dos Pilas gives an important glimpse into the great rivalries and political strife that characterised the Late Classic. Much of the history of Dos Pilas can now be reconstructed, with a level of detail which is almost unparalleled in the Maya area.[7]

On June 12, 1970, the site was declared a National Monument according to Article 1210 of the Guatemalan Ministry of Education.[8]

  1. ^ Houston & Mathews 1985.
  2. ^ Salisbury, Koumenalis & Barbara Moffett 2002.
  3. ^ Webster 2002, p. 263.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Web275 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference MartinGrube was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SharerTraxler06p386 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Martin & Grube 2000, p. 55.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference F680 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).