Deep in the Mexican jungle at the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, archaeologists have discovered a hidden treasure trove of history.
There, in the ancient, long-abandoned Mayan city of Cobá, near the towering Nohoch Mul pyramid, a huge stone slab that once formed the bottom of a sacred pool has been found. What makes this slab so special is what it bears: an inscription of 123 glyphs carefully carved into its surface.
At first glance, the glyphs suggest that they describe the founding date of a city called Keh Witz Nal, or “Deer Mountain,” May 12, 569 AD. They also name a previously unknown Mayan ruler—K’awiil Ch’ak Chéen, a name reminiscent of K’awiil, the Mayan god of lightning.
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Other glyphs refer to the gods who are said to have founded Cobá, including Bolón Tz’akab Ajaw – the lord of countless generations.
The once glorious, now ruined city of Cobá is located in what is now the state of Quintana Roo on the east side of the Yucatán Peninsula. It was possibly built by the Maya as early as 50 BC and was continuously inhabited for over 1,500 years. The most recent buildings were constructed between 1200 and 1500 AD. At its peak, it was a thriving cultural center with an estimated 50,000 inhabitants.
It is one of the few archaeological sites that still bears its Mayan name “Ko’ba a,” which means “rough waters,” and it is filled with engravings and sculptures that reveal much about the spiritual and aesthetic life of the Maya who once lived here.
The excavations on site are carried out with great care and utmost attention, with the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH) taking a long time to uncover and recover the city’s monuments that had been temporarily lost in the jungle and over time.
Discovered at the bottom of what was once a pond, the stone slab is stunning, covering an area of 11 square metres and featuring glyphs carefully carved into the surface in a sort of L-shaped arrangement that matches the shape of the stone.
Previously, 14 rulers of Cobá had been identified, including three women, one of whom ruled for 40 years. With the new information in the highly stylized script, researchers were able to confirm that many of these rulers took the name of the god K’awiil.
The inscription is still being examined in more detail, but for now the archaeological team is focusing on restoring the stone and protecting it from further damage caused by water and erosion.
A detailed, high-resolution 3D construction was created, allowing further investigation without further damaging the stone.
