Yaxchilán Lintels 15, 16 and 17 contextualised

sketchfab

Yaxchilán is a pre-Columbian city carved into the rugged terrain of Mexico's Chiapas state. Nestled between the Usumacinta River and its surrounding hills, this ancient Maya metropolis was built to endure. Structure 21, though partially ravaged by time, still stands as a testament to Yaxchilán's former glory. Conversely, Structure 33 remains remarkably intact and served as the foundation for a meticulous 3D reconstruction project. This intricate process was made possible thanks to the detailed descriptions provided in the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions from the esteemed Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology. In his initial visit to Yaxchilán in 1882, Alfred Maudslay discovered three sculptured lintels that were nearly entirely buried beneath the earth. Determined to unearth these relics, he dispatched a Guatemalan assistant to excavate them the following year; they are now proudly displayed at the British Museum. The exact fate of these sculptures before their rediscovery remains uncertain, with some speculating that they may have been in situ prior to Maudslay's visit. However, Augustus Maler believed otherwise. For a more comprehensive understanding of Yaxchilán's rich history and the significance of its lintels, please refer to the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions at the Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology: https://www.peabody.harvard.edu/cmhi/detail.php?num=16&site=Yaxchilan&type=Lintel