Revealing the Kaanul Dynasty, the Mysterious Mayan Serpent Kingdom

LIMA – Mayan Civilization the famous one is not a single kingdom, but a group of various small kingdoms bound by a common culture.

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However, amidst its brief period of glory in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, a new dynasty emerged that succeeded in conquering several powerful cities and establishing the most centralized kingdom in the region: the Kaanul Dynasty, or Snake Dynasty.

As reported by IFL Science, Friday (12/3/2024), known for their emblem featuring a grinning snake, the Serpent Kingdom only came to light in the 1960s when carvings of these snakes were found in temples and tombs throughout the forests of Petén, southern Mexico and northern Guatemala.

The discovery of the ruins of Calakmul, a large city that housed around 50,000 people and was the center of the kingdom, further strengthens the evidence for their existence.

Although there is still much mystery surrounding Kaanul, archaeologists believe that the dynasty emerged in the shadow of Tikal, the powerful city-state that dominated the region.

In 562 AD, the Serpent King named Heaven’s Witness led an attack on Tikal and defeated its leader, Double Bird, marking the end of Tikal’s supremacy.

Kaanul’s success was relatively short. About 130 years after the victory over Tikal, this kingdom experienced decline and collapsed.

The cause is still not known for certain, but several theories link it to internal rebellion, war with other kingdoms, or even natural disasters.

Although brief, the existence of the Snake Dynasty left an important mark on Maya history. They show that despite its divisions, the Maya civilization was able to unite under strong leadership and reach the pinnacle of military and political glory.

Future excavations and research on Kaanul will hopefully shed light on this important period in Maya history.

Kaanul’s snake symbol probably symbolizes fertility, strength, and the sky god Gucumatz.
Calakmul, the capital of Kaanul, has a 50 meter high pyramid and is one of the oldest structures in Mesoamerica.

The fall of Kaanul marked the beginning of a period of political fragmentation in the Maya that lasted until the arrival of the Spanish.

(wbs)