Chinikiha is a large

Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...

archaeological site from the Classic period located in the

Usumacinta The Usumacinta River (; named after the howler monkey) is a river in southeastern Mexico and northwestern Guatemala. It is formed by the junction of the Pasión River, which arises in the Sierra de Santa Cruz (in Guatemala) and the Salinas R ...

basin region in the

Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

. Chinikiha is located between the Maya sites of

Palenque Palenque (; Yucatec Maya: ), also anciently known in the Itza Language as Lakamha ("big water" or "big waters"), was a Maya city-state in southern Mexico that perished in the 8th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. 799 AD ...

and Pomoná and was during the Classic period a major Maya city and the capital of an important dynasty with great power over the Palenque and Usumacinta region.

Architecture

Over 120 structures have been identified in the area of Chinikiha, the architecture and edifications includes monumental buildings, temples, pyramids, altars, plazas and a main temple along with a ball game court, visible remains of mural painting are located over some walls. The size and quality of Chinikiha's architecture demonstrates the importance and power it managed to develop and achieve during its occupation.

History

One of the inscriptions on the throne of Chinikiha records the Mesoamerican long count date of ''9.7.0.0.0, 7 Ajaw, 3 K'ank'in'', marking the end of a k’atun cycle, this date corresponds to December 5, 573 AD. It also records that 20 days later an ajaw from

Toniná Tonina (or Toniná in Spanish orthography) is a pre-Columbian archaeological site and ruined city of the Maya civilization located in what is now the Mexican state of Chiapas, some 13 km (8.1 mi) east of the town of Ocosingo. The sit ...

was captured, this being the earliest mention to Toniná outside from the city. A fragment from a Chinikiha stela records that a ruler identified as Aj Tok’ Ti’ ascended to the throne of the city on the

Mayan calendar The Maya calendar is a system of calendars used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and in many modern communities in the Guatemalan highlands, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico. The essentials of the Maya calendar are based upon a system which had ...

date ''7 Ok 13 Pop'', this date is equivalent to March 14, 599 AD. Chinikiha was discovered in 1889 by archaeologist

Teobert Maler Teobert Maler, later Teoberto (12 January 1842 – 22 November 1917), was an explorer who devoted his energies to documenting the ruins of the Maya civilization. Biography Teobert Maler was born on January 12, 1842, in Rome, Italy, to Friedri ...

as part of an archaeological expedition over the Usumacinta river, during his research he registered some of the visible buildings and monuments from the site along with some Maya inscriptions carved on a stone altar.

Rulers of Chinikiha

* K’inich B’ah Tok' * Aj Tok' Ti'

References

{{Maya sites Maya sites Maya sites in Chiapas Archaeological sites in Chiapas Maya Classic Period Former populated places in Mexico 1889 archaeological discoveries