Tomb of Mayan queen found in Guatemala (VIDEO)
Mild drought may have caused the Mayans to abandon sites like Tikal in Guatemala
The Classical Mayan tomb of famous Mayan queen Lady K'abel has been discovered in Northern Guatemala, scientists announced this week, in an archealogical find that backs up intruiging ancient records.
The dig was led by Washington University in St Louis archealogist David Freidel, according to the university's website.
Scientists found the tomb while exacavating the royal Maya city of El Perú-Waka’, in the modern Guatemalan department of Petén.
Dating from the Classical Mayan period, which ran from 200 to 900 A.D, the tomb is believed to be that of Lady K'abel, a remarkable female leader of the Maya. She is also known as Lady T'abi, according to an Archaeology Magazine website on the El Perú-Waka site.
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Why is Mayan history considered "classical," as opposed to other New World civilizations?
"“The Classic Maya civilization is the only ‘classical’ archaeological field in the New World — in the sense that like archaeology in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia or China, there is both an archaeological material record and an historical record based on texts and images,” chief archealogist Freidel said in a Washington University statement.
Lady K'abel was the principle wife of King K’inich Bahlam II, and appears to have held much power in El Perú-Waka’, which she ruled with her husband from 672 to 692.
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The Washington University report on the find states the Lady K'abel was a military governor of the Snake dynasty and was eventually named Kaloomte' or Supreme Warrior, a higher title than the one her husband held.
She is portrayed performing rituals in art from the ancient city, as examplified by El Peru Stela 34, which currently resides in the Cleveland Art Museum. Lady K'abel is believed to be one of the highest status women who lived in Petén.
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