Chanal Balam facts for kids
Chanal Balam was a powerful king of the ancient Maya city called Tamarindito. This city was located in what is now Guatemala.
The Maya people lived in amazing cities with grand buildings and detailed sculptures. These sculptures often told stories about their rulers and history. At Tamarindito, the sculptures show that the city had many kings over a long time – more than 25! But we only know the names of a few of them, and Chanal Balam is one of the most important.
Chanal Balam: A Maya King
Chanal Balam ruled Tamarindito for a short but very important time, around 760 to 761 AD. He became king in the year 760.
A Big Victory!
On January 26, 761, Chanal Balam led Tamarindito to a huge victory. They defeated a powerful rival city called Dos Pilas. This was a major event because Dos Pilas had been a very strong city in the region.
After this battle, Chanal Balam either captured the last king of Dos Pilas, named K'awiil Chan K'inich, or he forced him to leave his city. This victory by Tamarindito and its friends caused big changes. Dos Pilas became almost empty, and the whole Petexbatún region, where these cities were located, became unstable. It was a turning point in the history of these Maya cities.
Discovering His Tomb
Many years later, archaeologists found something amazing. They were exploring a temple called Structure 44, which was built in the 8th century. This temple wasn't very well built, and it had been damaged by people trying to find treasures (called looters).
However, the looters' tunnel collapsed before they could reach a special royal burial place, known as a tomb. This meant the tomb was still untouched! Later, an archaeologist named Juan Antonio Valdés carefully excavated the tomb. He discovered that it belonged to none other than Chanal Balam.
The temple where Chanal Balam's tomb was found had special writings carved into its walls. These carvings celebrated his great victory over his former "overlord" – meaning the ruler of Dos Pilas, who had been more powerful than him before the battle. Finding his tomb and these writings helped us learn a lot about this important Maya king and his achievements.
