REPUTED—MAYAN AJAW (CARACOL) K’AN II DIED
Born on April 18, 588, K’an II (also Ruler V, Lord Stormwater Moon & Antenna Top II) was a Maya ruler of Caracol (in present-day Belize). He reigned from AD 618 to his death. Kʼan was a younger son of the king Yajaw Teʼ Kʼinich II, and his mother was Lady Batzʼ Ekʼ. His paternal grandfather was Kʼan I. Kʼan II might be considered Caracol’s most successful ruler. The wealth underlying the expansion under his reign was widespread, based on the quality of grave goods and architecture in the outlying districts. Caracol’s system of roadways also expanded to accommodate a growing population. It is to Kʼan II that we owe Altar 21’s account of his father’s reign, which saw a shift from the overlordship of Tikal to that of the Kaan (“Snake”) kingdom, as well as the great Tikal reversal of AD 562. He records all of his father’s major period endings. One of Kʼan II’s most important monuments is the Naranjo Hieroglyphic Stairway.
Source: Simon Martin & Nikolai Grube, Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens. Icon: Zykasaa at Lithuanian Wikipedia, 4/5/2009. Permissive Use.
Indigenous America Calendar 