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Jaguar Throne (Trono del Jaguar)

965H+9Q Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
photo
Jermaine

The throne with the two-headed jaguar is a small sculpture of two jaguars joined by their bodies. The jaguar emphasizes royal status and was the main symbol of power for the Maya; it is associated with chiefs and rulers. It is possible that the ruler of Uxmal once sat or stood on it. On the stela, which is now displayed in the museum at the entrance to Uxmal, the god Chaac is depicted standing on a two-headed jaguar throne, which resembles the same sculpture in front of the governor's house. It becomes easy to imagine the ruler of Uxmal sitting or standing on the throne, representing the center of the Maya world, reflecting the four-part horizontal and three-sided vertical orders of the cosmos. The ruler could gaze upon his subjects gathered in the wide open square in front of the palace. The jaguar—balam—is one of the most sacred animals for the Maya. This animal is closely connected with the sun but also with the night, and therefore it was believed to have the ability to move between the realms of the living and the dead. In Maya iconography, the jaguar has symbolic connotations of war, royal, and dynastic power. Images of the two-headed jaguar are also associated with Maya women who perform bloodletting sacrificial rituals. Some people believe that the two-headed jaguar represents the male principle; nevertheless, it can represent the earth goddess who brings rains when she is pregnant with the new sun and who, like all mother goddesses of Central America, dies when the sun rises, being reborn from its womb. Since the Maya followed a lunar calendar, the jaguar was a nocturnal animal associated with their Moon goddess Ixchel, who is sometimes depicted with a jaguar claw. The association of jaguars with the night and, consequently, their knowledge endowed them with the gift of second sight and prophecy, which explains why the two-headed jaguar has four eyes—two for normal vision and two for supernatural vision. The Jaguar Throne was a common symbol of shamanic power among the Maya. For example, a similar two-headed throne was discovered in Palenque.


When researchers John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood visited Uxmal in 1839, Stephens documented his discovery of the artifact. He even tried to take the Jaguar Throne with him but found it "too difficult to carry," so it remained in place for us to appreciate today. He obviously had no idea what was right under his nose—there, beneath the sculpture, inside the platform, a hidden cache of valuable offerings remained concealed until 1951, when a team of archaeologists working at the excavation site discovered a total of 913 artifacts, including beads, breastplates, jade earrings, vessels, carnelian stones, polished black stones, spear tips, flint knives, and obsidian blades.

Sources:

https://our-civilization.com/civilizacia/maja/usmal-2

Dmitry Viktorovich Ivanov: Architecture, History, and Art of Uxmal

https://histterra.ru/top-10-pamyatnikov-arhitektury-drevney-tsivilizatsii-mayya

 

photo
Jermaine

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Foundation and History of Uxmal

965J+XJ Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
Uxmal is located in the second main area of the Maya habitat on the Yucatan Peninsula, called Puuc (literally - the Land of Low Hills). According to archaeological data, settlements in this territory had existed for at least 200 years by that time. The name Uxmal, according to the most common version, means "thrice built," which likely indicates that the city underwent multiple large-scale reconstructions. The preserved buildings, such as the Quadrangle of the Nunnery, the Governor’s House, the House of the Turtles, and the later upper temples of the Magician’s Pyramid, are among the finest architectural works of the ancient Maya world. All these names undoubtedly belong to modern times, having been assigned based on the guesses of the discoverers. The true purpose of the buildings remains a mystery. The date of Uxmal’s final abandonment is unknown and controversial, although the Maya probably remained there longer than in their southern cities, which fell approximately starting from the 9th century.
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Wizard's Pyramid (Piramide del Adivino)

966J+84 Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico

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Women's Monastery (CuadrÁngulo de las Monjas)

966H+JP Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico

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Governor's Palace (El Palacio del Gobernador)

965H+FG Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
The building that the ruling Shiv dynasty made their residence, and which throughout the subsequent history of Uxmal has been so closely associated with the name of this powerful dynasty, was, as can be assumed, constructed during the earlier, preceding "second" era of the Thrice-Built city of Uxmal. This diamond of Maya architecture is usually referred to in specialized literature as the "Governor's Palace," the "Shiv Palace," or the "Palace of the Rulers."
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The Old Woman's House (Casa de la Vieja)

965H+7G Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
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Temple of the Phalluses (Templo de los Falos)

965J+53 Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
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House of Turtles (Casa de las Tortugas)

965H+RG, 97884 Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
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Main Pyramid (Piramide Mayor)

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Altar Stone (Adoratorio de la Picota)

965H+CM Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
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966H+9X Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
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House of the Iguana (Casa de la Iguana)

Uxmal Archaeological Zone, Uxmal, Yuc., Mexico

Maya Cities of Mexico: Uxmal
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