Archaeological Reconnaissance at Tixan: Explorations in the Southern Sierra del Lacandón National Park, Petén, Guatemala

El Kinel

The site of El Kinel is located in the agricultural fields two kilometers to the northwest of the modern community of La Técnica. El Kinel was formally identified in 1999, and investigated and documented by Paulino Morales in 2001 (Morales 2000a, 2000b, 2001). The majority of the mounds are between 1 and 2 meters tall, although some are as high as 4 m, and many are between 15 and 20 meters long. The largest platforms support patios of three or four perishable superstructures, with the largest platforms closest to the Usumacinta River. All architectural group names used here follow Morales' original designations.

During road construction in Group A of the North Sector of El Kinel in 1999, residents of La Técnica encountered a monument featuring the ruler of Yaxchilán. Group A consists of a modified escarpment that served as a platform topped with four low mounds (Figure 31). On the surface of Group A, members of SLRAP encountered large quantities of Fine Orange sherds, which date to the Late and Terminal Classic periods. Group A, like many of the architectural groups at El Kinel, featured an aguada. These were likely excavated by the ancient Maya to obtain construction materials for the architecture of El Kinel. Although the aguadas might have been used to hold water, this may have been unnecessary with the Usumacinta River only hundreds of meters away.

Click on image to enlarge.

The monument found in 1999 is currently housed in the community of La Técnica. The monument was initially registered and photographed by Morales. Héctor Escobedo (2001) completed a preliminary interpretation of the monument based on Morales' photographs. In order to permit a more detailed analysis of the monument, members of the SLRAP obtained permission from the leaders of La Técnica to extensively photograph the monument (Figure 32, shown above). At this point in time, it is unclear whether the monument was a lintel or a stela. It is much thinner and narrower than any known lintel from the area. However, stylistically the monument does not follow with the normal Yaxchilán stela program in that the area above the central image is not carved (Stephen Houston, personal communication, 2005). Based on our photographic documentation, Stephen Houston is currently preparing a drawing and a full interpretation of the monument. Preliminary work indicates the monument features Shield Jaguar III (Houston, personal communication, 2005). Interestingly, the architectural group in which the monument was found is quite modest and there is no evidence that any of the structures were vaulted. Whether this was the original location of the monument, or if it had been moved to this group sometime later in antiquity is unclear at this time.

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