La Pasadita Archaeological Project

Political History

It is possible to achieve a preliminary understanding of the context within which the La Pasadita / Yaxchilán relationship functioned from a number of monuments known from Yaxchilán itself, La Pasadita, and several other, as yet unidentified, secondary centers. At the beginning of the second half of the eighth century A.D., Yaxchilán experienced an interregnum of ten years between the rule of Shield Jaguar I and Bird Jaguar IV, from 742 to 752 A.D. (Mathews, n.d.; Schele and Freidel, 1990:271). When Bird Jaguar finally emerged as the k’uhul ajaw of Yaxchilán, he began a dynamic program of monument production dedicated to the glorification of himself, his parents, his heir, and the chosen few of his subordinate nobility.

Bird Jaguar depicts himself with sajal both at home and abroad (Mathews, n.d.; Schele and Freidel, 1990:295). There are, in fact, at least fourteen known monuments from centers subsidiary to Yaxchilán, including La Pasadita, and two as-yet-unlocated sites known as Site R, and Laxtunich. These tend to depict Bird Jaguar IV, though in a few instances they do depict his successor, Shield Jaguar II, as well as his deceased father, Shield Jaguar I.  Of the monuments associated with Tilo:m, La Pasadita 1 (dated A.D. 759) depicts Bird Jaguar receiving captives from Tilo:m and another individual (Figure 2). Lintel 2 depicts the celebration by Bird Jaguar and Tilo:m of the 9.16.15.0.0 (A.D. 766) period ending (Figure 3). Lintel 3 depicts Tilo:m and Shield Jaguar II (though it is unclear whether Shield Jaguar was k’uhul ajaw of Yaxchilán when this monument was commissioned), while a fourth lintel depicts Tilo:m without his overlord.

The quantity of monuments dedicated to Bird Jaguar after his accession may, in fact, be indicative of his struggle for the throne. Impediments to his accession may have come from within and without his future domain. Piedras Negras may even have been involved. Lintel 3 from Piedras Negras describes an event which occurred during the interregnum, and is witnessed by an individual identified as a k’uhul ajaw of Yaxchilán. This individual is, in fact, unknown at Yaxchilán, and may represent a pretender to the throne in competition with Bird Jaguar and supported by the rulers of Piedras Negras.

Once Bird Jaguar had emerged as the victor, it would have been necessary for him to do two things: (1) publicly validate his rule, and (2) cement his relationship with those supporters who had helped him to the throne, ensuring their continued support. The first of these goals was addressed by the creation of numerous stela and lintels at Yaxchilán, while the second helps to explain the abundance of monuments from secondary centers. The installation of a powerful ally such as Tilo:m at La Pasadita may have served many ends. It elevated the status of a loyal noble through the monumental depiction of lord and vassal, as well as established exactly who was the lord and who was the vassal. Secondly, it may have helped develop a defendable frontier between Yaxchilán and Piedras Negras. Finally, it may have insured control over agricultural lands needed to supply the burgeoning city of Yaxchilán and the court of Bird Jaguar.

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