In the Realm of Lady Six Sky: The Place of Ikil in the Late-Terminal Classic Itza Landscape

Summary

Due to the proximity, contemporaneity, and some architectural and ceramic similarities with Chichén Itzá and Yaxuna, Ikil provides an important opportunity to understand the political and socioeconomic integration present in the Late-Terminal Classic in the region southwest of Chichén Itzá, as the seat of regional power was transferred from Yaxuná to Chichen Itzá. The Proyecto de Interacción Pólitica del Centro de Yucatán (PIPCY) has been investigating the site of Ikil since 2008. Ikil was located sufficiently close (16 and 26 km, respectively) to have been under the direct influence of Yaxuna first and Chichén Itzá later. The main structure at Ikil, an imposing 23-m radial pyramid, suggests that Ikil may have been an independent regional capital. Yet, Ikil’s radial pyramid bears a strong resemblance to the Castillo at Chichén Itzá indicating instead that Ikil may have been an Itzá administrative center. Stylistic and ceramic ties to Yaxuná suggest clear connection to this earlier regional capital. Unfortunately, Ikil's twenty glyphs (on the lintels of the main pyramid) do not shed light on the regional ties to other sites. Here we attempt to unravel the different lines of evidence to understand the place of Ikil in the Late-Terminal Classic landscape.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Integrating and Disintegrating in Central Yucatán: Archaeological Approaches to Social Change at Multiple Scales

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16768