The ancient Maya site of Yaxchilán is situated on the banks of the Usumacinta River, on the border between Mexico and Guatemala. One of the remaining buildings, known as Structure 40, tells us about rulership, lineage, and royal propaganda. Built by Bird Jaguar IV or Yaxum B’ahlam IV in the 8th century, Structure 40 publicized Bird Jaguar IV’s dynastic lineage and helped to justify his rule. The building is in a ruined state today, but we try to give a sense of how it looked and was decorated in its heyday on the South Acropolis at this important Mesoamerican site.

Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

Learn more about Mesoamerica: https://www.artsq.org/mesoamerica-introduction