Tikal Stela 29 (Start of Classic Maya Period)
292 CE
First monument bearing the Tikal emblem glyph and lowland Long Count date.
Historical Context
The early 4th century CE witnessed the institutionalization of regular carved stelae pairing royal portraits with exact Long Count dates.
The Event
On July 8, 292 CE (8.12.14.8.15), Tikal Stela 29 was erected. It stands as the oldest carved monument featuring the Tikal emblem glyph and lowland Long Count date.
Key Figures
King K'ak' Chakte (likely depicted on Stela 29).
Aftermath
This event defines the traditional academic threshold marking the official start of the Classic Maya Period (292-909 CE).
Legacy & Culture
Stela 29 embodies the transition into the golden age of Maya stone sculpture and hieroglyphic literature.
Historiography
Discovered broken in two pieces by the University of Pennsylvania Museum expedition in 1959, the stela is preserved at the Sylvanus Morley Museum in Tikal.
Sources and References
Sylvanus Morley, The Inscriptions of Peten
Semantic cluster
Maya civilization clusterPreclassic to Postclassic: Tikal, Calakmul, Palenque, calendar and collapses.
Cluster internal links
- Previous (cluster)
Foundation of the Tikal Dynasty
Primordial times
- Next (cluster)
The Arrival of Strangers at Tikal (Siyaj K'ak')
378
- Same cluster
Star War: Fall of Tikal to Calakmul
562
- Same cluster
Enthronement of K'inich Janaab' Pakal I at Palenque
615
- Same cluster
First Long Count Dated Stela (Chiapa de Corzo)
36 BCE
- Same cluster
Accession of Yuknoom Ch'een II (Yuknoom the Great)
636
- Semantic bridge
Official Invention of Paper-Making Process by Cai Lun
105
- Semantic bridge
Universal Standardization of Script, Currency, Weights, and Measures
220 BCE
- Semantic bridge
First Official Paper Money (Jiaozi)
1024