In honor of the lady Ix Publicity

In honor of the lady Ix Publicity

This impressive panel of limestone presents us with the portrait of Ix Publicity Ajaw, a woman as fascinating as enigmatic. This portrait is the only known it to date, and is dated in the year 761 d.C.

In the scene, we see the Lady Ix Publicity by performing a sacred ritual in which invoked the snake to fish. The mouth of this snake emerges the god K’awiil, a deity deeply connected with the underworld and the lineages noble.

These rituals, which are relatively common at the time, were intended to invoke the power of K’awiil to connect with ancestors, lineages and ancient gods, giving political legitimacy to rulers. Such ceremonies were often accompanied by other important events, such as the founding of dynasties or the power jack.

The name “Ix Publicity Ajaw” is translated as “The lady noble of Publicity,” giving us some clues about its origin. “Publicity” was the name of the royal dynasty of Tikal and, later, of the dynasty of Dos Pilas, suggesting that this woman may have been a native of any of these powerful cities.

Unfortunately, even though we know the place of origin of Ix Publicity Ajaw, its history is far from being able to understand each other. This stela was sacked, and we know very little about its exact origin. Due to the characteristics of the wake, it has been proposed that could come from the Usumacinta region, in Guatemala, although it could also have been created in the region of the Petexbatun, in the south of Petén.

If we had more information about their origin, we might better understand who was this woman and what was its role in the history of his city. With the little information that contains this thread, we can deduce that she was a woman of high status who possibly ruled over a province of some economic importance. This thread is a reminder of the serious damage caused by the looting. We not only lose heritage, but also fades away the possibility of understanding our history.

© Image taken from Wikicommons. The stele was sacked at some point unknown and it was donated to the museum of Fine Arts of San Francisco in 1999.