The incredible betrayal of Dos pilas

The incredible betrayal of Dos pilas

The city of Dos Pilas was a very important town in the political maya of the classic period. It was a powerful city and a very influential throughout the region. Thanks to its thousands of stelae and monuments we have a lot of information about their war and struggle for power; and from these it follows the incredible story of the betrayal of the king Balaj Chan K’awiil



The city of Dos Pilas was founded in the year 629 as an extension of Tikal, the king K’inich Muwaan Jol II installed his four year old son Balaj Chan K’awiil as ruler of Dos Pilas. For two decades, Two Batteries served very well to the throne of Tikal in ad 648, king of Calakmul (the greatest enemy of Tikal), he attacked and defeated Dos Pilas, capturing their king, and almost simultaneously, killing the king of Tikal.

It was the custom to sacrifice to the kings captured in jna war, but out of all odds, Balaj Chan K’awiil was not executed but was reinstated on the throne of Dos Pilas, this time as an ally of Calakmul, the sworn enemy of Tikal, and of his own father. The exact methods used by Calakmul to induce Balaj Chan K’awiil to change sides, but it is known that from that moment on the Two Batteries was an enemy lethal to Tikal.

24 years after this betrayal, the king Nuun Ujol Chaak of Tikal attacked and captured Two Batteries forcing B’alaj Chan K’awiil into exile for 5 years, however this exile hard little as Calakmul defeated Tikal, a few years later, reinstalling Balaj Chan K’awiil on his throne.

In the publication:

1. Partial reconstruction of Two Batteries (credits to its owner, an unknown author)
2. Probable portrait of Balaj Chan K’awiil
3. Scene of a prisoner captured by Two Batteries
4. Itzamnaaj Kawil, the king’s son Balaj Chan K’awiil
5. One of the stairways with inscriptions from a temple in Two Batteries