Maya Stela

Timeline

1. c. 250–350Tikal · Petén DepartmentCity-states such as Tikal began erecting freestanding stelae in plazas, carved with ruler portraits and Long Count dates, marking the development of Maya monumental stone carving from simple markers to systematic political inscriptions.
2. c. 350–500Copán · Copán DepartmentThe Copán dynasty erected numerous fine stelae in the 5th century CE, reaching a peak in relief technique; inscriptions detailed ruler lineages, wars, and rituals, and the stela-altar combination became the core of plaza ceremonial space.
3. c. 400–500Palenque · ChiapasStelae at sites such as Palenque combined deified ruler imagery with lengthy inscriptions, forming a narrative mode in which image and text mutually corroborate each other, providing key comparative material for the later decipherment of Maya script.