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Spearthrower Owl

Type Figure Region Mesoamerica Time c. 350–439 Also known as Spearthrower Owl

Spearthrower Owl (or Jatz'om Kuy, 'striking owl') is a Teotihuacan-related figure in Early Classic Maya inscriptions at Tikal and Uaxactun;…

Timeline

  1. 374–439Teotihuacan · Basin of MexicoAppears in Maya inscriptions under a spearthrower-owl name. One school of scholars regards him as a Teotihuacan ruler, while another stresses the sign could also be a deity name, place name, or title. 'Ruled Teotihuacan' must not be stated as established fact.
  2. 378–379Tikal · PeténSiyah K'ak' arrived at Tikal in 378, the day Chak Tok Ich'aak I died. Yax Nuun Ayiin acceded in 379, and the inscriptions call him a son of Spearthrower Owl. This is often interpreted as Teotihuacan intervention, though details and motives remain debated.

Sources