Yaxchilán

Yaxchilán. Chiapas, Mexico. Maya. 725 C.E. Limestone (architectural complex).

• Yaxchilán is located on the south bank of the Usumacinta River, in Chiapas, Mexico. It was a significant Maya center during the Classic period (250-900 C.E.)
• Many of the exteriors had elaborate decorations, but it is the carved stone lintels above their doorways which are the focus. 
• Many of the exteriors had elaborate decorations, but it is the carved stone lintels above their doorways. 
• Bloodletting was a common practice in Maya life from the Late Preclassic period (400 B.C.E.- 250 C.E.) onwards, and an essential part of rulership and of all public rituals.