Editing Damnatio memoriae (section)

=== Ancient Maya ===
Several apparent ''damnatio memoriae'' incidents occurred within the [[Maya civilization]] during the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Classic period]] (AD 250–900) as a result of political conflicts between leaders of the local kingdoms.

One notable incident occurred in the kingdom of Paʼ Chan (modern-day [[Yaxchilan]], [[Mexico]]) in the middle of the 8th century. In June 742, the ''k'uhul [[ajaw]]'' (Holy Lord, i.e. king) of Pa' Chan, [[Itzamnaaj Bahlam III]], died after a 60-year-long rule, during which he turned his kingdom into one of great riches after a large number of military campaigns which were recorded and illustrated on multiple high-quality [[Maya stelae|stelae]], [[lintel]]s and [[Maya script|hieroglyphic]] steps of temples which he dedicated to his military success (e.g. Temple 44) and his family (e.g. Temple 23). Though he had a son who eventually ascended to the throne after his death, there was a mysterious decade-long ''[[interregnum]]'' period in which Pa' Chan did not record the existence of any king. Itzamnaaj Bahlam's son, [[Yaxun Bʼalam IV]], also known as Bird Jaguar IV, ascended to the throne in April 752, nearly ten years after his father's death.<ref name="Martin & Grube 2008">{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Martin (Mayanist) |title=Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens |last2=Grube |first2=Nikolai |author-link2=Nikolai Grube |publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-500-28726-2 |edition=2nd |pages=119, 123–130}}</ref>

This ''interregnum'' period may be explained by a text from the nearby northern kingdom of Yokib (modern-day [[Piedras Negras (Maya site)|Piedras Negras]], [[Guatemala]]). Panel 3 of this city, largely regarded as one of the most beautiful pieces of [[Mayan art]], was carved approximately in 782 and illustrates an episode of the reign of [[Itzam Kʼan Ahk II]] (also known as Pawaaj Kʼan Ahk II), in which he celebrated his first ''[[kʼatun]]'' (period of 7200 days) as king, on 27 July 749. Panel 3 claims that the celebration {{qi|was witnessed by Sak Jukub Yopaat Bahlam, Holy Lord of Paʼ Chan.}} Also known as Yopaat Bahlam II, this mysterious ruler does not appear anywhere else in the historical record, not even in his supposed homeland. Moreoever, his respectful presence at a celebration in Yokib, Paʼ Chan's centuries-old and bitter rival (which had, in fact, scored a victory in battle against Itzamnaaj Bahlam III in 726), as well as the depiction of Itzam Kʼan Ahk apparently addressing a speech (now hardly readable, but probably involving an event of Paʼ Chan's past) toward a party from Paʼ Chan—which included his son and "heir to the throne" of Paʼ Chan (''chʼok paʼchan ajaw''), Sihyaj Ahkteʼ—, possibly indicate that he ruled as a vassal of Itzam Kʼan Ahk, or that he used the celebration as an opportunity to ask for Itzam Kʼan Ahk's support against Yaxun Bʼalam IV, his political rival.<ref name="García Juárez & Bernal Romero 2019">{{Cite journal |last=García Juárez |first=Sara Isabel |last2=Bernal Romero |first2=Guillermo |year=2019 |title=El Panel 3 de Piedras Negras. Historias desafiantes y recuerdos ignominiosos |trans-title=Panel 3 of Piedras Negras. Challenging stories and disgraceful memories |url=https://www.academia.edu/39216073 |journal=[[Arqueología Mexicana]] |language=es |volume=XXVI |issue=156 |pages=72–83 |issn=0188-8218 |access-date=31 May 2024}}</ref> This has led to the conclusion that if this man truly ruled Paʼ Chan, any records of his existence were destroyed during the reign of Yaxun Bʼalam IV, who notoriously led a massive propaganda campaign throughout his rule to claim legitimacy over the throne, which involved the rewriting of his kingdom's dynastic history and restoration of several historical records of previous kings. The immense texts writing Yaxun Bʼalam's own version of his kingdom's dynastic history may have been carved over existing records which would have been intentionally erased with [[plaster]], possibly destroying the records of the king (or kings) of the ''interregnum''.<ref name="Martin & Grube 2008" />

It is possible Yopaat Bahlam and his son lived the rest of their lives in exile at Yokib, and that the "heir to the throne" never rose to power. Yopaat Bahlam may have been buried in Burial 13 of the city, judging from a text carved on four ''[[Spondylus]] [[Spondylus limbatus|limbatus]]'' shells found within it which bears his name and mentions that he had previously visited the city in January 747, also within the ''interregnum''.<ref name="García Juárez & Bernal Romero 2019" />