Quiriguá Stela E, the tallest Maya monolith
Estela E de Quiriguá, el monolito maya más alto
- Date
- 771 · confidence high
- Place
- Quiriguá, Los Amates, Izabal, Guatemala
- Credited to
- K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat, ruler of Quiriguá
- Field
- Tools
What it is
A sandstone monolith about 10.5 m high and about 65 tonnes, erected in AD 771 and sculpted on all four faces with portraits and hieroglyphs. It is the largest carved stela of the Americas and evidence of notable quarrying and haulage logistics in pre-Columbian America.
Figures for weight and height vary slightly by source (10.6 m; 65-70 t). The 738 victory over Copán allowed Quiriguá's king to finance the monuments.
What it led to
- the culmination of the Maya stela sculptural tradition
- a record of Quiriguá's independence from Copán
- texts celebrating the 738 victory over Copán