John Rhys-Davies hosts this 1991 series that explores various archeological subjects and their link to stories of the past. The show explores the efforts of archaeologists and the methods they use to discover the answers to these mysteries. This series won a Cable Ace Award for Best Science Series. Select episodes have been shown with the series title: Time Travellers. Episode Clash Of The Maya Kings – From the early ideas of Eric Thompson that the Maya were a peace loving society to the slow realisation that they were state controlled, warring and bloodletting cities of warriors and priests, this programme looks at city sites such as Calakmul and Tikal. Maya kings were the centers of power for the Maya civilization. Each Maya city-state was controlled by a dynasty of kings. Maya kings and queens felt obliged to legitimize their claim to power. One of the ways to do this was to build a temple or pyramid. Tikal Temple I is a notable example. This temple was built during the reign of Yik’in Chan K’awiil. Another king named K’inich Janaab’ Pakal would later carry out this same show of power when building the Temple of Inscriptions at Palenque. Mayan kings cultivated godlike personas. When a ruler died and left no heir to the throne, the result was usually war and bloodshed. King Pacal’s precursor, Pacal I, died upon the battlefield. However, instead of the kingdom erupting into chaos, the city of Palenque, a Mayan capital city in southern Mexico, invited in a young prince from a different city-state. The prince was only twelve years old. His name was Pacal. Pacal’s Temple of Inscriptions still towers today amid the ruins of Palenque, as the supreme symbol of Pacal’s influence and power in Palenque. Pacal and his predecessors not only built elaborate temples and pyramids. They expanded their city-state into a thriving empire. Under Yik’in Chan K’awiil, Tikal conquered Calakmul and the other cities around Tikal, forming what could be referred to as a super city-state. Pacal achieved in creating a major center for power and development. A Mayan king was expected to be a military leader. He would often carry out raids against rival city-states. Kings also offered their own blood to the gods.
