Carved in 724 C.E., Source 6.1 shows a royal couple from the Maya city of Yaxchilan preparing for a ceremony. According to the Maya glyphs (written symbols) in the T-shaped frame at the top of the image, the male figure on the left is King Shield Jaguar. We also know that the female figure on the right is his primary wife, Lady Xok, because the carving was located in a temple associated with her. In helping him dress for a war-related ceremony or sacrifice, Lady Xok offers her husband his helmet, the head of a jaguar, an animal that was widely associated with strength, bravery, aggression, warfare, and high social status. The king is wearing cotton body armor and carrying a knife, while his wife is clad in a huipil, a blouse similar to those still worn by Maya women in southern Mexico.

Questions to consider as you examine the source:

Shield Jaguar and Lady Xok, a Royal Couple of Yaxchilan