The second population peak of Piedras Negras…
796 CE to 807 CE
The second population peak of Piedras Negras had happened in the late classic era, around the second half of the eighth century, during which the maximum of Piedras Negras' population is estimated to be around 2600.
At the same time, Piedras Negras was also the largest polity in this region.
The total population of the polity at this time is estimated to be around fifty thousand.
The artistry of the sculpture of the late classic period of Piedras Negras is considered particularly fine.
The site has two ball courts and several plazas; there are vaulted palaces and temple pyramids, including one that is connected to one of the many caves in the site.
Along the banks of the river is a large boulder with the emblem glyph of Yo’ki’b carved on it, facing skyward.
A unique feature of the monuments at Piedras Negras is the frequent occurrence of the so-called "artists' signatures".
Individual artists have been identified by the use of recurring glyphs on stelae and other reliefs.
Ruler 7 (reigned 781-808?) of Piedras Negras was captured by K'inich Tatbu Skull IV of Yaxchilan.
This event was recorded on the lintel 10 of Yaxchilan.
Piedras Negras might have been abandoned within several years after this event, following a war with the downstream city at the Pomona Maya Site in present Belize.
Before the site was abandoned, some monuments were deliberately damaged, including images and glyphs of rulers defaced, while other were left intact, suggesting a revolt or conquest by people literate in Maya writing.