Calakmul was a major Maya city located in modern-day Campeche in the northern Peten Basin of the lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula. It flourished during the Mayan Classic period, particularly between AD 250-900. The city rivaled Tikal and played a key role in the political and economic landscape of the Maya world. Its ruins are now part of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Calakmul was the seat of power of the Snake Kingdom. There are large pyramids and 117 stelae (large vertical stone carvings commonly found in ancient Maya cities). One stela is of Lady K'abel, a ruler and possibly war chief. The broken stela was found in a town beyond Calakmul. She is shown wearing fine clothes and accessories. The stela was probably erected in 692. Today the re-assembeled stela is in a museum in the United States.