# Inspector task sheet

Cancuén: the violent ending of a royal city

## 1. Trace the earliest accessible record

For Cancuén: the violent ending of a royal city, record author or storyteller, collection date, language, translation, page and exact scope. Distinguish evidence of a story being told from evidence of its events. Note which full documents remain unavailable.

Status: proposed; not completed.
Evidence found:
Source and page:
Limits:
Next action:

## 2. Investigate the central question

Compare dated excavation contexts, forensic findings, inscriptions and regional settlement sequences. Separate evidence of violence from the inferred status of individuals. Test attacker identifications against independently dated political records. Preserve local variation when comparing other cities’ transitions.

Status: proposed; not completed.
Evidence found:
Source and page:
Limits:
Next action:

## 3. Compare explanations without merging evidence

Compare the event date with independent inscriptions and regional military evidence. Look for political and depositional evidence that distinguishes internal conflict from an outside attack. Preserve contradictions and unsuccessful searches; proposed work remains unperformed.

Status: proposed; not completed.
Evidence found:
Source and page:
Limits:
Next action: