While the names of the elites who ruled La Joyanca are largely absent from the archaeological record, epigrapher David Stuart, of the University of Texas, has recently demonstrated that an individual bearing the name Chan Ahk or "Sky/Serpent Turtle", an appellation found at the neighboring sites of Zapote Bobal and Pajaral, appears on La Joyanca Stela 1 (dated to AD 485).
Although the identities of the rulers who governed La Joyanca are largely lost to history, epigrapher David Stuart has recently demonstrated that a person with the name Chan Ahk or "Sky/Serpent Turtle" is mentioned on La Joyanca Stela 1 (dated to AD 485), which was also found at nearby sites Zapote Bobal and Pajaral.