Palenque – Chiapas – Mexico

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Posted on 27/06/2023 by Michael

Palenque

Palenque – Chiapas

Location

From Villahermosa, Tabasco, take federal road 186. The turn-off to the right to the municipal area of Palenque is situated at km 114, and 32 km further along is the present-day city of Palenque; 8 km from there, along a branch road to the right, is the archaeological site. Palenque is well situated for visiting a variety of archaeological and natural points, all within a comfortable distance. Palenque can also be reached from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, via federal road 199. This route is longer, taking approximately five hours, but it takes in the archaeological site of Tonina, the Agua Azul waterfalls and Misolha.

Timeline

We have recently learned that Palenque, like the other major sites in the Maya lowlands, has a long timeline of occupation stretching from at least the Middle Preclassic or approximately 600 BC. Although we do not have a knowledge of the characteristics of the site at that time, or its size and the form and number of structures, we have been able to identify ceramics from this period linking Palenque to other, better known sites in the lowlands of Mesoamerica. There is much clearer information about the Palenque of the early centuries AD. For example, the inscriptions of later texts tell us that the first ruler acceded to the throne in AD 431 and was succeeded by an uninterrupted series of rulers until AD 799. In terms of its ceramics, the history of Palenque has been divided into five phases: Picota (150 BC-AD 300), Motiepa (300-550), Otolum (550-650), Murcielagos (650-750) and Balunte (750-830).

Pre-Hispanic history

Palenque offers a fascinating history of minutely detailed events thanks to the recent translation and interpretation of texts written by the city’s inhabitants, and although the interpretations of its timeline are less precise the archaeological investigations of the city’s monuments nevertheless reveal extraordinarily long processes. The study of a site like Palenque contributes enormously to our knowledge of the pre-Hispanic Maya civilisation. The inscriptions mention Palenque in different ways. Its emblem glyph, the particular inscription that accompanies the names of the city’s rulers, is Baak (bone): for example, Hanaab Pakal Baakal ahaw (Hanaab Pakal, lord of Baak). By extension, Baakal was probably the name used to designate the territory under Palenque’s influence. Other glyphs are used to refer to certain sections of the city or to the different names by which Palenque was known, such as Lakamha (Great Water) and Toktan (original home of the dynasty).

Our knowledge of the earliest periods comes from texts written retrospectively that mention the dates of enthronement and death of several of the city’s first rulers. For example, K’uk’ Bahlam (Quetzal Jaguar) is referred to as the founder of a line of rulers that culminated in AD 799, the date of the last known record. He used the title ‘Lord of Toktan’ and his short four-year reign commenced on 10 March 431. The date of his enthronement corresponds to events of great importance in the Maya area, associated with the presence of Teotihuacan at sites such as Tikal and Copan. The next ruler, whose name has not been translated but whose image is represented on a small alabaster vase currently on display in the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, acceded to the throne in 435 and reigned for 50 years. A tablet found in the 1990s in one of the rooms of Temple XVII mentions Ihe third ruler, Butz’aj Sak Chiik, who acceded to the throne in 487. He was succeeded by his younger brother Ahkal Mo’ Naab I (Turtle Macaw Lake), who is mentioned in a text found in Temple XVII as the future heir (Ch’ok, young prince) and acceded to the throne In 501. His enthronement mentions Palenque for the first time as Lakamha and marks a change in relation to the earlier rulers of the city who are said to come from a place called Toktan. Four years after the death of Ahkal Mo’ Naab I (AD 524), interpreted as a time of difficulties in the line of succession, the throne passed In 529 to K’an Joy Chitam I (Precious Tied Peccary), who reigned for 36 years and died in 565 at the age of 74.

He was succeeded by a nephew of the same name who reigned for five years. Ahkal Mo’ Naab II was succeeded in 572 by Kan Bahlam I (Snake Jaguar), probably his younger brother; he reigned for 11 years and was the first ruler to use the title K’inich (Great Sun), which was thereafter adopted by all the subsequent Palenque rulers.

The next stage in the history of Palenque was a period of political complications, military defeats and problems of succession. Kan Bahlam I died without a male heir and in 583 the throne passed to his sister or daughter (the inscriptions do not clarify the exact relationship), Yohl Ik’nal, who became the first female ruler of Palenque. Although this custom was extremely rare in the Maya kingdoms of the Classic period, in the case of Palenque it would be repeated. During her reign, Palenque was attacked and probably sacked by the kingdom of Ka’an (Calakmul); according to the explanation on the hieroglyphic stairway in House C of the Palace, this event took place on 21 April 599. Lady Yohl Ik’nal died in 604 and was succeeded by Aj Ne Yohl Mat, probably her son. He clearly wielded great influence in the region because he is mentioned in texts at a number of distant sites, such as Santa Elena near the River San Pedro, where he is referred to as a witness to the enthronement of a local ruler. Even so, his reign was beset by various problems. On 4 April 611 Palenque was burned and sacked for the second time by Calakmul. It is not clear what happened to Aj Ne Yohl Mat after this defeat, but we do know that he died in March 612 and that this ushered in a dark period in the history of Palenque. The texts are ambiguous about the identity of his successor, but the period culminated in the accession to the throne of the 12-year-old K’inich Janaab Pakal. His enthronement is represented on the Oval Palace Tablet on the internal wall of House E of the Palace, which shows his mother Sak K’uk’ presenting him with the ‘drum-shaped crown’, the symbol of royal power at Palenque. Sak K’uk’ lived for another 25 years and some historians believe that she and her consort K’an Mo’ Hix acted as regents of the city, at least during the early years of Janaab Pakal’s reign.

Janaab Pakal I is the first ruler about whom we have texts and inscriptions written during his reign: the Oval Palace Tablet, the Panel of the Inscriptions, the hieroglyphic stairway in House C, the facade of the Temple Olvidado and the Temple of the Count, and the thrones in the underground passages of the Palace. This corpus of information tells us that he was a very active ruler who transformed the city’s appearance and marked its future. The best known ruler and probably the most important in the long history of Palenque, he reigned for 68 years, until his death on 28 August 683.

His reign was the longest in the history of Palenque as well as a period characterised by experimentation with new architectural and aesthetic forms that lent the city Its unique style. From the political point of view, he invested most of his reign into regaining the kingdom’s prestige, lost after successive defeats by Calakmul. Thanks to the inscriptions and sculptures covering the walls, stairways and facades of buildings in the East Court of the Palace, we know that during the second half of his reign he engaged in military campaigns against neighbouring kingdoms in the east (Pomona, Santa Elena). There is much less information about the early years of his reign. In 626 he married Tz’akbu Ahau, who took the titles ‘Lady of Toktan’ and ‘Lady of Ux Te Kuh’, and she bore him two sons who eventually succeeded him on the throne. In 1994 a sub-structure of Temple XII, situated alongside the Temple of the Inscriptions, yielded the rich tomb of a high-ranking woman whose date of burial – judging from the associated ceramics – coincides with the death of Pakal’s wife. In the absence of glyphic texts to identify her, the woman’s skeletal remains were christened the ‘Red Queen’. Today, we know that the remains correspond to those of an elderly woman who had not been born in Palenque, who was not directly related to Janaab Pakal and whose death almost coincided with that of Pakal himself. This data points to Tz’akbu Ahau: due to her high rank as Pakal’s wife and the mother of future rulers of the city, she is a vital personage in the history of the site. Janaab Pakal is identified by the way in which he died. The Temple of the Inscriptions, where he is buried, is probably the best known monument dedicated to the memory of a Maya ruler. It is also one of the finest manifestations of the architectural knowledge and the combination of religion and politics in the pre-Hispanic Maya world. Its discovery in 1952 marked an important break-through in the history of Maya archaeology. Jannab Pakal commissioned important works in the city. The first building he erected during his long reign was the Temple Olvidado, where his father’s remains were probably buried. However, he also transformed the Palace and in 654 inaugurated one of its principal constructions: House E or Sak Nuk Naah, as it is mentioned in the texts, a white building with floral designs on the facade. It was dedicated to the enthronement of at least three rulers and, as reflected in the design of the Oval Tablet situated in the front gallery, it was here that the young Pakal was invested as the ruler of Lakamha. In 661 he built the East Court, delimited by two important buildings: houses B and C. In this court and on the hieroglyphic stairways decorating the entrance to House C, Janab Pakal deployed a political discourse as a successful military leader, depicting a series of prisoners whose names identify them as important figures in the ‘Pipa’ kingdom, associated with the present-day site of Pomona, and the ‘Wa-pajaro’ kingdom, possibly the site we now know as Santa Elena. Jaanab Pakal was also involved in the remodelling of the North Group, primarily in the construction of the Temple of the Count.

He was succeeded by his son K’inich Kan Bahlam II, who completed the monument in memory of his father. The three inner tablets in the Temple of the Inscriptions were produced during his reign and the date of his enthronement is mentioned in the final section: 7 January 684. He commissioned the stucco designs on the four pilasters at the front of the temple, where he is depicted as the semi-divine young heir to the throne with one leg in the form of a serpent. The principal work from his reign is the Cross Group. Inaugurated in 692, this is composed of three exceptional buildings in terms of their innovative architectural design and symbolic content: the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Foliated Cross and the Temple of the Sun. Each of these has an inner chamber or adoratorium with a decorative panel in which Kan Bahlam is shown as a child and adult worshipping the symbol from which the different temples take their name. This complex iconographic and textual programme combines mythological and historical aspects in an extremely elaborate and diverse format. In the political domain, this ruler enjoyed numerous military victories during his reign. Tonina, as recorded in texts at Temple XVII and the Temple of the Sun, was crushed in 687, at the beginning of Kan Bahlam’s reign. He was an active and very successful military leader, judging from the frequent mentions of his activities in texts at the neighbouring kingdoms of La Mar, Moral-Reforma and Anaite. He died on 16 February 702 at the age of 66. His tomb has yet to be discovered.

Kan Bahlam II probably died without issue and was succeeded by his younger brother K’inich Kan Joy Chitam II (Great Precious Tied Peccary), who acceded to the throne at the age of 57. His most important architectural work was the remodelling of the north section of the Palace, whose gallery yielded the remains of a tablet (the famous Palace Tablet), which offers a traditional representation of the new king, Kan Joy Chitam II, receiving the drum-shaped crown from his mother and father, thus becoming the legitimate ruler of Palenque. However, this narrative introduces a section that has been a topic of great debate by historians in recent years. We have known for some time that the fortunes of Palenque received a serious setback during this ruler’s reign. In 711 Tonina captured the Palenque ruler, as represented on a monument in that city. The Palace Tablet depicts the enthronement of Kan Joy Chitam but mentions the birth and name of another individual, Ux Yop Huun, suggesting that he is the individual represented in the scene rather than Kan Joy Chitam. The associated text ends with the dedication of the building in 720, referring to Ux Yop Huun as the owner and to Kan Joy Chitam as the ‘supervisor’ of the ceremony. We have recently discovered texts that mention Kan Joy Chitam presiding over a ceremony at Piedras Negras in 718, which would seem to indicate that this ruler returned to Palenque after being captured, although, judging from the text on the Palace Tablet, no longer as the city’s ruler.

He was succeeded by his nephew K’inich Ahkal Mo’ Nahb III, who has recently been recognised as an important ruler in the history of Palenque thanks to the discoveries of sculpted thrones in temples XIX and XXI, situated in the South Acropolis. He is also represented on the famous Tablet of the Slaves, originally situated in Group IV, the residence of one of the principal lords, Chak Suutz’. Ahkal Mo’ Nahb acceded to the throne on 13 September 721. The magnificent panels in Temple XIX show a 43-year-old ruler receiving a headband that will make him ruler from another lord, Janaab Ajau – not the famous Janaab Pakal buried in the Temple of the Inscriptions. Both figures recreate an episode from the Palenque mythology in which the deity Itzamnaaj invests GI, an important Palenque deity, as ruler of the city in 3309 BC. This scene is witnessed by five prominent Palenque noblemen, identified by their respective names and titles.

This ruler was succeeded by K’inich Janaab Pakal II. The main text about his reign can be found on the throne in Temple XXI, discovered in 2002, where he is referred to as Bah Chok’ or the principal heir of K’inich Ahkal Mo’ Nahb III. Of the next ruler, K’inich Kan Bahlam II, we know of only one mention: a text enthronement ceremony of a local ruler. We can surmise from this that Palenque exerted a certain control over Pomona, although the lack of texts about this ruler at Palenque itself suggests a short reign. The last ruler of Palenque, the youngest son of Ahkal Mo’ Naab III, known as K’inich K’uk’ Bahlam II, Acceded to the throne in 764. During his reign elaborate texts with a sophisticated script were produced, as shown for example in the relief of the tablet of the 96 Glyphs, found in 1935 during the excavations of the South Court, near the Palace Tower. This text tries to replicate in stone the calligraphic style of other media and represents one of the finest examples of calligraphy from the Classic period. It commemorates the 20th anniversary, in 783, of K’uk’ hahlam II’s accession.

The last mention of a probable ruler of Palenque comes from the fragment of a vessel found by Alberto Ruz in the 1950s in the Murcielagos or Bat Group, and a second piece of the same vessel found 40 years later during nearby excavations in the same group. The vessel mentions a dignitary called Wak Kimi Janaab I’akal III (6 Death Shield) in 799. The last reference to the kingdom of Palenque (Baakal) can be found on a piece of adobe brick with the date 814 found at the archaeological site of Comalcalco.

Tour of the site

Although the ancient city of Palenque covers approximately 210 ha, only the core area is open to visitors. This comprises the most important buildings that have been excavated and consolidated: the Palace, the Temple of the Inscriptions, temples XII, XIII and the Temple of the Skull, the Ball Court, and the North Group comprising the Temple of the Count and temples I, II, III, IV and V. The Cross Group near the recently excavated South Acropolis can also be visited, comprising the following important buildings: the temples of the Cross, the Foliated Cross and the Sun, as well as Temple XVII. The South Acropolis is a late addition of constructions from Akal Mo’ Naab Ill’s reign; it comprises buildings XIX, XX and XXI, which recently yielded texts and tablets with inscriptions, now on display in the site museum. The path along the banks of the River Otolum leads to another three interesting architectural groups that are also open to visitors: C, B and the Murcielagos or Bat Group. These three complexes offer the only evidence of residential architecture and provides us with a window onto the daily life of the pre-Hispanic Maya. Situated alongside the North Group, in the Main Plaza, is a steep stairway leading to the fourth residential complex that has been excavated: groups I and II. A series of paths lead to the interior of the archaeological park and can be visited in the company of special guides.

Site description

There are three environmental characteristics in the region that must be taken into account when assessing the ancient city of Palenque: its situation in relation to permanent sources of water, its proximity to a wide strip of fertile land, and its defensive, transport and spatial potential which permitted its expansion over several centuries of occupation. However, to turn this potential into a reality, the terrain had to be adapted to offset the effects of erosion and the constant danger of flooding caused by torrential seasonal rainfall. The available land at Palenque was subjected to considerable modifications and expansions through the construction of vast terraces to level the ground and the channelling of the streams. These feats of engineering required supervision and planning from experienced individuals, as well as the coordination of a considerable number of workers. One of the things that usually strikes visitors is the existence of complex aqueducts and channels.

Palenque was built on three natural terraces, the second of which, with an east-west orientation, contains the core area of the city and most of the structures. This topographical situation was perhaps the factor that most influenced the urban layout and the reason why it did not expand radially, as was the case at most pre-Hispanic Maya sites. However, it was probably with the enthronement of the first known ruler of a long dynasty, Kuk’ Balam I (AD 431), that the Central Plaza became its administrative and political centre. At that time, part of the second natural terrace was expanded to accommodate the Central Plaza, where the first versions of the city’s most important constructions were built – the Palace, the North Group, the Temple of the Count and the Temple of the Inscriptions – as well as a network of plazas and accesses. There are remains of ceramic vessels, which the archaeologists have classified as belonging to the Motiepa phase, corresponding to this period of expansion. They were found in sub-structures from the first construction phase of the Palace, in the Ball Court filling, underneath the Temple of the Sun and behind the Temple of the Count. This core area was covered by buildings with ritual, administrative, political and residential functions. The nerve centre is the Palace, where the royal court of Palenque lived. Although the final form of this area is the product of continuous additions and remodellings – especially during the city’s golden age, the Otolum and Murcielagos periods, corresponding to the last four rulers recorded on the inscriptions – the presence of Picota and Motiepa ceramics in the fillings of plazas and buildings suggests that the activities associated with the government of the city had been conducted here since much earlier.

The recent map of Palenque shows approximately 1,450 structures distributed over an area of 210 ha (see page 58). We do not yet have the appropriate parameters for calculating the total number of inhabitants during the last phase of its occupation – the Balunte period from AD 750 to 830 – let alone the population of earlier periods. However, we can suppose that it was inhabited by between 8,000 and 10,000 individuals during this final stage. Although there is very little evidence of the early occupation of the site, the current excavations, primarily focused on studying the city’s expansion, will shed light on this stage of Palenque’s history. However, according to the data already available, we can establish the existence of a small settlement in the Late Preclassic, around 600 BC, and we are sure that Palenque shared an early occupation with certain nearby sites in the lower foothills of the Chiapas mountains. Several of these centres would subsequently be incorporated – for reasons we have yet to clarify – into the sphere of interaction in which Palenque was the principal political centre.

The architectural structure of Palenque follows a modular pattern and is composed of groups which are similar in size and probably function, although different in scale, organised in clusters around plazas. According to some authors, there are 32 major groups separated by topological elements such as rivers, ravines and terraces, and/or by empty spaces. However, a recent review of the data suggests the existence of 56 separate groups of settlement inside the ancient city limits. In strictly formal terms – given the gaps in our knowledge concerning fundamental aspects of their internal organisation and articulation – the different buildings and groups display a high degree of architectural homogeneity. In the 1990s the excavation of a sample of buildings, especially in the Cross Group and groups B, C and IV, reinforced this idea. The use of a similar architectural pattern can probably be explained by the fact that the different residential groups conducted similar economic and ritual activities. Meanwhile, the quantitative (number of structures, Architectural volume) and qualitative (building materials, decoration) differences are probably related to natural processes in the cyclical development of the groups or to their occupation by different social groups, there is no doubt whatsoever that the main residential groups are the ones nearest the core area of the site And denote a long occupation. The core area of Polenque covers 8.5 ha and is the largest open space in the city, comprising the Palace, the Ball Court and soveral temples, buildings and plazas with civic and ceremonial functions. This complex is subdivided into three large sections: the West Plaza, North Plaza and Ball Court. There are no major architectural barriers, but the construction on different levels of the plazas nnd the existence of great stairways seem to direct the flow towards the south end – to the temple-pyramids lomposed of the Temple of the Inscriptions, temples XII and XIII, and the Temple of the Skull, all funerary monuments for the ruling dynasty – and to the north, lo the North Group and the north fagade of the Palace. Us layout clearly corresponds to what some authors have described as a pattern of architectural associations with a highly symbolic content, in which the north is associated with a celestial, supernatural sphere and the south with the region of the dead. Meanwhile, the middle, the terrestrial plane, is exemplified by the Ball Court and the Palace. This architectural order ‘materialises’ a vision of the world in which the ruler Is the centre of both the community and the cosmos. These buildings in the core area, whose north and west sides face large plazas, with no architectural rlements segregating them from the rest of the city, inay have provided a point of gathering for vast numbers of Individuals: the North Group plaza has a surface Area of 5,795.5 sq m and could easily accommodate between 5,000 and 6,000 people on special occasions. This idea is reinforced by the existence of an east-west axis of circulation that integrates this area with the rest of the city. Based on this perspective, the core area of Palenque was a hub for the 56 residential groups that formed the ancient city.

Meanwhile, its situation on the slopes of the Chiapas mountains (alt. 145 m), in one of the wettest parts of the country, lends Palenque certain unique qualities in terms of the settlement pattern. The northern part of the city dominated a narrow valley of 180 ha with highly fertile land, where the crop fields were located. There are very few settlements in this area adjacent to the city, leaving large open spaces for other daily activities. Situated further north is a chain of low hills with settlements mainly dating from the last Balunte period (AD 750-850). Behind them stretch the vast flood plains of the north-western lowlands. Towards the south, the city is delimited by the Chiapas mountains. There is no other centre in the region that is comparable in surface area, density and size of structures. The nearest sites are Comalcalco, 90 km west, and Pomona, 75 km north-east.

Although there are fragments of Preclassic ceramics, their frequency and location are too rare to confirm the existence of a permanent settlement at Palenque at such an early date. The Picota period (150 BC-AD 300) reveals evidence of greater occupation, although the city covered a mere 30 ha. However, around AD 400, during the Motiepa phase, there is substantial evidence of an important regional settlement. Motiepa plates were deposited as an offering in the oldest tomb found to date at Palenque, in Temple XVIII. The Motiepa phase was also marked by a considerable transformation in the political system, characterised by the beginning of Palenque’s dynastic sequence. Furthermore, in the immediate vicinity of Palenque, the sites of Nututun and El Lacandon have yielded contexts from the same period, which seems to indicate the transformation of Palenque into a centralised regional polity. During its final period (750-830), Palenque covered an area of approximately 200 ha.

Like other Mesoamerican and Maya lowland cities, Palenque combines a formal layout – the core area – with a more random arrangement of buildings. The city displays a modular pattern composed of functional groups on different scales. These groups probably formed part of larger units or ‘neighbourhoods’. However, we still lack vital information about their internal organisation and how they were articulated one with the other. Based on ethnographic data, it has been suggested that these groups may have been comparable to the sian otot of the modern-day Chorti people or the sna of today’s Zinacantecs, that is, residential groups comprising extended families and non-related individuals which revolve around the central figure of an individual endowed with greater prestige because of his proximity, in terms of kinship, to the founder of the residential group. For the vast majority of the Palenque inhabitants, the residential spaces constituted the principal area where the main activities to guarantee the survival of the community were carried out. Although we know very little about the internal organisation of such groups, the excavation of a sample of them, especially in the Cross Group and groups B, C and IV, has begun to shed some light on this aspect.

The Cross Group is directly associated with the ruling lineage at Palenque. The constructed volume, size of the open spaces, quality of the monuments, and importance of the texts and images in and on the buildings are on a greater scale than any other group in the city, with the exception of the Palace and the Temple of the Inscriptions. The texts and images contain information about significant events in the lives of the rulers and display the undeniable attributes of their status as leaders. But despite the quantitative and qualitative differences between the group occupied by the ruling lineage and the other residential groups in the city, there are evident structural similarities, principally in their multi-purpose nature. If we compare the material obtained from the excavations of a sample of the latter – groups B, C and IV – we can see certain parallels in terms of the general layout of the buildings, the apparently ritual functions served by several of them, and the economic activities carried out inside them.

In Group C, for example, buildings 1 and 3 have parallel vaulted galleries subdivided into rooms with materials associated with domestic activities, while Building 2 has a ritual function. The latter structure adopts the form of a tiered platform that measures 30×8 m and stands 7 m tall. It displays the remains of stairways at the north and south ends of the west facade. This structure yielded three cist burials and the probable remains of composite incense burners. All the buildings excavated in Group B reveal evidence of domestic activities, except for buildings 2 and 3, whose central chambers contain shrines like those to be found in the temples in the Plaza of the Sun and the niche in House F of the Palace, albeit smaller and inferior in quality. A limestone sculpture similar to the characteristic ceramic incense burners found at Palenque adorned one of the shrines. The central motif of the sculpture was a deliberately mutilated human face. Situated underneath the room containing the shrine in Building 3 was the most important funerary chamber in Group B. The central court in Group IV is delimited to the west by buildings I and 2, while buildings 3 and 4 flank the north-east corner. The materials recovered suggest a domestic function in the case of the former, while the latter reveal ritual characteristics in that they adopt the form of small tiered pyramids with stairways at the front. Ihese buildings yielded numerous fragments of incense burners and cist burials.

Description of structures and monuments

Temple of the inscriptions.

This structures takes its name from the three large tablets of limestone with hieroglyphic inscriptions (620 glyphs) found inside it. Composed of a stepped platform surmounted by a temple, the structure is decorated with stucco reliefs. Inside, two flights of steps lead to an imposing funerary crypt containing the sarcophagus of K’inich lanaab Pakal, who governed Palenque from 615 to 683. The temple rests on a nine-tier platform. The central stairway that leads from the plaza to the Interior comprises four sections of 9, 19, 19 and 13 steps, plus a final 9 steps, making a total of 69. There ore five north-facing entrances on the front of the temple formed by six stucco pilasters. Although brilliant white nowadays, during pre-Hispanic times the entire temple and platform were painted deep red, like most of the buildings in the city. The principal characteristic of this building is its function as a post mortem monument for one of the most important rulers in the history of Palenque. The discovery of the tomb of K’inich Janaab Pakal represents one of the best known achievements in Mesoamerican archaeology. It took Alberto Ruz approximately two years to remove the rubble covering the passage and stairway leading to the funerary chamber. The access was sealed with a trapezoidal door. The crypt measures 9×4 m and has a 7-m-high vaulted ceiling. The chamber is almost entirely occupied by a sarcophagus dug directly out of a block of limestone measuring 379×220 cm, covered by a finely carved lid depicting the ruler descending to the world of the dead. The complex iconography on the lid shows an idealised version of the young Janaab Pakal falling and being devoured by a mythological creature represented by a gaunt jaw. Situated between the dignitary and the gaping mouth lies a plate with remains of important ceremonial elements: a sea shell and a piece of obsidian. Rising from the plate is a tree, probably a ceiba, which represents the connection between the subterranean world, the world of the living and the sky. This mythical tree serves as an axis mundi, as a symbol linking the three supernatural levels. Perching at the top of the tree is a mythological bird (Itzam Ye), which looks down on Janaab Pakal’s descent to the world of the dead. The frame surrounding the sarcophagus represents the sky, showing planets, stars and constellations that indicate that the action is taking place in a sacred place and time. Along the top and bottom are the images of two individuals with their titles and names. Meanwhile, next to the sarcophagus, ten dignitaries seem to emerge from fruit trees. We know from the texts accompanying these images that each personage represents a dead member of Janaab Pakal’s kin: his parents Yohl Ik’nal and K’an Mo’ Hix are repeated at both ends of the sarcophagus, while Janaab Pakal, Ahkal Mo’ Naab I, K’an Joy Chitam I and K’an Bahlam I appear only once.

Palace.

This is one of the most sophisticated examples of Maya architecture and it accommodated the kingdom’s principal functions. Situated towards the middle and centre of the city, it owes its name to its composition, which includes four courts and long bays, the result of countless transformations over the course of more than 400 years. The buildings in the Palace rest on a trapezoidal surface measuring 97×73 m and standing approximately 10 m tall. Its architecture is distinguished by the use of arches and pilasters in the construction of large covered spaces to create well-lit Interiors. The history of its construction is still a controversial issue. Archaeological materials corresponding to the Early Classic (prior to AD 500) have been found and three construction phases have been identified for the base platform. The Palace appears to have been extended southwards on three occasions, which means that the subterranean passages beneath the present-day level of the palace are not the traces of an earlier building but a later addition to the existing ground plan. We do know, however, the dates when several of the upper buildings were inaugurated: House E was built during the reign of Janaab Pakal in 664; houses C and B in 661; and House A was completed in 668. The north gallery of House A-D was built by Kan Joy Chitam II after 702 and House D probably during the reign of Kan Bahlam II. The Tower was added during U Pakal Kinich’s reign and corresponds to the final stage of the city’s occupation, like the buildings in the southern section: houses G, H, K, I and L. The Tower is the most impressive of these structures. The hypothesis that it may have been an astronomical observatory cannot be totally dismissed because we are not sure whether it had a roof or not during the pre-Hispanic period. It certainly serves as an astronomical marker because at sunset during the spring equinox the sun shines through a small T-shaped window and lights up a niche on the rear wall. It was probably also used for observing the activities conducted inside the Palace grounds and in the immediate vicinity.

Central plaza or north group.

This is one of the largest spaces at Palenque, covering an area of 5,024 sq m and clearly permitting the congregation of vast numbers of the city’s population. Rather than restricting the flow of people, its accesses direct them to a specific point of gathering: from the north, via the North Group; from the west via the Temple of the Count; and from the south via the difference in height between the north court of the Palace and the Ball Court

North group.

This comprises a long platform surmounted by five temples. The buildings have been numbered I to V from east to west. Temples I and III are composed of a small, single chamber, while Temples II and IV have two parallel bays and a portico with three entrances; Temple V is the longest and has five doorways on its fagade. The construction sequence of the different buildings is as follows: Temple V substructure, Temple II, temples I and III, Temple V, Temple IV substructure and finally Temple IV. All of them were built during the Otolum period.

Temple of the count.

This building was thus named by Frederick Waldeck who is said to have lived there during his sojourn at the site. It consists of a five-tier platform with an east-facing main fagade. The temple at the top still displays all its architectural features. It was probably the tomb of a high-ranking personage during the pre-Hispanic period, but the identity has not been established because when it was discovered in the 1930s by Miguel Angel Fernandez it had already been sacked. Some of the architectural details, such as the proportion between the width of the chamber and the height of the vaulted ceiling, and certain ceramic remains indicate that it was built during Janaab Pakal’s reign.

Ball court.

This is situated in an important part of the Central Plaza, near the Palace and the North Group. It is composed of two parallel mounds, each measuring 22×10 m, which form a 3-m-wide playing area. The structure was built on an intermediate, probably artificial level of the large natural terrace that accommodates the civic and ceremonial precinct. Visible to the north and east of the Ball Court are a series of low platforms clearly meant to separate this structure from the North Group. To the south, wide stairways leading to the east court of the Palace probably served as a seating area for spectators. The court is open-ended. The internal walls of the mounds slope in the talud style, while the exterior walls display three vertical tiers culminating in a wide band of moulding. There are no markers or rings, and the central section of the talud contains large slabs of porous and greatly eroded limestone. Situated north of the Ball Court are two stairways leading down to the North Group, a rectangular platform and the remains of a construction with stone walls probably once covered by a roof made of perishable materials. There is evidence of constructions near the Ball Court during the Early Classic (Motiepa phase, 350-500, and Cascadas, 500-600) and in all likelihood during the Lite Preclassic (250 BC-AD 150). The Ball Court we see today was remodelled on at least two occasions during the Late Classic.

Aqueduct.

Situated to the south-east is the River Otolum which crosses the site from south to north and explains the construction of a bridge at the north end, At the so-called Queen’s Bath. Further upstream, at the section corresponding to the east facade of the Palace, it was covered. This construction, known as the Aqueduct, linked two important parts of the site.

Cross group.

Dedicated in 692, this group comprises three temples: the Temple of the Cross, the Foliated Cross and the Sun. Together, the three offer a set of related texts and images, forming an extremely complicated narrative that blends historical elements with mythological events in ways that are often Inextricable. The artists behind this fascinating legacy used numerous media to express images and texts and impress the onlookers. The central narrative theme is the situation of the guardian gods – known as GI, II and III or the Palenque Triad – in the story of the foundation of the cosmos and their relationship with historic personages in Palenque’s ruling dynasty. Kan Bahlam built three temples with their respective pyramid platforms to accommodate each of these divine beings. Each temple holds a small shrine representing a ritual steam bath, indicating the nature of these buildings as a place of ‘ritual purification’. Tach temple also has its own carved tablet depicting two aspects of Kan Bahlam: the child and the adult. In each case, the two figures are shown worshipping a series of elements associated with the divinity of each temple. For years, the esoteric nature of this romposition has illuminated current thinking about religious aspects of the pre-Hispanic Maya.

Restricted areas.

House E and the Tower at the group known as the Palace, the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Tomb of Pakal and areas currently undergoing exploration, such as Temples XX, XXI and XXII.

Alberto Ruz Lhuillier Palenque Site Museum

This holds the archaeological and historical collection pertaining to the ancient city of Palenque. A recent construction, it opened in May 1993. It is situated 1.5 km from the site and in addition to other buildings forms part of the service area for the archaeological park. There are two rooms with permanent exhibitions. The first one, on the ground floor, contains approximately 260 archaeological pieces ranging from ceramic, lithic, stucco, bone, shell and jadeite artefacts. There are also several magnificent, finely executed limestone tablets with scenes of enthronements; they once decorated some of the buildings at the site. This same room also contains an excellent collection of incense burners made out of clay and profusely decorated and painted, demonstrating the profound magic-religious sense and extraordinary aesthetic sensibilities of the ancient city’s population. The second room at the top of the museum is given over to the history of archaeological research at Palenque, from the late 18th century to the present day. The exhibition is accompanied by illustrations and objects representing the milestones when pioneers, travellers, explorers and researchers contributed in one way or another to the knowledge of the site and the conservation of one of the most important cities in the Maya culture. This room also contains a small space for temporary exhibitions. Videos are used in both rooms to offer a brief summary of the archaeology of Palenque. A replica of the Tomb of Pakal was recently completed and a new area is now open for special tours by 40 or 5 people. This space exhibits exact replicas of the funerary chamber (7×3.75 m and 6.5 m high) and the sarcophagus (3×2.10 m and 1.10 m high). Also on display is a reproduction of the limestone lid (3.80×2.20 m and 25 cm thick) with its low-relief carvings. This slab stone represents the image of Pakal and shows all the elements depicted in the sarcophagus and lid reliefs. Meanwhile, the translucent walls display images of the nine dignitaries from the underworld and Pakal’s ancestors, represented on the inner walls of the original chamber. Using printed, electronic and audiovisual media, the room dedicated to the Tomb of Pakal explains how it was discovered, its significance in the Maya worldview and the decipherment of its inscriptions and hieroglyphs. Another of the novelties in this new space is the reproduction of the funerary mask (24×19 cm) worn by Pakal in his tomb, which consists of 340 pieces of jade.

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp144-159

Getting there:

From Palenque town. There are regular colectivos from the centre of town, passing the ADO bus station and then the 7 kilometres to the ticket office. Ask to be put off there – the colectivo carries on a little further. Just flag down the first one returning to town. M$25 each way.

GPS:

17d 29’ 03” N

92d 02’ 48” W

Entrance:

One fee is for entrance to the National Park (M$105) and the other is for entrance to the site itself (M$90). You go to one ticket office for the Park and then another for the site. Then the entrance to the site is about 200m further along the road, from Palenque town, across the road on the left. It is then quite a haul up a lot of steps to get to the Central Plaza group.

The museum is in the complex where you pay your entrance fees. Entrance to museum included in ticket price. NOT open on Monday.

More on the Maya

Edzna – Campeche – Mexico

Posted on 25/06/2023 by Michael

Edzna

More on the Maya

Edzna – Campeche

Location

This site is situated barely 60 km south-east of the city of Campeche, on the road to China, Pocyaxum, Nohacal and Nohyaxche. The archaeological area extends across the northern part of a broad valley in the shape of a horseshoe, with the open section in the south. Several floodable areas were modified before the Common Era, when dams, embankments and wide canals several kilometres in length were built as part of a system of hydraulic works. The present-day name was probably coined in the Postclassic as a reference to a ruling lineage: the Itzas. The actual place name may have been Ytzna, Ytz, to refer to the Itzas, Na, house, ‘house of the Itzas’. During the Classic period (AD 250-900) the city had its own emblem glyph and also used another hieroglyph to identify the territory under its control.

Pre-Hispanic history

The earliest findings date from 600 BC and the preHispanic occupation ended around 1450. This timeline is documented by the ceramics, architecture and sculpture. Towards 600 BC, a small farming community laid down the foundations for a settlement that would gain masonry buildings a few centuries later. The political and social organisation permitted the development of a society governed by a small group of families who professed to have ties with the ancestors and gods. The orderly division of labour led to the construction of efficient hydraulic works that drained large sections of the valley, subsequently used for residential purposes, and generated farming surpluses. The earliest monumental architecture recorded at Edzna is of the Peten variety, which flourished simultaneously throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and the north of Guatemala and Belize. The images of the rulers were represented on stelae, tablets and altars, often incorporating dates, names and important events. Around AD 550 the method of construction began to change, giving rise to buildings with larger interior spaces and more carefully cut veneer stones, which we now identify with the Puuc style. Almost at the same time, buildings with features now known to be typical of Chenes architecture also emerged. These works were replaced around AD 950 by constructions that denoted a new era in which the Chontals appear to have played an important role. The final centuries of occupation witnessed expansions to the principal constructions, with the new wings borrowing materials from abandoned buildings. This architecture is known as Late or Postclassic.

Site description

Situated in the core area of the settlement is a large plaza measuring approximately 16,000 sq m and aligned with the cardinal points. On the north side stands the Platform of the Knives; the west is bounded by the Nohoch Na (‘Great House’); the Ball Court and South Temple occupy the south side; and the east side is taken up by the Great Acropolis, an architectural mass measuring 160 x 160 m and standing 6 m high. Other monumental structures stand on top of it. Nearby lie 20 or so large architectural groups, mainly covered by vegetation. The most important of them are the Fortress, just south of the Great Acropolis, groups 2, 3 and 4, north of it, and the Old Sorceress Group, which has been partly excavated and restored. Explorations of the constructions have revealed that the builders aligned the axes of symmetry with astronomical phenomena and used modules or average measurements, especially multiples of 20, such as 80 m and 160 m. This practice, common in the Maya region, was previously used by the Olmecs and in other societies in ancient Mexico.

Great acropolis.

This is the result of the efforts of many generations of Maya labourers. The earliest buildings, now buried beneath later constructions, were erected just before the Common Era. The main buildings on the Great Acropolis today are the Temple of Five Storeys, the North Temple, the House of the Moon, and the South-West and North-West Temples. All these buildings had religious and ceremonial functions, although during the end of the Classic period and in the Postclassic there were probably elite residences on the west side of Five Storeys. Other spaces that were important in the daily life of the people associated with the government can be seen in the Puuc Courtyard, in the north-west section of the complex. The main entrance to the Great Acropolis is on the west side, where a stairway composed of large stone steps requires a certain effort to reach the top. Just below the upper courtyard, on the left or north side, is a small square-shaped entrance that led to a steam bath or pibna (temazcal in Central Mexico). This probably corresponds to the Postclassic, although one of the jambstones bears a fragment of an inscription from the Classic period.

Temple of the five storeys.

The clearest example of gradual expansion is the Peten pyramid platform nowadays partly covered by this building. On its east side it had nine sections crowned by a temple. In the middle, flanking the central stairway, are convex taludes or slopes, which can also be seen on the north side. These are the mouldings corresponding to the platform sections. In Peten times (the early centuries before the Common Era) ‘apron’ mouldings were ypically used, like the ones that can be seen in the lower sections of the east side and on certain recessed parts of the upper sections on the north side. Around the 9th century these mouldings were covered by better-cut and better-assembled blocks, with less use of wedges but creating a wide curve to achieve the type of enormous balustrades which to date have only been found at Edzna. The five-storey construction with corbel vaulted rooms on the west side of the building also corresponds to the Terminal Classic (AD 900-1000). Viewed in all their detail, the differences reveal a combination of Puuc and Chenes features. The lower part of the stairway is also an addition, made from recycled blocks with hieroglyphics that once formed part of two Peten stairways. The fifth level is occupied by a temple which had a tall roof comb, part of which can still be seen today; it once had painted stucco pieces but these have all but disappeared. Not counting the temple, the west side of the building comprises 20 rooms that may have been dwellings for officials. This elite residential complex is similar to the ones that have been reported at other Maya cities in the peninsula, such as the Acropolis at Ek’ Balam and the ‘palaces’ at Santa Rosa Xtampak, Xkipche, Labna and Sayil.

Solar platform.

This stands opposite the west facade of the Temple of Five Storeys, almost at the very centre of the plaza. Used for observing astronomical phenomena in the east and west, it shares the same east-west orientation as the Temple of Five Storeys, the Nochoch Na and Structure 501.

North temple.

This defines the north side of the courtyard. Construction commenced at the beginning of the Common Era but it was subsequently modified on several occasions. Nowadays, we can see a mixture of Peten features at the base, stairways with balustrades leading to small shrines, emulating Rio Bee architecture, recessed panels with Puuc-style veneer stones, and capstones and the foundations of temples at the top, from the Postclassic period.

North-west temple.

Situated west of the North Temple stands a pyramid platform with several tiers, crowned by three rooms. The top of the platform leads down to the Puuc Courtyard, a space defined by the west side of the North Temple and by other low constructions with rooms, in the manner of a palace. Between the North Platform and the Solar Platform lie the ruins of a low, C-shaped platform that bears no relation or symmetry to the surrounding architecture. It was built in the Postclassic for residential purposes and is made out of recycled materials from constructions that had either collapsed or been abandoned.

House of the moon.

The structure popularly known as the House of the Moon stands on the south side of the courtyard. Excavated in the 1960s by Roman Pina Chan and restored by Raul Pavon Abreu, it evokes the style of a Cubist work. Large lateral taludes or slopes were erroneously incorporated as part of the architectural restoration works, erasing the traces of several tiers. Unfortunately, it was restored at a time when little heed was paid to the evidence furnished by excavations. Nearby, to the west, is a three-tier pyramid platform surmounted by five rooms. This structure is known as the South-West Temple.

Platform of the knives.

This seals the north side of the site’s Great Plaza and has stairways on all four sides. At the east and west ends it once comprised masonry rooms in the classic Puuc style, while the middle section was subsequently used to build several smaller and poorer-quality rooms. It owes its name to the discovery of flint knives during the excavation and restoration of the east section by Pina Chan in the 1970s. The central and west sections of the platform were explored in the 1980s by Luis Millet and Heber Ojeda from the INAH.

Courtyard of the ambassadors.

Situated west of the Platform of the Knives is a small plaza, approximately 900 sq m, surrounded by low constructions, mainly from the Early and Late Postclassic (AD 1000-1250- 1450). Two buildings in the south-west section have several entrances formed by columns. South of these constructions is a partly restored ramp. South of the courtyard, behind the balustraded stairway, is what appears to be an arch but is in fact a sub-structure minus its lateral walls. The name of the courtyard was coined in the 1990s as a show of goodwill to the ambassadors of the European countries that provided funding for several excavation campaigns at Edzna with refugees from Guatemala.

Nohoch na.

The west side of the Great Plaza is dominated by this large building 135 m long, 30 m wide and 9 m high. Four long galleries on the top of the building were accessed by 12 entrances formed by masonry pilasters. It once had a vaulted ceiling but none of this has survived. It also had wide stairways (120 m long) on both sides and was possibly used for storing, exhibiting and redistributing the rulers’ wealth: farming products, textiles, animal skins, ceramics and miscellaneous utensils. The east side was excavated by Luis Millet and Florentino Garcia in the mid-1980s.

South temple.

The south side of the Great Plaza at Edzna is defined by the Ball Court and this building, a large four-tier pyramid platform in the Peten style with recesses and stone tenons at the corners. Viewed from the plaza, it is possible to see the rear section, a large talud running the entire length of the central axis of symmetry. The stairway facade constitutes the south side. The temple at the top was built between AD 600 and 800 with the carefully cut blocks typical of Puuc architecture.

Ball court.

Like all the great regional capitals of the day, Edzna had a specific building for the practice of the life and death ritual that we now know as the ball game. The court provided a stage for the enactment of the mythical confrontation between opposing deities and essences (light and dark, east and west, etc.) and was the focal point around which daily life revolved. It was not so much a sport as the celebration of a constant cycle of renewal. The axis of the Ball Court runs north-south and displays the veneer stones typical of Puuc architecture. Embedded into the vertical walls, on both slopes, are small fragments of the stone rings. In terms of its size, the court is comparable to the one at Coba (Coba Group) and two of the courts at Chichen Itza, all of which also have a north-south axis.

Small acropolis.

This is situated just south of the Great Acropolis but has only a quarter of the latter’s volume (70 x 70 m and 5 m high). The main entrance is situated at the middle of the west side, where the ancient Maya concentrated most of the stelae found at the site (now removed for their greater preservation and future display; some of them can be seen at the entrance to the archaeological site). Four buildings arranged around a courtyard have been excavated at the top of the acropolis. Most of the buildings have Peten sub-structures, but the builders of Postclassic times added reliefs and blocks with varying motifs to the structure on the east side to create a stairway. This explains why many of the cants display reliefs of standing or seated figures, crouched jaguars, heads and geometric and curvilinear geometric shapes.

Temple of the masks.

A large guano palm roof protects the polychrome stucco features that represent the sun god at two important moments for the preHispanic world view: dawn and dusk. The sun god is depicted with a human form and with the ornaments and accessories (ear spools, nose rings, headdresses, etc.) used by pre-Columbian dignitaries. Although framed by light blue bands, the sun god is mainly painted red, which was a sacred colour. The east side of the building displays the god of the sunrise and the west side displays the god of the sunset. These masks have been dated to the early centuries of the Common Era (Early Classic). Masks in general had been common features at numerous Maya sites since the Preclassic, nearly always flanking the stairways of temples and shrines dedicated to K’inich Ahau, the sun god.

Structure 512.

This is situated north-west of the Great Plaza, on the path leading to the Old Sorceress Group. Its architecture is reminiscent of Chichén Itzá, with a lower sloping wall, simple moulding and a low wall around the perimeter. This construction is unusual in that the main facade displays two drum columns and there are two monolithic columns inside. It therefore represents a combination of Puuc architecture and the Terminal Classic architecture that succeeded it. The similarity with Chichén Itzá must not be taken as proof of proliferation or conquest. The distance between the two sites as the bird flies is 210 km, a journey of 12 to 14 days by land. We believe that the similarities are due to the fact that both sites embraced the same new construction ideas that emerged in the Terminal Classic and were manifested in architecture and sculpture. As more sites in the north of the peninsula are excavated, we will surely find more similar ruins from that period, well-known already in eastern Yucatan but poorly represented in the archaeological findings in other regions.

Old sorceress group.

This is situated 800 m west of the Great Plaza. It was built in 300 or 400 BC on a large level piece of land with a surface area of nearly one hectare. Six buildings arranged around a courtyard of approximately 1,500 sq m have been recorded. The two buildings on the east side contained small spaces for rituals. A square altar stands at the centre of the courtyard. On the north and south sides are elongated mounds of rubble as yet unexplored. On the east side we can see a large pyramid platform, standing just over 20 m high; only the lower eastern section has been excavated and restored. Most of the visible buildings in this group were erected in the Peten style. The principal platform has rounded, recessed corners and a central stairway with enormous blocks of limestone. Similar elements can be seen on the stairways of the buildings on the east side.

Resting at the foot of the pyramid platform are large blocks of stone corresponding to the ‘apron’ moulding on the first tier of the construction. One of them was used at the beginning of the 20th century as a table for depositing offerings to a legendary figure. The peasants who passed by on the way to the fields would leave coins and water. On their way home, they would find food in exchange for what they had left. One day an inquisitive young boy decided to hide to see who the mysterious person was. The peasants tried to persuade him not to, but he would not listen. After a long wait, he saw an old woman, but a black dog accompanying her saw him and followed him. The boy ran home, fell seriously ill and confessed his mischief. A few days later he died and the old sorceress stopped trading with the peasants. The legend recalls an ancient Maya legend in which a woman helps people. With certain differences, the tale evokes that of the old woman of Uxmal whose dwarf son, hatched from an egg, came to rule the land. The Popol Vuh also makes reference to an old woman who looked after two twins. In short, the old sorceress and the grandmother personify the ancient moon goddess, who according to the ancient Maya helped human beings in a number of ways, being linked to weaving, predictions, medicine and childbirth. However, wrongful behaviour could cause the moon goddess to bring about floods, drowning and death.

Monuments

Thirty-two stelae or fragments have been recorded at Edzna. The earliest date is AD 652, which has been deciphered on Stela 22 and on the hieroglyphic stairway at the bottom of the west side of the Temple of Five Storeys. The latest date inscription found is AD 869 (Stela 9). Older stelae (from batkun 8) have also been found; these were probably carved in the early centuries of the Common Era but they have yet to be dated. The principal motif represented on the stelae at Edzna is the powerful ruler of the city, with rich garb and a variety of necklaces, bracelets and religious and political symbols. He is nearly always standing and usually has his eyes fixed on a space to observer’s left. His hands are only empty when he is seated on a throne. He usually carries a sceptre, a warrior’s mace (a trefoil element) or a shield. Several stelae graphically depict the victory of the ruler of Edzna standing over one or more captives either with their hands tied or in an uncomfortable position. The epigraphic and iconographic analysis conducted by Carlos Pallan Gayol (INAH) indicates that to date we have the images of at least ten rulers of the ancient Maya city, stretching from AD 633 to 869 (not including the Early Classic rulers). Future research will undoubtedly shed more light on these and other rulers of Edzna, because the ceramic and architectural timelines suggest that there were more high-ranking officials. Other stone monuments found during the excavations include lintels, serpent heads, tablets and altars. The best sculptures and some of the stelae from Edzna are exhibited at the entrance to the archaeological area.

Importance and relations

Edzna was one of the principal capitals in the western peninsula for several centuries, during the beginning of the Common Era and up to just after the 10th century. It was a contemporary of other great settlements in this part of the Maya region, such as Oxkintok, Uxmal, Jaina, Acanmul, Itzimte, Santa Rosa Xtampak, Dzibilnocac and Champoton. As time passed, the trading of products and man-made objects increased. Items made of shell and conch from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean reached Edzna. Obsidian from El Chayal, Guatemala, has also been reported, arriving throughout most of the Classic period. Other obsidian objects and various basalt and andesite objects travelled to Edzna from the Chiapas Highlands, Veracruz, Hidalgo and Michoacan. The jadeite pieces came from the River Motagua valley. Throughout the centuries, the pottery traditions also changed, giving way to vessels produced in the region and the importation of polychrome vessels and plates from Peten, the Campeche coast, Northern Yucatan and Belize.

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp293-299.

Edzna

Great Plaza; 2. Great Acropolis; 3. Temple of the Five Storeys; 4. Solar Platform; 5. North temple; 6. North-west Temple; 7. Puuc Courtyard; 8. House of the Moon; 9. Platform of the Knives; 10. Courtyard of the Ambassadors; 11. Nonoch Na; 12. South temple; 13. Ball Court; 14. Small Acropolis.

Getting there;

From Campeche. Combis leave from Calle Chihuahua, east of the main market. Actually enters the parking of the site. On the return wait for the next combi. It will take you, first, to the end of the line at Bonfil but then returns directly to Campeche, this time missing out the archaeological site. M$45 each way.

GPS:

19d 36′ 10″ N

90d 13′ 53″ W

Entrance;

M$90

More on the Maya

Calakmul – Campeche – Mexico

Posted on 25/06/2023 by Michael

Calakmul

More on the Maya

Calakmul – Campeche

Location

The site lies 155 km from Escarcega. Take Federal Road 261 to Conhuas and then, a few kilometres further on, the turn-off to Calakmul in the south. On this road there is a toll to enter the Biosphere Reserve and another one to enter the archaeological area. The journey from Campeche is approximately 310 km. This major Maya city is situated inside the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. The Calakmul archaeological area was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999. The name is a neologism composed of Yucatec Maya words meaning ‘mounds together’ or ‘mounds adjacent’. The name is a reference to the largest structures on the site, visible from the air or a distance as two great protruberances looming above the surrounding green landscape.

Timeline, site description and monuments

The earliest evidence of the site dates from the Late Preclassic, several centuries before the Common Era. The city reached its peak between the 6th and 8th centuries AD, before gradually losing its political influence and population, which migrated to other places. During the Postclassic, Calakmul was occasionally visited by pilgrims bearing offerings in recognition of its former glory.

Great plaza.

The tour of this site begins at the heart of the ancient metropolis. This plaza is 200 m long (north-south) and 60 m wide, and is delimited by Structures IV (east), II (south), VI (west) and VII (north). Structure V stands inside the plaza. Buildings IV and VI form a single structure used for astronomical observations, especially at the solstices and equinoxes. Building V is surrounded by 12 stelae that record important events in the life of various 7th-century-AD rulers, which suggest that it was used for the ritual celebration of commemorative ceremonies. Building VII measures approximately 40×47 m at its base, has an average height of 25 m and is surmounted by a shrine with three parallel rooms. The excavations uncovered the first tomb and grave goods of one of the Calakmul rulers, Yuknoom Took Kawiil, who was buried around AD 735. His jadeite mosaic mask, with its shell and obsidian eyes, became an emblem of the site.

Structure II.

This is an enormous pyramid platform measuring approximately 140 m around the base and 50 m in height. It contains several sub-structures, having been added to over the course of 10 centuries to become the highest and largest construction on the site. At its base is a group of stelae dating from the AD 702 to 731. These are followed by several buildings and then three stairways, two at the sides and one in the middle. Flanking the latter stairway are the remains of four giant anthropomorphic masks, whose stucco cladding has now been lost. Two thirds of the way up is another tier, on which stands a large room with three entrances. The pyramid continues after this, again with three stairways, culminating in a flat section where a great temple must once have stood. Excavations inside Structure II have dated the earliest construction phase to the Late Preclassic (250 BC-AD 100). It contains a platform 107 m long (north-south), 75 m wide and approximately 8 m high, on which stood several buildings, all of them approximately 5 m high. One of them acted as the entrance to the inner precinct and its frieze still displays a stucco mythical allegory: two supernatural birds with human faces accompany a deity, possibly the rain god, who descends or advances towards the building entrance. The scene is covered and framed by a light blue band at the ends of which we see the head of a crocodile, the Celestial Monster. This representation has iconographical connections with monuments at Izapa, Takalik Abaj and Nakbe. Another later construction hidden inside Structure II revealed the tomb of the ruler known as Fire Claw (Yuknoom Yichaak Kahk), who was wrapped in a shroud, placed on a wooden dais and accompanied by rich grave goods comprising pieces of jade, ceramic, shell, feathers, stucco and jaguar claws.

Structure III.

Situated 50 m north-east of Structure II, this was an elite dwelling with a broad stairway on its west side leading to 12 rooms. It is further enhanced by a platform 36 m long (north-south), 32 m wide and 5 m high. Both its architecture and narrow interior spaces confirm that it was built during the Early Classic, perhaps between AD 370 and 400. Some of the rooms had small windows and holes in the jambstones to hang curtains. The excavations also revealed a rich burial with three jadeite mosaic masks, one for the face and the others for the waist or breast, jadeite necklaces, shells, pearls, a stingray spine and a number of vessels. The remains of a piece of wood covered with stucco were also found.

Structure I

To the south of Structures II and III a path leads to the second-highest pyramid platform at Calakmul, measuring 100 m along each side and 40 m in height. Its main facade faces west and at its base and on several levels there are various stelae, some of which were mutilated in the mid-20th century. Fortunately, at the foot of the structure it is still possible to see three large monolithic altars forming a triangle; these symbolise the Uxte Tuuri (literally, Three Stones) or ‘primordial hearth’, one of the ancient names for Calakmul. At the top of the building is a shrine with a small room. The central stairway also appears to have been flanked by giant stucco masks; two examples were found but have been covered to preserve them.

Ball court.

Situated in the west group at Calakmul, in the section known as the Great Acropolis, is a ball court (Structure XI) of modest proportions and a north-south axis, built around AD 750 with materials recycled from a previous construction, possibly during the reign of Bolon Kawii.

Structure XIII.

This is visible before you get to the Ball Court and is situated to the north of the latter structure. It takes the form of a pyramid platform, 43 m long and just over 8 m high. Its four tiers are fronted by a broad stairway. At the top is a two-storey building corresponding to two different construction periods. The associated stelae and altars indicate that it was built in the 8th century AD. To the west is a gallery with seven entrances formed by pilasters, erected before the platform, which now partly covers it.

Altar of the prisoners.

Just west of the Ball Court, the pre-Hispanic sculptors used an outcrop of limestone to form part of the urban design of the settlement. They gave it a semicircular shape (approximately 5 m in diameter) and carved the images of seven kneeling individuals with their hands tied, no doubt defeated in battle. Nowadays, the scene no longer visible, having been covered up to preserve it. It may have been used in the nearby Ball Court, where two teams competed and the losers were decapitated.

Structure XIV.

This stands east of the Ball Court with its main facade facing west. It contains several rooms from the 8th century AD and clearly marks the difference in height (approximately 3 m) between the east section and this structure, which was the entrance to the Great Acropolis.

Structure XV.

This is situated south of the former structure and is the product of several construction phases in the 7th century AD. The archaeological excavations revealed three funerary chambers. One of them seems to have contained the remains of the wife of Yuknoom Cheen the Great (600-686), also the mother of Fire Claw, who ruled Calakmul between 686 and 695. Her grave goods included numerous jadeite objects, shells and ceramics. The corpse was wrapped in strips of chicle or gum, which explain why it is exceptionally well preserved and also why it so fascinating to us today.

Structure XVI.

This is situated opposite the previous structure, facing west of the latter. The platform measures 100 m long (north-south) and 80 m wide, and behind it is a large courtyard with various rooms. A palatial complex with restricted access, it has only been partly excavated and to date only eight stelae have been associated with it. Some of the dates inscribed on these go back to the end of the 7th century and beginning of the 8th century AD.

Structure XVII.

We are now in the south-east section of the Great Acropolis, in a partly excavated building, approximately 50 m in length with a broad stairway leading to a two-room construction. An associated stela is inscribed with the date AD 790.

Structure XX.

This lies west of the Ball Court and the Altar of the Prisoners. It is approximately 36 m long and almost 4 m high. The excavations have uncovered evidence to suggest that this section of the Great Acropolis has a long history, commencing in the early centuries of the Common Era and with successive modifications virtually until the city was abandoned. The view from the top provides a good idea of the control exercised by the few families who had access to the Great Acropolis.

Structure XIX.

Situated north of the previous structure, this has been excavated and partly restored. It contains several rooms, some of them with benches. The main facade has a broad stairway and faces north, which suggests that it was the main entrance to the Great Acropolis from this side.

Wall.

To the north of Structure XIX a path leads to the remains of an ancient wall, just over 6 m high when viewed from the outside and approximately 2 m thick. There is no evidence to suggest that it was a defensive structure as it does not surround the core of the site. It may well have acted as a boundary for the city’s ceremonial precinct, to control access from the northern sections.

Residential units.

The north-east and north-west sections of the Great Acropolis offer an overview of the housing occupied by the families closest to the rulers. The unit known as the House of the Owner of the Sky (Utsial Caan) has a small open space at the centre, approximately 75×50 m, with an underground tank for rain water (chultun); its only access is via two narrow entrances on the south and west sides (the east side was open to facilitate the flow of people). The space comprises 13 rooms, many of them with benches, arranged around three interior courtyards. The entire complex was surrounded by a wall some 4 m high. A little further to the west is the residential unit known as the House of the 6th Ahau (Wac Ahau Nah), a similar but smaller complex, thus called because of the discovery of a capstone inscribed with the date 6 Ahau. This unit has a 65 sq m courtyard surrounded by eight large rooms and a smaller one, possibly a storeroom, each with its own entrance. The rooms have a surface area of between 10 and 15 sq m, mainly taken up by benches. Their occupants may have obtained water from an open tank or the aguada situated some 300 m from the Great Acropolis.

Chiik Naab acropolis.

This group of buildings lies 150 m north-west of Structure VII. Many of the buildings face the cardinal points, and all of them surround an irregular quadrangle which for a time functioned as a market. The excavations have shown that several of these buildings were actually residences. Another interesting find was a construction that seems to be half-walkway and half-bench. Over 200 m in length, it displayed traces of mural paint in the sections that had been covered by subsequent works. The motifs represented show an aquatic setting: small waves, herons, turtles, snakes, fish and water lilies. There are also large hieroglyphic cartouches inscribed with the toponym Chiik Naab or water lily, a term that appears to refer to the core area of Calakmul. In another building in the eastern section traces of mural paint were detected on a construction that had been carefully covered in ancient times. This is a small three-tier pyramid platform whose walls display various scenes in a naturalistic style, like that of many polychrome plates and vases. Different people are depicted participating in a festivity at which atole is drunk, tamales are eaten and tobacco is smoked. The associated glyphs confirm these activities. There may also be scribes and a bearer with a large cooking pot on his back. Like the vessels depicted in the paintings, the analysis of the associated ceramic materials suggest that they date from the 7th century AD. Outside the core area of Calakmul there are thousands of remains from more modest dwellings, which must have once had stone foundations and walls and roofs of perishable materials. These correspond to the population at large, the people responsible for providing water, food and labour to those of a higher social rank.

Importance and relations

The kingdom of Kaan or the Serpent was one of the most powerful polities in the Classical period. During AD 500 to 800, it eclipsed Tikal, its great rival. Calakmul also boasted two emblem glyphs: one to denote its territorial power, Kaan, symbolised by a serpent’s head, and another to refer to the core area of the city, Chiik Naab, which means something along the lines of ‘place of the water lily’. Like the serpent and its mythical connotations, the water lily (Nymphaea ampla) is a flower typically associated with the Maya world and it had an important symbolic role, evoking the waters that provided access to the underworld. The water lily was often represented in the grave goods or the headdress of high-ranking dignitaries. The importance of Calakmul lies not only in its monumentality and vast surface area (over 30 sq km), but also in the rich history contained in its material remains. It boasts several jadeite mosaic funerary masks, vessels inscribed with hieroglyphic texts and symbolic images and mural paintings, all of which have outstanding aesthetic and cultural merits, as well as enriching our knowledge of the Maya civilisation. Calakmul is the site with the largest number of registered stelae: 117 in the year 2000. Some of them were smooth (25), others mutilated or stolen in the first half of the 20th century, and others with inscriptions and images that have enabled us to reconstruct most of the dynastic history of Calakmul and other places associated with it. Numerous vessels have been found in funerary contexts at Calakmul, as well as a variety of elements that formed part of the attire of the officials interred: jadeite masks, breastplates, ear ornaments and necklaces; pieces of shell and conches, objects made of obsidian, stucco, etc. Most of these materials are now on display in the Archaeology Museum in Campeche City.

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp339-344.

Calakmul

1. Central Plaza; 2. Structure II; 3. Structure III; 4. Structure I; 5. East Group; 6. Great Acropolis; 7. Ball Court; 8. West Group; 9. Acropolis Chiik Naab.

Getting there:

There is basically no way you can get to Calakmul either without your own transport or by taking one of the many versions of an organised tour. There are presently no places to stay any closer than about 60 kilometres (although a very expensive resort is in the process of being constructed – as part of the Tren Maya project).

GPS:

18d 06′ 23″ N

89d 49′ 01″ W

Entrance:

M$270 – the combined cost of entrance to the National Park and entrance to the archaeological site, paid in two parts, the first just off the main road 60 kilometres from the site, the second at the site itself.

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