Palenque
Palenque
In the State of Tabasco, Mexico, lies the ruins of Palenque. This classic Maya site lies against the hills that look out toward the plain of the Usamacinto River as it stretches to the Atlantic Ocean. Seen in the picture to the left, the Palace complex with its observatory tower, courtyards and associated buildings, is one of the wonders of the site. Notice that the entire Palace complex is built upon an artificial rise. There are numerous passages, mostly collapsed, that ran under the complex.
These glyphs, molded in limestone stucco, have been removed off the walls and placed in the on-site museum. Largely calendrical, the glyphs record the reign, relations and, to some extent, deeds of the ruling families. Numerous bar and dot numbers, in the Mayan style, can be seen.
In
addition to the spectacular Temple of the Inscriptions
, several small temples adorn the site such as the Temple of the Sun. On
the interior walls are truly wonderful panels of carved limestone. They depict
the rise to power of Chan Bahlum son and successor to Pacal. This occurred in
684 A.D. and the panel was dedicated in 692 A.D. as were the panel in the Temple
of the Inscriptions and those in the Temple of the Cross and the Temple of the
Foliated Cross.
Temple of the Sun, Palenque, Mexico
Return to the Maya Ruins Home Page.
©1996 Ken Goehring