MAYA
RUINS
OF MEXICO
C H I A P A S
The Maya ruins located in Chiapas are generally very difficult to
visit, with the exception of Palenque. Bonampak, Yakchilán and Chinkultic are far from
the beaten path and Izapa is in the corner of the state a good trek from the others.
|
Bonampak
| Chinkultic |
Izapa |
| Palenque |
Yaxchilán |
Tonina |
Alhambra BeachFront Hotel Playa del Carmen
Q. Roo, México
BONAMPAK -
Bonampak is reachable by vehicle from Palenque. The
trip is about 100 kilometers of sometimes very slow and arduous driving. Bonampak was a
very large city from the Classic period and is famous for its brilliant murals depicting
8th century Maya court life, ritual and battle. The murals were preserved for centuries by
a coating of calcite washed down from the ceilings. Sacrificial victims are prominent in
some of the murals. Computer-assisted reproductions are on display in museums in Mexico
City and Villahermosa. Other features include its remote location, jungle vegetation, and
abundant wildlife.
The settlement, which reached its peak development in the Late Classic,
between 600 and 800 A.D., is of moderate proportions when compared with great Maya centers
such as Palenque and Yaxchilán. In fact, Bonampak may have depended politically and
culturally on Yaxchilán. The ruins consist of three large architectural groups. On the
Great Plaza and the stairway which leads to the acropolis, are several stelae inscribed
with long-count dates between 782 and 791 A. D. The acropolis is famous for its three
rooms, which contain the mural paintings. These paintings are the best preserved and most
important ones we have from the Maya Classic. Some experts believe that the murals tell
one story of a battle, through its aftermath, and to the celebration of the victory.
Chiapas
Hotels in
Chiapas click Here!
CHINKULTIC - Chinkultic is located about 100 kilometers from
the town of San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas near the border with Guatemala. The site
is on the edge of a large lake called Lagunas de Montebello. Chinkultic contains around
200 mounds grouped into six clusters, which include a ball court. One Temple called El
Mirador, has been partially explored and restored. The site was occupied from the late
pre-Classic period until the post-Classic, although it must have reached its peak in the
late Classic. Stelae found here have dates going from the years 591 to 897 A.D. The best
known relic in Chinkultic is a ball court marker. This unit is circular in form and has as
its central motif a player who is seen striking a large ball. It has a date equivalent to
the Christian year of 591 A.D.
Chiapas
IZAPA - Izapa is located on the Guatemala - Chiapas border just
south of the Volcano Tacana near the city of Tapachula. Izapa is also very close to the
Pacific Ocean. The location of this city had large consequences for the inhabitants since
it was far removed from the rest of the empire. Its closest Maya neighbor was far away
which in those days was a journey that could only be taken by foot, since the Maya did not
use the wheel or beasts of burden for transport. The city is very old in terms of the
civilization and flourished from around 300 B.C. to 50 A.D. While the city was far removed
from the "empire" it still was very Maya in architecture and contained temples,
large stairways and monuments containing hieroglyphics of calendars. The site is large
(nearly .5 square mile).
Chiapas
PALENQUE - Palenque sits proudly in Palenque National Park in
the state of Chiapas and is easiest reached from Villahermosa, Tabasco which is about 120
kilometers away. The modern town of Palenque has many travel options to get to the ruins,
and a full range of accommodations. Palenque is considered a major site and compares with
Tikal, Copán and Chichen Itzá. Its development peaked in the late Classic period,
between 600 and 800 A.D., although its beginnings date to as early as 200 A.D. and was a
viable city until some time around 900 A.D.
The region around Palenque is a dense rain forest. The site covers 15
square miles, however, the actual total size and extension of the city is still unknown.
The only area explored to date is one fourth of the overall settlement. Here, the majority
of the larger structures were built to make full use of the features of the ground.
Palenque features many decorative motifs not found anywhere else. Some of these motifs
seem almost to be from the Far East, giving rise to speculation about a Maya - Asia
connection. To my knowledge, however, there is no real evidence to support the
speculation. The studies of hieroglyphics and ceramics indicate that Palenque was a trade
center at the end of the classic period and was closely aligned with the cities along the
Usumacinta River which are Bonampak and Yaxchilan.
The Palace Complex is certainly one of the most striking buildings at
Palenque and dominates the central area of reconstructions. The palace contains a myriad
of courtyards and structures with some of the finest inscriptions ever carved by the Maya.
The Temple of Inscriptions, the most famous of Palenque's structures, gets
its name from three large panels with hieroglyphic inscriptions located on the temple atop
this nine tier, staired base. It is a very interesting temple and besides being the
tallest, it also housed the crypt of Pac Kal. For some, this is the most important Maya
tomb yet found. The chamber walls have stuccoed portrayals of nine richly attired
personages, who may be the nine lords of the night. There is also a stone sarcophagus
covered by an engraved tablet. The crypt housed many fine objects. The most famous piece,
a jade mosaic death mask. The structure is replete with fine stucco relief's and contains
subterranean passages much like those found recently at Ek Balam in the Yucatan.
The Temple of the Sun was built sometime between 642 and 690 A.D. It has
one of the best-preserved roof combs of any Maya site. The roof comb had no structural
function. It was all show and has been said to be analogous to a headdress worn by a king.
Airy and comparatively delicate, the roof combs generally haven't survived the years of
abandonment and jungle growth as well as the stronger pyramids. In their time, the roof
combs were colorfully painted, and still serve as an inspiration for much contemporary
Mexican art and architecture. This Temple's roof is decorated with the beautiful stucco
figures.
The Temple of the Jaguar is perhaps the most intriguing example of
similarities to Asiatic art. There is a Foliated Cross that resembles one found at Angkor
Wat in Cambodia, and some of the bas-reliefs are very similar to those used in Hindu art.
Unlike most Maya cities that depended on cenotes, wells or man made
cisterns called chultun. Palenque is near the Otulum River, and water actually crosses the
site. There is evidence of a water aqueduct directly from the river to the city.
Archaeological Sites of Mexico
Hotels in
Chiapas click Here!
YAXCHILAN -
Means "green stones" in Mayan. The ruins
lie on the left bank of the Usumacinta River just a little north and east of the ruins of
Bonampak. This is a very difficult site to reach. The best way (or only way) is via the
Usumacinta River from Guatemala. Launches can be hired at Sayaxché on the Pasíon River.
The ruins have not been restored due to the location and even the major monuments are
mostly covered in trees. There are many amazing carvings to see, plus the chance to get a
feel of what a major Maya archeological site was like before restoration. The stone
carvings are in incredible shape and are some of the finest in the entire Maya World.
These richly carved lintels were made of limestone while Tikal's were of hard sapodilla
wood.
Kinbé
Hotel, Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Yaxchilán was a large city in ancient times rivaling the magnificence of
Palenque and Chichen Itzá. The building groups lie along slender esplanades set into the
bank of the river. It seems to be influenced by Palenque more than the Peten region of
Guatemala. The roof-combs of the buildings are wider and higher than those of Palenque.
The core area of the site is the Grand Plaza. It is composed of two major groups named the
Grand Acropolis and the Small Acropolis. As with other groups at the site, these two were
built making use of and modifying the lay of the land. There are 120 structures which make
up the core area, around 30 have been partially restored.
Yaxchilán served as an important Classic Maya regional capital rivaling,
if not surpassing, Piedras Negras in its architectural grandeur and size. Yaxchilán,
although mostly unrestored remains in better condition than Piedras Negras probably due to
the use of stone lentils and a higher quality of engineering.
Chiapas
TONINA-
Toniná is a site constructed on a huge mountain that
offers a great view of the four corners of the world. The ruins are located outside of the
town of Ocosingo, Chiapas about 70 kilometers from Palenque. While the site is not one of
the big attractions (probably because it is so close to Palanque) it certainly is worth
seeing. Toniná is cut into the base of the mountain and uses boulders as construction
material. It resembles a mountain fortress in some respects, and has some resemblance to
Copán and Quiriguá. The ability to climb stairs is needed at these ruins.
The site was inhabited throughout the Classic, and was at its height
between 600 and 909 A.D. At the base of the acropolis there is a large plaza, ball court
and several temples, altars, and stelae. The acropolis itself consists of seven platforms
interconnected by stairways and passages. Archeologists have uncovered a wall sculpture
that had been buried by the collapsed ruins from above centuries ago, and is in pristine
condition. As the restoration continues the site is sure to reveal more and more of her
secrets. All in all Toniná is worth the hike.
Archaeological Sites of Mexico
Hotels in
Chiapas click Here!
A novel of the Maya
|