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| Maya creation mith in architecture |
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Nestled against the Eastern Chiapas mountain range, engulfed by lush, deep rain forest Palenque, once a large city, has held its secrets for over twelve hundred years. Flourishing in the late seventh century Palenque owns its grandeur to its two great rulers: Pakal, who built the Pyramid of the Inscriptions, and Pakal's eldest son, responsible for the construction of the Group of the Cross.
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As soon as you enter the site you find yourself in the large grassy esplanade of the Great Plaza. Standing in the proximity of the tomb of Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in front of you (South) on a large platform rise a group of three pyramids: the Temple of the Inscriptions (Templo de las Inscripciones), the Temple of the Red Queen (Templo de la Tumba de la Reina Roja) and the Temple of the Skull (Templo de la Calavera). It is possible to visit the tomb chamber inside the Temple of the Red Queen and to climb the temple of the Skull.
The Temple of the Inscriptions (not visitable) has kept hidden for centuries the tomb of Pakal, who died in A.D. 683, with the sarcophagus cover carved with the famous bas-relief which shows Pakal at the instant of death falling into the jaws of the underworld monster.
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Palenque
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Built on a large platform accessed by stairways on each side, the Palace is a group of buildings arranged around the famous tower, symbol of the site restored in recent times. The West stairway leads to the porticoed House D with remains of stucco relief on the piers between the doorways showing nobility in ceremonial clothing. On the opposite side the eastern stairways leads to the House A also with some stucco portraits on the piers. At the bottom of the North stairway there are stucco sculptures of a ruler flanked by a two-headed serpent with God K (K’awil) emerging from the open jaws. We climbed into the Palace Complex from the northern stairway up to House AD.
The northeastern courtyard is called the Patio of the Captives (Patio de los Cautivos) with the House C to the West and House A to the East. At the base of House C six figures are shown in ‘hand to shoulder’ position: a sign of submission, each figure is captioned with glyphs. Glyphs are also carved on the upper steps of the stairs of House C. At the base of House B there are two other groups of large stone figures that appear to be priests or nobility.
On the inner wall of the west corridor of House C, the remains of nine large stucco masks probably representing deities while on the eastern piers are few remains of stucco portraits. On the eastern corridor of House A there are stucco medallions that probably used to frame deities images. Of the House AD, that used to connect along the northern side House A and House D, today it remains only a portion of pier with traces of stucco image of headdress plumage.
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Nearby the Palace the Otolum, the stream that runs through the site, becomes an artificial channel which continues for 125 meters until it disappears into an underground aqueduct. Crossing the Otolum over a wooden footbridge you reach the Cross Group.
The Cross Group (684-702 a.D.) consists of three temple pyramids around a grassy courtyard: the Temple of the Cross (Templo de la Cruz) (North) is the tallest of the group, the Temple of the Sun (Templo del Sol) (West) the best preserved is built on a much lower pyramid, finally the Temple of the Foliated Cross (Templo de la Cruz Foliada) (East) accessed by a winding slippery stairway is built against the hillside. Commissioned by Kan Balam (son of Pakal the Great) to record his accession and his regal genealogy, all the three temples are of pyramid-mountain type, representations of the Witz monster (the mountain abode of gods) and capped with high roof combs originally covered by colored stucco.
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Palenque
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The tablets of the Cross Group
Inside each temple there are the reproductions of the tablets (the originals are in Mexico City) with various low reliefs and inscriptions that narrate the accession of the king as well as related ceremonies like heir designation and bloodletting rituals. Interesting is the central tablet of the Temples of the Cross and of the Foliated Cross, showing the ‘Maize World Tree’, the axis mundi rising from the underworld with the 'Celestial Bird' on the top. The lateral tablet of the temple of the Cross shows God L smoking tobacco. The central panel on the Temple of the Sun depicts the Jaguar, night manifestation of the God of the Underworld. The various inscriptions record the genealogy of Palenque kings up to the birth of the First Mother, the event that marks the beginning of the current era: the 13th baktun (3121 B.C.).
Inside Temple XIV the panel is depicting the kneeling figure of the king's mother offering a K'awil manikin (God K) to the king, an event correlated with the time when Jupiter departed from its second stationary point.
Temple XV is almost in complete ruin, some incense burners, now on display in the site museum, were found here.
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From the El Palacio crossing the grassy ball court (juego de pelota) you reach the North Group (Grupo Norte) five temple of different heights arranged on a platform with a stucco relief at its base. To the West the Temple of the Count (Templo del Conde) (AD 647) with the typical pyramid-mountain layout and nearby a ruined platform marked on maps as Temple X, the top of this small platform is reached by climbing a broad stairway made of large stone blocks.
Following the main path you cross the Arroyo Otolum with a bridge down to the Murcielagos Group and finally to the museum. The path goes alongside the stream, which tumbles down with a series of small waterfalls, continues to the Grupo de Los Murciélagos (Bat Group), and then crosses the Puente de los Murciélagos. Across the footbridge the main path continues to the asphalted road, with the museum at a short distance to the right.
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In the very interesting and well maintained Palenque museum are collected findings from Palenque escavation campaigns.
A magnificent painted stucco panel form temple XIX of king "Shield of the Sun God" with some unique glyphs showing a bird (probably a heron) with a fish in its beak.
The Platform from Temple XIX. The West face shows three seated figures holding incense bags. The South face shows seven seated figures, the central one is King K'inich Ahkal Mo' Nahb' III.
The Warrior Panel (Temple XVII) with the scene of a warrior and a captive.
Various stucco glyphs from Temple XVIII, mostly undeciphered because the original reading order is unknown.
Tablet from Temple XIX: Palenque ruler K'inich Ahkal Mo' Nahb' III with a vassal offering cumbersome ceremonial regalia.
Tablet from Temple XXI with an elaborate scene and numerous hieroglyphs, among the various figure K'inich Ahkal Mo' Nahb' III.
Incense burners (incensarios) collected from the site of the Temple of the Cross. Incensarios are decorated with fantastic heads of gods and mysterious masks used to burn aromatic resins during rituals. The group of the Crosses were the scene of intense ceremonial life, a context in which incense burners were of particular importance.
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