Palenque: The Key to Mayan History

A UNESCO Heritage site, Palenque is probably the most famous archeological site in Mexico, second only to Tenochtitlan, and certainly one of the most beautiful. As the grass covers the top of the different buildings’ platforms, it has the perfect blend between the jungle’s green and the stone slabs’ gray. It’s a design choice that certainly feels deliberate by the original city planners.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg—or the point of the pyramid. Ever since its discovery, Palenque has been studied extensively. That’s because the hieroglyphs around the structures are not only mythological but historical, too. They are an invaluable document to fill in some blanks in the Mayan timeline.

Palenque is a well of historical records

Though it’s difficult to choose which of Palenque’s structures is the most important, the Temple of Inscriptions has to be one of the top contenders by its historical value alone. The inscriptions found here document 180 years of the city’s history, including agreements with allies and conflicts with enemies. It’s like finding an ancient comic book.

Oh, and there’s also the coffin. Wait, what? That’s right. This is not just a pictorial history book, but a tomb as well. This is the final resting place of Pakal, one of Palenque’s most important rulers, and whose son ordered the construction of this temple. The stone slab covering his tomb is intricately decorated. Sadly, this part of the tour is now inaccessible.

The trip is half the fun

There are countless other structures to see, but, as they say, the trip is half the fun. The tourist paths here wind and turn across the jungle, and admiring the vegetation is part of the experience. As you walk along, sometimes you’ll stumble upon other structures, like temples and plazas, you didn’t know were there. This gives you a taste of what the original explorers experienced when they discovered this amazing place for the first time.

Palenque’s other facilities

Unlike other archeological sites, in which you have to rely on just your headgear to protect you from the sun, Palenque has whole areas dedicated to shade, and places to rest. And, if your interest is still not satisfied, there’s a whole museum here, too. Hungry? It has a cafeteria to get something to eat—there’s even a gift shop.