Palenque

Palenque

Mexico · Chiapas

Ancient cityIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 1987
Approximate period100 BCE — 900 CELate Preclassic and Classic periods See on the map ↓

In brief

Palenque is a Maya city known for its temples, palaces and sculpture. Excavations have also revealed residential, production and burial areas around the ceremonial center.

What was found?

  • 1Pakal's tomb and stone sarcophagus lid

    The tomb inside the Temple of the Inscriptions contains the sarcophagus holding the remains of the ruler Pakal and its stone lid. The tomb documents the burial arrangement of a Maya ruler within a monumental temple.

  • 2Palace complex

    This complex consists of courtyards, passageways, underground corridors, and numerous buildings. Alongside serving as the residence of the ruling elite, it had administrative and ceremonial functions.

  • 3Stone and stucco reliefs

    Reliefs on palace and temple walls depict Maya mythology and ceremonies. Together with writing and calendrical elements, they make it possible to study the history and worldview of the ruling class.

  • 4CP3 burial chamber

    The chamber reported in 2023 contained primary and secondary burials and an offering consisting of plates. According to researchers, some remains may have been placed here when the chamber was reopened.

  • 5Greenstone figures

    Various greenstone figures were found in a niche in the CP3 burial chamber. They document that the tomb contained carefully placed objects as well as human remains.

What does it point to?

At Palenque, governance, dynastic history, and religious narratives come together within the same architectural setting. While the reliefs show how elites presented themselves, the tombs reveal different forms of burial and commemorative practices.

What did it teach us?

  1. Pakal's tomb revealed a ruler's monumental burial arrangement within a temple.
  2. It documented that the palace combined residential, administrative, and ceremonial functions.
  3. According to researchers, the CP3 finds provided evidence of practices such as reopening tombs and moving remains.

Images

PalenqueAc
Ricardo Almendáriz · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
055 Palenque Pakal Maji (29)
Ljuba brank at Slovenian Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Latest news / selected archive

In 2023, the discovery of a burial chamber containing human remains, three plates and greenstone figures within the archaeological site was announced.

Record

Culture
Maya
Team / historical
National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)
Coordinates
17.4833°, -92.0500°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. inah.gob.mx
  3. gob.mx
  4. UNAM — Pakal'ın lahit kapağına ilişkin koruma çalışması
  5. INAH — Palenque Sarayı
  6. INAH — CP3 mezar odasının keşif duyurusu

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