4th – 7th October, 2023
Yes, more ruins.
And I am not going to apologise. If you don’t like ruins, why are you even here? I have a feeling that those who don’t have either unsubscribed by now or have started skimming whenever my blogs feature pictures such as these.
So, for those of you still here, this place is Palenque, which is located in the Chiapas region and was historically another big player in the Mayan Classical period.
It is mostly known for its Temple of Inscriptions, a site which has been studied extensively due to the hieroglyphic texts found on the tablets on the upper tiers. It is one of the primary sources for Mayan history.
Unfortunately, people are no longer allowed to ascend the pyramid so I was not able to see them myself. I did, however, use my digital camera to zoom in on some of the carvings upon the façade.
The Temple of Inscriptions is also known for being the burial place of K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, who has quite an interesting story. He came to rule as a child king during a time when Palenque was still recovering from being sacked by the rival city of Calakmul. With some initial aid from his esteemed mother – Queen Sak Kʼuk, who served as regent and was a very effective ruler in her own right – he then went on to rein for over seventy years, restoring Palenque to a golden age. The construction of this pyramid began towards the end of his life and was later finished by his son, K’inich Kan B’alam II.
It is also the home to Pakal’s tomb, which was discovered in 1952. Those of you who follow me regularly might remember that I saw a recreation of this when I visited the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
I did not get to see the famous mask that was found within it. I am not quite sure where it is kept. There is an on-site museum at Campeche but it was closed for renovation so perhaps it is there. I can imagine that wherever it is they are taking very particular care of it as it is quite a special archaeological find. Here is a picture of it that I found online.
Jade was a sacred stone to the Mayans. It is bluish-green colour means that it can be associated with many natural things – such as water and trees – and those who wore it were believed to be connecting to all three levels of the Mayan cosmos; the sky, earth and underworld. It is quite common for rulers to be buried wearing such a mask to help them transcend.
When I reached my next destination – Campeche – a couple of days later, I was lucky enough to see a jade mask within its Museum of Mayan Architecture. This is one for a king whose name we do not know but he was from Calakmul, the rival city that sacked Palenque shortly before Palak was born.
Along with the mask, this person was buried with an entire ensemble of necklaces, bracelets, and other jewellery, mostly made from jade.
I enjoyed Campeche and ended up staying there for a few days (despite its horrendous population of mosquitos that had no sense of boundaries). It is a colonial city which has been awarded UNESCO heritage status, surrounded by walls and several forts across its breadth that helped to protect it from pirates.
These days Campeche is a laid-back place which receives just enough visitors to have a selection of hostels, museums, cafes and gift shops, but not inundated enough to feel overwrought. Tourism is a sideline here, not the main source of economy, so this place still has all the feel of an authentic and ‘real’ Mexican city.
Another good thing about Campeche is that it is close enough to Edzna – another archaeological site – for it to be an easy day trip away. This was the first thing that I did when I arrived (are any of you surprised?).
Edzna is not very well known but I think it deserves more attention. I didn’t mind having it mostly to myself, though.
Edzna was not the biggest player in the Mayan world – it spent most of the Classical age as a vassal to Calakmul. What makes it interesting, however, is that it managed to outlast many of the titans of the Mayan world, enduring way beyond the Classical age – when many Mayan cities were abandoned – and into the fourteenth century.
What makes this place stick out for me – as a visitor – is how open it all is. The people who dwelt here must have been a very close-knit community because almost all parts of it are visible to each other. The Nohoch – a 135-meter-long structure stretched across the main plaza – had four rooms within its upper tiers that are believed to have functioned as administrative centres and storage, while its nine meters of steps across its entire breadth likely served as seating during events.
From the Nohoch, one can see a clear view of the Acropolis, which served as the religious centre.
Its main temple is among the most impressive buildings I have seen from the Mayan world. Some inscriptions at its base indicate its construction began in the seventh century, but archaeologists have dated some of the upper layers to the fourteenth century. The fact that this city was still adding to their monuments way after many of the other Mayan cities had dwindled is very impressive.
Unfortunately, people are no longer allowed to climb this pyramid, but within all of those openings you can see exist twenty-seven different chambers that have been excavated.
One last thing I want to mention about this site is that in one of the plazas on the outskirts are the foundations of a temple with two stucco carvings still preserved in their original colours. They represent the sun god – Kinich Ahau – in both his rising and setting stages of the day. I love it when you find things such as these as they give you a glimpse of what a place might have looked like during its zenith.
For my final day in Campeche, I went for a wander around the historic centre. Most of the fortresses have been converted into museums that are free to enter. I also enjoyed the Palace Museum which had displays not only concerning the city’s history but also about boats and piracy.
Click on the following links to see more photos from my time in Palenque and Campeche.
Tej Turner 