PALENQUE

Palenque is situated in the highland rainforest near the Mexican/Guatemalan border. With a lush canopy of trees rising 200 feet above your head you are immediately struck by the awesome power of the forest´s ability to enchant you, as it must have enchanted the original builders of Palenque. This site dates from the Classic period, peaking at 600 to 700 A.D. It was a place of ceremony and wielded much political power in some surprising ways. The site itself rests on grassy grounds that are beautifully kept, as they must have been when the ancient city of Palenque flourished.

People lived in this area as early as 300 BC, leaving behind pottery as evidence. But it was in the Mayan Classic Period (300-900 AD) that Palenque became an important ceremonial center. It peaked around 600 to 700 AD, when most of the temples of Palenque were built by King Pakal and his son Chan-Bahlum.

Known to the Mayans as Lakam Ha, "Big Water," Palenque was built in a supremely dramatic location, surrounded by mountains, rushing waterfalls, and dense forest. Unlike most other Mayan cities, Palenque enjoyed an abundance of water, which was controlled by means of an elaborate aqueduct system.

After years of rumors of a lost city in the jungle, the ruins were first visited in 1773 by the brother of the canon of the cathedral in San Cristobal de las Casas. In 1786, the Spanish monarchy ordered that the site be thoroughly searched for gold and treasures. This was done with the help of locals with pickaxes, and resulted in significant damage to the Palace.

When John Stephens first visited the site in the 1840s, the ruins were mostly still buried under centuries of accumulated earth and a thick canopy of jungle.

The main temples have been cleared, but the dense jungle still surrounds the site and covers unexcavated temples, which can be easily spotted beneath the foliage. It is estimated that less than 35.
Palenque is known for having begun what has been termed the ¨Cult of Personality¨ for its glorification of specific rulers that is unique in the ancient Mayan world. It has been asserted by many people that study the history of Palenque that many of the friezes and much of the writing indicates the rulers were involved in a propaganda campaign. This may have been due to the fact that Pacal, a famous king of Palenque, had a somewhat tenuous right to the throne. The story of his coming to kingship shows that he would never have ascended the throne without the help of two famous women in the royal family who played a unique role in Mayan history.
The Oval Palace Tablet which was found in the Governor's Palace shows Pacal taking the jaguar throne. As his mother hands him the crown the destiny of the Maya of this rainforest region is forever changed. Thus Pacal ascended the throne under his mother´s authority and began his reign by commissioning friezes and works that appear to be rewriting history, and even changing Mayan mythology in order to usher in his unorthodox ascension to the throne.

Pacal must have had savvy and wisdom as well as military prowess, for his reign as a king is one of the longest in world history. The Tomb of Pacal (the first sarcophagus discovered in the Mayan world), located deep withn the Temple of Inscriptions, contains one of the most intricate, massive and famous pieces of art left for us by the ancient Maya, There are many major temples and pyramids to explore. Numerous wonderful examples of Maya art and history are carved into the buildings facades, some of them the most famous of all depictions from the ancient Mayan world. In some places you will see the color coats of ancient times in their rich arrays of blues and reds.

Palenque raises many questions as to the origin of the symbology there. With symbols and friezes such as these, the concept of influences from the Far East seems plausible.Palenque also has an impressive museum. The collection of sculptured art, busts, jade jewelry, and other relics of the Maya give us a look into their ancient world. The amazingly well-preserved and intricately decorated clay incense burners alone are well worth the visit.

The impressive pyramid on the right of the site entrance is the Temple of the Inscriptions, named for the hieroglyphics found inside. These hieroglyphic panels described the family tree of King Pakal, and are now in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

In 1952, the tomb of King Pakal was discovered deep within the temple. The crypt is unfortunately closed to the public, and much of the tomb has also been moved to Mexico City.

The crypt was accessed by a descending stone staircase, the entrance of which had been carefully hidden by the builders. The Temple of the Inscriptions seems to be the only temple in Mexico built specifically as a tomb. The archaeologist who made the important discovery, Alberto Ruz Lhuller, is buried opposite the temple.

To the right of the Temple of the Inscriptions is Temple 13, in which archaeologists recently discovered the richly supplied burial of another important person, accompanied by an adult female and an adolescent. Some of the artifacts found here are displayed in the site museum.

From here, the main pathway leads next to the impressive Palace, which has a unique tower that almost looks Chinese. Along the east edge of Palace is the most visible of the many aqueduct channels that run throughout the site. It is elaborately vaulted and 2.5 meters in height.

A pathway between the Palace and the Temple of the Inscriptions leads to another important group of monuments: the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Foliated Cross, the Temple of the Cross, and Temple 14.

This group of temples, now in various stages of reconstruction, was built by Pakal's son, Chan-Bahlum, who is usually depicted with six toes. Chan-Bahlum's plaster mask was found in Temple 14 next to the Temple of the Sun, and archaeologists are hoping to find his tomb in the Temple of the Sun.

Left from the Palace is the North Group, also undergoing reconstruction. This includes a Ball Court, the Temple of the Count, and several tombs that were full of offerings. Inscriptions found in this group give the lineages of at least 12 k

MITLA

Mitla was the second most important ceremonial center after Monte Alban. The name Mitla or Mictlan is of Nahuatl origin and means "Place of the Dead" or "Inframundo". In Zapotec it is called "Lyobaa", which means "Burial Place", and in Mexico it became known as Mictlan, "Place of the Dead" which is shortened in Spanish to Mitla.

The archaeological site and town itself are Zapotec. Mitla was inhabited in the Classic Period (100-650 DC), with its greatest growth and height in the Post Classic period (750-1521 DC).

The most characteristic architecture in Mitla is the group of the columns, where we find the Great House of Pezelao, generally considered to be the most beautiful archaeological site in the Americas.

The group contains two squares. The northern one is bordered by platforms on all four side. The main building is in the northern part. In the central patio there are vestiges of an altar. Its is made of talud, formed by two bands raised over the base, the panel and the cornice.
The great Hall of Columns is rectangular. You pass through this hallway to enter the main palace which is behind a narrow door. Leaving this passageway we find the decorated patio, which provides access to each of the four salons. Each is decorated by three panels with ornate mosaics of carved stone which forms different geometric designs in each band.

The panels contain thousands of polished stones, which are cut to fit without mortar. The most beautiful tombs are located in the northern and eastern buildings, where the Zapotec priests and kings were buried. In the first, in front of the stairs, is the entrance to a cruciform tomb, with antechamber. The ceiling has large single stone dinteles and the walls are decorated with ornate mosaic panels. The eastern is characterized by a monolithic stone column that supports the ceiling.

MONTE ALBAN

Monte Alban was the ancient capital of the Zapotecs and one of the first cities in Mesoamerica. During it's epoch, it was one of the most populated. It was founded approximately 500 years BC and flourished until 750 AD. Located in the central valley of Oaxaca, Monte Alban exercised political, economic, and ideological control over the other communities and surrounding mountains. Its principal constructions include the Great Plaza, the Ball Court, System II, The Danzantes (Dancers), Building J, Central Building G.H., the Palace, the southern platform, System 7 Deer and Tomb Number 7 of the Great Plaza.

The Ball Court is located to the left of the entrance to the Great Plaza, and has the defining characteristics of ball courts in this region. This court is marked by two structures at the sides of the rectangular base, with slanting walls. A sculpture representing a grasshopper covers most of the western side. The platform located on the western side contains a stair case flanked by two alfardas that end in talud, with two stelae in the largest part; there are two small niches contained there.
Monte Alban went through three more stages which all show evidence of a different culture. This means that through these stages different population sources entered the city leaving archeological evidence through their drawings and different engineering practices used in their buildings. Monte Alban's last occupants, the Zapotec were forced out, probably due to the aggressions of the Aztec. The city was no longer a force in political or social progression. It was then abandoned, but remained a religious and burial site until A.D. 1521.Illustrations of warfare can be illustrated by the Danzantes (dancers) which were carved into large stones. These figures symbolized slain enemy rulers and leaders who had been captured and mutilated by the citizens of Monte Alban. This ceremony was enacted to provide an offering to the gods so their crops would be plentiful.

During the Post Classic Period, about 2500-5500 people occupied this region. Most of the inhabitants did not live near the top of the hill, choosing instead to live closer to the base, but still inside of the protective barrier surrounding the city. The city was famous for its military strength, which supported itself economically, but soon agriculture bloomed and enveloped the community. This rise in agriculture led to a rise in population and may have been a reason for the decline of this massive powerhouse. Resources became scarce and peoples were forced to move on in order to survive. Another possible reason for its decline may have been corrupt administrators who destroyed the economic system causing dispersal of much of the population.

Monte Alban is famous for its attempt at basic calendars. The first was based on the agricultural season and the second based on the solar year. Both calendars had names for the months and days of their respective years and together they produced a time period of 52 years, the basic Mesoamerican cycle.