CITY OF KINGS

Palenque, considered by many to be the most moving and enigmatic of the Maya cities, still guards its 1,500-year-old secrets. It is such a beautiful place, and with so much character, that visitors feel irresistibly attracted to it. The architecture in Palenque virtually sings with Baroque elegance; it is not mute, like the traditional—heavier and more rigid—architecture of other Maya ceremonial centers. It is a city built by kings and designed to glorify royalty.

By Shelagh McNally

Without a doubt, Palenque is one of the most famous of the ancient Maya cities, captivating tourists and archaeologists alike. There are many factors contributing to its charm: The verdant, lush greenery of the Chiapas highlands shrouded in mist from the rains; architecture so inventive and delicate, it distinguishes Palenque as one of the most beautiful cities in the Mundo Maya; the fascinating biography of its kings; and the thousands of hieroglyphics telling the history of the place.

    Palenque covers an area measuring 4.5 kilometers from east to west, and 2 kilometers from north to south, and is located 230 meters above sea level in the first of Chiapas' northern mountain ranges. It is nourished by the many river-fed ravines that run between the buildings. The Maya city was discovered in 1773 by a group of soldiers and Spanish missionaries, who arrived after the city had already been abandoned. Founded originally around A.D. 200, it reached its pinnacle between A.D. 600 and 750. The city's decline began between A.D. 850 and 900, along with that of neighboring Tikal, Copan and Bonampak.

    Palenque has a distinctive architectural style unlike any other Maya site. Alfonso Morales, chief archaeologist for the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute at Palenque, believes its position as a border city may have contributed to the uniqueness of its design. As an important trade center close to the Usumacinta River bordering the lowlands of the state of Yucatan (Mexico) and the Peten Valley (Guatemala), Palenque would have been exposed to many outside influences, which it resisted by developing its own style. The characters of its two greatest rulers are also indelibly stamped on Palenque.

    "There is the cult of the personality here at Palenque," states Morales. One cannot visit the city without meeting its two great leaders. Although each had his own personal agenda, Pakal and his son, Chan-Bahlum, were both great rulers gifted with foresight. During their combined rule Palenque flourished as a major power. Their devotion to temple building was not unusual; every Maya king used public monuments as a type of propaganda. Buildings and temples were erected and decorated with carvings that reaffirmed the king's right to the throne, and chronicled his life. What is unique about Pakal and Chan-Bahlum is the length of their rule, the coherence of their vision and the permanence of their legacy. Pakal ascended to the throne in A.D. 615 at the age of twelve and held it for 68 years. He was followed by his son Chan-Bahlum in A.D. 684 who then ruled for another 18 years. Eighty-six years of ruling consistency and stability created a golden age in Palenque, where history and religion were fused with the architecture.

    The excavated zone of Palenque is divided chronologically into three large areas: The North Group, harboring the most ancient buildings; the Central Terrace, where two monumental constructions—the Palace and the Temple of the Inscriptions—stand out; and the Group of the Cross.

    In the North Group are five buildings on platforms, at different levels. This area typifies the structures found at Palenque: A natural hillock was used as the foundation, with tiered artificial terraces and stairways added over the natural escarpment. The most westerly building is the Temple of the Count, named after Count Frederick Waldeck, who resided there for three years in the early 19th century. He was one of the first Western explorers to document Palenque. Close to the North Group is a small, largely unexcavated, ball court dating back to A.D. 250.

THE PALACE

The Palace is the centerpiece of Palenque. It is actually a series of buildings constructed at different times to create a series of rambling courtyards and chambers. Like most of the other buildings, the Palace has a curved roof that was completely stuccoed and made higher with roof combs. With its altars, thrones, benches, air vents, high ceilings and courtyards, the Palace appears to have been quite functional. The dozens of rooms suggest that this was a building that housed the king, nobility, chiefs, priests and other important officials. It would have been a comfortable residence; the use of double-vaulted ceilings, porticoes and doorways gives it a light and airy atmosphere, especially in comparison to the small, dark chambers found at other sites. In the northern and eastern sections the rooms are larger, indicating that they may have been used by the royal family, while smaller apartments at the southern end seem to have been reserved for guests or lesser nobles. The Palace was one of Pakal's first renovation projects as king. He added vaults and carved panels to existing porticoed galleries, created subterranean chambers leading up to the patios and courtyards, added new bas-reliefs to the eastern courtyard and built the additions known as House E, B and C.

    The west side of the Palace has a palatial stairway leading to a porticoed chamber. The pillars between the doorways are decorated in stucco relief showing nobility dressed in ceremonial clothing. While much of the stucco has weathered away, there are still traces of the figures and original colors.

    One of the Palace's most unusual features is the great triple arch leading to the East Court. This court is also exceptional for the beautiful panels in fine low relief located along the stairways. Obviously added at a later date, these panels narrate a scene: On the right are five human figures. The two closest to the stairway have their heads turned upwards, as if in prayer, while the others gaze straight ahead. Six figures appear to be priests or nobility. The figure on the extreme right is nude, and has an expression of profound anxiety. He appears to have been condemned by the others. On the opposite side of the staircase are two oversized figures, more than likely created by Pakal, (they resemble others found at his Temple of the Inscriptions).

    The west gallery is a porticoed chamber now known as Building E. It used to be called Zac Nuc Nah, or the White Big House. On the far wall is the famous Oval Palace Tablet. This beautifully rendered carving shows Pakal's accession to the throne. On the left is his mother, Lady Zac Kuk, seated and holding out the headdress worn by the kings of Palenque. Pakal sits cross-legged on the doubled-headed jaguar throne adorned in ceremonial jewelry. As one of few Maya women to rule Lady Zac Kuk was a rarity. Maya society was a patriarchy and the throne was passed from father to son; when Pakal's mother designated him as the heir to the throne, there was a breach in the tradition, and his political foes claimed he had no right to be king. Pakal spent much of his reign justifying his claim to the throne and the results were the graceful carvings and structures that proliferate in Palenque.

    Another unusual feature of the Palace is the four-story-high tower located in the southwest corner. The narrow staircase starts only at the second level and is quite square. It's thought that Kan Xul, Chan-Bahlum's brother, built the tower, but its purpose is not clear. It may have been used as a lookout or an astronomical observatory. During the winter solstice on December 21, the setting sun lines up from the Palace tower to the center of the Temple of the Inscriptions, where Pakal is buried.

TEMPLE OF THE INSCRIPTIONS

Rising 22.8 meters above the Palace, it is the tallest building at Palenque. This is Pakal's masterpiece, housing his ultimate statement on the dynasty. It is a spectacular achievement of creative engineering: Eight terraces form the base of the pyramid and these are edged with molding. A single, narrow staircase leads up to the top, where five doorways are separated by four pillars decorated in stucco like those of the Palace. From there one enters a large vaulted chamber with three panels containing the second-longest hieroglyphic inscription in the Mundo Maya. Consisting of four lists, it records the dynastic rule of Pakal's lineage for ten generations.

    The pyramid's true secret lay hidden until 1952, when Alberto Ruz raised the flagstone off the interior floor. Buried beneath the rubble was a series of stone steps leading down to the core of the pyramid, which housed a tomb. Along the side of the staircase is a "psychoduct," a hollow tube in the shape of a snake, which was thought to have acted as a conduit to the Underworld. Atop the tomb itself was an intricately carved slab of limestone weighing five tons. Inside lay the body of Pakal, his face and body covered in jade and pearl jewelry . There are thousands of burial sites throughout Palenque. The small and unassuming Temple XIII, attached to the Temple of the Inscriptions, has a royal tomb hidden within its depths; it is believed to be the resting place of Pakal's mother or grandmother.

GROUP OF THE CROSS

With Pakal's death, Chan-Bahlum took the throne. His first responsibility was to finish the Temple of the Inscriptions by renovating the outer pillars with carvings of himself being chosen as the legitimate heir. To allay any doubt, the child is shown with six fingers and toes, a deformity that was attributed to Chan-Bahlum.

    While finishing the Temple of the Inscriptions, Chan-Bahlum also began work on his famous Group of the Cross, located right in front of the Palace. Here he carried on the successful formula created by Pakal, using his temples to glorify his connection to the gods and strengthen his claim to the throne. He too was quite inventive, borrowing Maya religious motifs, especially the potent triangle pattern. The temples are placed to form a triangle: The tallest, the Temple of the Cross, is in the north; the next-tallest, the Temple of the Sun, is in the east; and the shortest, the Temple of the Foliated Cross, is in the west. Each has three doors in the front wall, and its interior is divided into an antechamber with three rear chambers. Each temple has a central chamber displaying the transformation of Chan-Bahlum from an heir to the ruling monarch of Palenque. And each shows Pakal handing a sacred object to Chan-Bahlum, symbolizing his duties as king.

    A smaller building, Temple XIV, located next to the Temple of the Sun, completes the story. This building has only one main panel that shows Chan-Bahlum's mother handing him a Manikin god (identified as God K), while he dances triumphantly out from the Underworld after successfully defeating the Lords of Death.

    Palenque is as much defined by its architecture as by its history . Through the reliefs on the buildings, we recognize the faces and names of those who came before us and know their story. This human connection makes Palenque the most intimate and personal of all the Maya cities.