Architectural Site of Palenque

Palenque is the most important Maya architectural site in Mexico, surpassing even Chichen-itza in its grandeur. Discovered by the Spaniards in the late eighteenth century, Palenque has amazed archaeologists for generations. Palenque's main attraction for archaeologists lies in its many variations from the Maya norm. The Mayas who constructed the Palenque compound utilized new forms of architecture, unveiled new kinds of art-forms, and left behind perhaps the finest sarcophagus in all the Americas. Because of the sheer number and scope of the revelations that Palenque has provided on the Maya who built it, the site stands as arguably the most important Maya architectural site. Regardless of its standing among its peers, Palenque remains unique because of the hauntingly beautiful nature of the site's plan and scope.

Palenque may be the most beautiful and evocative of all Maya ruins. The site lies on a narrow shelf of land abutting the forested escarpment of the Chiapas highlands. Below Palenque, the lush coastal plain of Tabasco extends all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Set upon this scenic vista lies the true beauty of Palenque its unequaled architecture. The Maya architects that constructed Palenque revolutionized the methods utilized in the construction of the day. The Maya architects made the upper facades of the temples in Palenque slope backward at the same angle as the slant of the corbelled walls inside. The result of this innovation was to give the build

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eless self-aggrandizer, he did make a significant contribution the world's knowledge of Palenque. Over a hundred years later, Palenque was the site of the most spectacular discovery in Maya archaeology. In the Spring of 1949, Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz was assigned by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History to restore some of the Palenque ruins. During the course of his exploration of the site, Ruz noticed that the floor in the rear chamber of the Temple of Inscriptions was not stucco, like most Maya floors, but rather constructed of carefully fitted flagstones. One of the flagstones towards the rear of the room had a double row of plugged perforations. Using these clues, Ruz decided that there must be something beneath the chamber (Stuart 74). After careful excavation, Ruz discovered a secret staircase that led below into the heart of the massive pyramid. It took three years of laborious excavation to follow the staircase to its final destination: a secret chapel, which was almost filled with a great slab atop an altar, decorated with red hieroglyphs. The slab was twelve feet by seven feet, and depicted a man reclining on the glaring face of an earth monster. Once Ruz removed the slab, he made

Category: Arts - A