The Mayan ruins at Palanque are fantastic, set in a national park surrounded by jungle. The site, a world heritage site, dates back to the fourth century AD, growing from a small village to one of the most important cities in the prehispanic world. Palanque is better preserved has been excavated to a greater degree than Tikal, allowing you to get a better understanding of the scale and use of the site. The architecture is said to have been created to house sculptures, art and text. In the centre of the site is the palace, a huge warren of buildings with towers rising above, there is even a mayan public toilet.
The site is amazing to wander around, the archaeologists estimate that only 10% of the city has been explored, leaving thousands of structures still covered by the surrounding jungle.
the public toilet
Boy, Joe, you are not missing anything and you are obviously doing your research. We did not go to Palenque, but we did Uxmal in the Yucatán, also very well preserved and impressive, but not real large. I am looking forward to your journey as you progress through Mexico. The city of San Cristobal in Chiapas is a very interesting indigenous town.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Rob