Palenque is an archeological site that was part of the Maya civilization that raised around the year 100 B.C. and fell around 800 A.C. It is located on the western edge of the Maya empire near the border of the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The hundreds of buildings left behind are very well preserved and maintained by local people as well as experts and anthropologists. Currently, it is one of the most popular Mayan ancient sites for tourists from around the world.
The ruins can be found throughout a thick forest of mahogany, cedar and sapodilla trees, which in turn has kept the ruins hidden for many years until it was discovered by the Spaniards in the late XVIII century. In early morning hours the ruins are often covered in a blanket of fog. The fog, combined with the sun and trees produces one of the most aesthetically grand ruins ever visited. The site of Palenque stays at an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit and remains humid with an average precipitation of 85 inches of rain per year.
The Ancient Maya people that lived in Palenque had a refined system of writing. They had an extensive written language which was both phonetic and ideographic. Maya words were written in hieroglyphs with each picture having its own meaning. Unlike other ancient central American civilizations, the Maya could write in words, sentences, and even stories. Arranging several pictures together in a logical form would create a story. The Maya covered their cities and buildings with hieroglyphs carved into stone. Most of the Maya could read some hieroglyphs, but the priests and nobles were the only people who actually had knowledge of the entire language. They would use quills made of turkey feathers to write in books made of soft bark taken from a type of fig tree.
Religion was the center of the Maya life. The Maya believed that there were two levels of the world, the first level was the physical world and the second was the spiritual world consisting of dead ancestors, gods, and other supernatural creatures. They had a profound understanding of astronomy, engineering, and mathematics. The Maya priests studied their measurement of time that consisted of a calendar with 18 months, each containing 20 days, plus 5 unlucky days that made up the Maya year. They also had a religious calendar that had 260 days to which they gave a name and a number.
It is well known that the Maya enjoyed chocolate and they consumed it in many forms from a frothy drink to a pulpy mush. The Maya referred to chocolate as "The Drink of the Gods". They had other food such as cornmeal, black beans, roasted meat, rabbit stew, turkey and other meats. Many people also chewed the leaves of the sapodilla tree as a gum-like substance.
The culture of the Maya was rich in the arts including dance, music, and brightly colored clothing. They had more than 5,000 dances and they loved music. Dancing was a huge part of religious ceremonies where musicians played wooden flutes and trumpets made of wood, seashells, or clay, and drums made from turtle shells. For clothing, the men would have worn a loincloth and the women would wear loose sack-like dresses. The cloths of the nobles and priests were made of finer materials and had many shells and beads on them.
Although the sight of Palenque originated at about 100 BC, it did not become a major population with importance in the Maya culture until 600 AD. At this time their greatest ruler, Pacal, assumed power. Pacal took power in 603 AD and ruled for 68 years. During his rule, he emphasized the construction grand buildings to reflect his power. One of his great structures was the Palace. The Palace was made with mansard-type roofs and the walls were covered with priceless stucco carvings of rulers, gods, and ceremonies that have taken place.
Another structure Pacal had built would end up being his eternal resting place, the Pyramid of Inscriptions. In this Pyramid he was buried at the age of 80 year old upon the end of his 68-year reign. The importance of this burial site is that it is the most extraordinary feature of Palenque with a tomb that held the sarcophagus of Pacal, an unusually tall ruler. Within this sarcophagus was the richest offering of jade ever seen in a Maya tomb. Placed over his face, a mask fitted with jade mosaic and a suit of priceless jade adorned his body.
The Maya were an incredible civilization and nobody knows exactly why the empire fell. Some people believe it was from disease, famine, or civil war. Someday we may know more of the secrets of Palenque because archeological excavations are ongoing at the site. With time, hopefully all the mysteries of Palenque will be revealed.
The idea behind Sectur’s (Mexican Ministry of Tourism) project is to show that Mexico is much more than just sun and beach. Converting quaint, culturally rich towns into visitor-friendly destinations, the government wants to make sure they retain their authentic Mexican charm, which is ultimately what sets them apart from other destinations.
{mosimage} Travel Mexico and discover ancient civilizations inside one of Natures most wonderful gifts.Tulum in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico (just 45 minutes driving from Cancun) is the perfect place where you can combine total relaxation and never-ending adventure. This quiet town along the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo in Mexico is home to one of today’s best preserved Maya sites and the finest hotels facing the Caribbean Sea. When in Tulum, tourists can opt to stay in luxury beachfront boutique hotels that line the Tulum Hotels Zone, a section of the coastline where around 60 Maya-designed hotels provide accommodation.
{mosimage}Travel Mexico and its magnificent archelogical sites. Teotihuacan arose as a new religious center in the Mexican highland, around the time of Christ. Although its incipient period (the first two centuries B.C.) is poorly understood, archaeological data show that the next two centuries (A.D. 1-200) were characterized by monumental construction, during which Teotihuacan quickly became the largest and most populous urban center in the New World. By this time, the city already appears to have expanded to approximately 20 square km, with about 60,000 to 80,000 inhabitants.
Travel Mexico and travel in time. In Zacatecas nearly all of the city center buildings are nineteenth century or older; the topography and irregular street pattern (most streets are too steep and narrow for vehicles; many have steps in them) almost make one think of a medieval city like Toledo, Spain. The city, built on the site where silver was discovered in the 1530s, is crammed into a narrow canyon, with houses and churches perched on its nearly vertical walls.
About an hour’s drive east of Comitan is Lagunas de Montebello National Park (opened daily from 8:00 a.m. till sunset, entrance only US$1.75 per person), a striking array of lakes, lagoons, and small, medium and large ponds whose colors famously range from emerald green to pale blue, from deep purple to reddish black.
Taxco is a beautiful city built on a hill. It is rich with old and new silver mines, it has narrow streets and hundreds of silver shops. At the middle of the city there is a Colonial Plaza with a Basilica that it absolutely beautiful dating back to the 1700's.
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The ruins can be found throughout a thick forest of mahogany, cedar and sapodilla trees, which in turn has kept the ruins hidden for many years until it was discovered by the Spaniards in the late XVIII century. In early morning hours the ruins are often covered in a blanket of fog. The fog, combined with the sun and trees produces one of the most aesthetically grand ruins ever visited. The site of Palenque stays at an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit and remains humid with an average precipitation of 85 inches of rain per year. 
The Ancient Maya people that lived in Palenque had a refined system of writing. They had an extensive written language which was both phonetic and ideographic. Maya words were written in hieroglyphs with each picture having its own meaning. Unlike other ancient central American civilizations, the Maya could write in words, sentences, and even stories. Arranging several pictures together in a logical form would create a story. The Maya covered their cities and buildings with hieroglyphs carved into stone. Most of the Maya could read some hieroglyphs, but the priests and nobles were the only people who actually had knowledge of the entire language. They would use quills made of turkey feathers to write in books made of soft bark taken from a type of fig tree. 
It is well known that the Maya enjoyed chocolate and they consumed it in many forms from a frothy drink to a pulpy mush. The Maya referred to chocolate as "The Drink of the Gods". They had other food such as cornmeal, black beans, roasted meat, rabbit stew, turkey and other meats. Many people also chewed the leaves of the sapodilla tree as a gum-like substance. 
Another structure Pacal had built would end up being his eternal resting place, the Pyramid of Inscriptions. In this Pyramid he was buried at the age of 80 year old upon the end of his 68-year reign. The importance of this burial site is that it is the most extraordinary feature of Palenque with a tomb that held the sarcophagus of Pacal, an unusually tall ruler. Within this sarcophagus was the richest offering of jade ever seen in a Maya tomb. Placed over his face, a mask fitted with jade mosaic and a suit of priceless jade adorned his body. 
