Palenque

ancient maya · archaeology · mexico · jungle

A Hidden Kingdom. Palenque was a powerful Maya city-state in southern Mexico that flourished from around 226 BC until around 799 AD, when it was mysteriously abandoned. After people left, the jungle completely swallowed the ruins with towering cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees.

Buried by the Jungle. For centuries, Palenque disappeared under thick forest in the rainy Chiapas region of Mexico, near the Usumacinta River. Archaeologists eventually discovered and carefully excavated the ruins, bringing this lost city back to life.

Incredibly Wet Place. Palenque sits in one of Mexico's rainiest areas, getting about 85 inches of rainfall every year and staying warm and humid year-round at about 79 degrees Fahrenheit. This tropical climate helped preserve some of the city's treasures.

Deep in the South. The ruins sit about 81 miles south of Ciudad del Carmen in the Mexican state of Chiapas, 490 feet above sea level. Today, a modern town called Palenque stands right next to the ancient ruins.

Ancient Name Revealed. In the ancient Itzá language, Palenque was called Lakamha, which means big water or big water city, fitting given how much rain falls there. This name tells us what the Maya people who built it chose to call their home.