Palenque
Important Maya hieroglyphs
Located in the tropical lowlands of Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas, Palenque was an important seat of power during the Classic Maya period, seeing its peak between 226-799 C.E.
The city was later abandoned in 900C.E, the reasons for which are still largely unknown, although some studies suggest that drought was a possible cause. It is now preserved as part of Palenque National Park.
Only 10% of the city is believed to have been excavated, but if you feel like exploring further you can walk along the paths into the jungle to find streams, waterfalls and make guesses about which mounds are likely to be hiding Maya structures underneath.
Maya Mexico
An essential guide to visiting Mexico's Maya archeological sites
The Maya world was vast, spanning from southern Mexico all the way to El Salvador and northern Honduras. There are around 70 different Maya archaeological sites open to the public in Mexico alone and likely hundreds if not thousands more un-excavated or still hidden. The earliest Maya settlement, found in Belize, dates back to 2500 BCE, indicating that the Maya civilisation evolved over at least three and half thousand years, developing 30 different languages and various architectural periods and styles...read more
