Palenque

Quick Facts: Who was Palenque?

Subject:

Palenque

Known for:

A magnificent ancient Maya city-state known for its exquisite architecture and dynastic history.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Palenque (Spanish pronunciation: [pa'leŋke]; Yucatec Maya: Bàakʼ [ɓaːkʼ]), also anciently known in the Itzaʼ language as Lakamha ("big water" or "big waters"), was a Maya city-state in southern Mexico that perished in the 8th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. 799 AD. After its decline, it was overgrown by the jungle of cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees, but has since been excavated and restored.

Career & Major Achievements

It is located near the Usumacinta River in the Mexican state of Chiapas, about 130 km (81 mi) south of Ciudad del Carmen, 150 meters (490 ft) above sea level. It is adjacent to the modern town of Palenque, Chiapas.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

It averages a humid 26 °C (79 °F) with roughly 2,160 millimeters (85 in) of rain a year. Palenque is a medium-sized site, smaller than Tikal, Chichen Itza, or Copán, but it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings that the Maya produced.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Palenque

True or False: “The primary evidence for the complex political rivalries of the ancient Maya city-state of Palenque is found in its monumental hieroglyphic inscriptions.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The detailed hieroglyphic records on the many monuments allow historians to reconstruct the ruling dynasty's history and its interactions with neighboring states.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Paleo-Indians — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The first peoples who entered and inhabited the Americas during the Late Pleistocene.
• Paleoanthropology — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The study of human evolution through fossil and biological evidence.
• Paleoecology — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The study of life's interactions with ancient environments across deep time.
• Paleolithic — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The Old Stone Age, spanning from early stone tool use to the end of the Pleistocene.
• Palestinians — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: An Arab national group native to the Levant, with a complex and evolving modern identity.
• Pallava dynasty — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Major South Indian dynasty (275–897) known for temple architecture and script development.

Frequently Asked Questions about Palenque