This Ancient Mayan City Was Home to a Legendary King Smithsonian Channel
go to original March 13, 2022

Palenque is set amid lush forest and dense foliage in a slice of southern Mexico. It is not the largest Mayan city by any stretch, but it has been described as one of the most stunning. Its architecture and the accompanying carvings and sculptures are some of the finest surviving pieces of Mayan history, in a region where the civilisation once thrived.

Compared to other Maya settlements in Mexico, Palenque was technically advanced. A sophisticated aqua-duct system provided its inhabitants with abundant spring water — just one of the many perks of living there.

In the seventh century AD, the city was ruled by the powerful king, Pacal the Great. He had one of the longest reigns of any Maya monarch, taking the throne in 615 at the age of just 12, and ruled until his death aged 80.

While in power he oversaw the construction of some of Palenque's jaw-dropping sacred sites like the huge Central Palace. Perhaps most importantly, he commissioned the construction of the now-iconic Temple of the Inscriptions.

In the mid-20th century, researchers discovered a relic that would give a "new insight" into what the Maya believed about the afterlife, according to the documentary's narrator.

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