Date

Circa 1910

Temple of the Sun, built in 692 by Chan-Bahlum (reigned 684-702), the son of Pacal. The roofs and roof-combs were all sculptured in stucco, once painted in brilliant reds, blues and yellow, depicting such deities as the rain god Cauac (on the Temple of the Cross) and a seated God K flanked by serpents (on the Temple of the Sun). Site of Pre-Columbian Maya ceremonial centre in the foothills of the Sierra de Palenque mountains, Chiapas, Mexico. During the 7th and 8th centuries AD Palenque was the most important city on the far western periphery of the Maya world. Although the area was inhabited in the Late Pre-Classic period (c. 300 BC-c. AD 250), only a small group of people lived there. At the height of its importance, in the Late Classic period (c. AD 600-c. 900), however, at least 10,000 people lived there at one time. The site comprises a palace, a ballcourt and several temples sited in groups scattered over a large area.