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Located in Chiapas Mexico and near Palenque, Toniná may have been built as early as 350 A.D. but one of its distinctions is having the last recorded date of the Maya long count. The building technique here is interesting for the use of small rocks verses the larger type stones of the other nearby sites. One of the features at the ruins at Toniná is its maze-like building of rooms. It is the number of rooms and the building's position with the night heavens that help the archeologists determine the buildings function. Toniná was a separate dynastic center and has the prized distinction of defeating Palenque in war as well as the capture and ten year humiliation of Pakal´s son King Kan-Xul, the younger brother of Chan-Bahlum. A frieze shows the captured king Kan-Xul with a rope around his arm sitting in the pose of the captured. This is a great site for taking your time to study the details of the different friezes and the stories they tell. A sarcophagus is carved out of one large stone on the third tier of this site. The missing carved lid probably told the story of the entombed. The breathtaking views from the upper terraces are prime photo opportunities in the sunny mid-winter days. We can thank the ancient Maya builders for their incredible knowledge of building techniques. They have left us vast kingdoms to ponder. |
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