Palenque

Recent Investigations at the Classic Maya Center

Contributions by Edwin L. Barnhart, Joshua A. Balcells Gonzalez, Mark B. Child, Arnoldo Gonzalez Cruz, Kirk D. French, Peter Matthews, Robert L. Rands, Merle Greene Robertson, Kirk D. Straight, Rodrigo Liendo Stuardo, David Stuart, C Rudy Larios Villata Edited by Damien B. Marken

Publication date:

09 April 2007

Length of book:

320 pages

Publisher

AltaMira Press

ISBN-13: 9780759108745

Palenque is one of the best known and oldest Mayan archaeological sites. But recently little has been published on the ongoing work here. Marken's collection brings the archaeological record of Palenque up to date. Chapters cover a wide range of topics from architecture to hieroglyphic texts, from broad issues of chronology to settlement to theoretical and methodological issues concerning architectural excavations. Palenque represents an important update of research for any Mayan archaeologist.

1 Foreword
2 Preface
Part 3 INTRODUCTION
4 Palenque Archaeology: An Introduction
Part 5 CHRONOLOGY
6 Chronological Chart and Overview of Ceramic Developments at Palenque
7 Palenque and Selected Survey Sites in Chiapas and Tabasco: The Preclassic
8 The Construction Chronology of Palenque: Seriation Within an Architectural Form
Part 9 SETTLEMENT
10 The Problem of Political Integration in the Kingdom of Baak
11 Indicators of Urbanism at Palenque
12 Creating Space through Water Management at the Classic Maya Site of Palenque, Chiapas
Part 13 ARCHITECTURE AND EXCAVATION
14 Elite Residential Compounds at Late Classic Palenque
15 Following the Traces of Temple XX: Proyecto Grupo de las Cruces 2002 Excavations
16 A House of Cards: Construction, Proportion and Form at Temple XIX, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico
Part 17 RELIGION AND RITUAL SPACES
18 Gods and Histories: Mythology and Dynastic Succession at Temples XIX and XXI at Palenque
19 Ritual Purification and the Ancient Maya Sweatbath at Palenque
20 CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS AND CONCLUSIONS
21 Why Restore Architecture at Palenque?
22 Conclusion: Reconceptualizing the Palenque Polity
23 Index
24 About the Contributors

Marken has selected essays that not only give the reader an intimate portrait of what Palenque looks like today, but also how it must have looked when it was a bustling metropolis. More important, these essays serve to provide the reader with a detailed analysis of the archaeological work now being done at Palenque, and how this research has added to our understanding of the city, as well as Maya history and culture...Essential reading for anyone with an interest in Palenque, or ancient Maya history or culture. It serves as an excellent reference book on the city, and is well suited for use as a supplemental text in both university level archaeology and anthropology courses dealing with ancient Mesoamerican studies.