Day 6. Bonampak and on to the Sacred River

Leaving Palenque early the morning of the sixth day (February 18), we drove southeast more or less parallel to, but out of sight of, the Rio Usumacinta. Bonampak, our first destination of the day, is an archaeological site dating to the late classic period (700 to 900 AD). This site is noted for vivid polychrome stucco frescoes that depict the court life in that time period. Time had taken its tole on these murals but it is still possible to discern activities involving prisoners and blood letting by the extraction of the fingernails. Courtly ceremonies showing the playing of horns and the dressing in costumes of aquatic life are also depicted. Work has been done by National Geographic to enhance copies of these images which greatly helps to realize what is being depicted.

This collage is of the Bonampak Acropolis. The sign gives information about the site and its history. The sign in the lower left was on the highway and dates back to the days of the Zapitista Rebellion in 1994.



Below are photos of the polychrome murals mentioned above and the frescoes found inside the canopied building pictured in the collage above.


Bonampak stelae and frescoes are pictured in this collage.


Top band of photos are of the grounds from near the top of the temple.

The lower bands of frescoes are illustrations of the Maya writing system and generally tell the dynastic history of the site. Bonampak was defeated by Tonina (a nearby contemporary city state) in the early 9th century.