Toniná — Acropolis Pyramid Mountain
Toniná · Po — Popp — House of Stone
Classic Maya, Late Classic apogee·Maya — Toniná polity·🇲🇽 Chiapas, Ocosingo Valley, Selva Zoque foothills, Mexico
About
About Toniná — Acropolis Pyramid Mountain
Hill-top military superpower in western Maya lowlands, famous for last dated Maya inscription (909 CE) and tallest pyramid platform in Mesoamerica by continuous mass — the Acropolis is a hill artificially terraced into seven platforms with Palace of the Greek Frescoes, Palace of the Underworld and Temple of the Cosmic Monster. Toniná defeated Palenque in 711 CE (capture of Kan Joy Chitam). Ballcourt 3 contains prisoner stubs and stucco Frieze of Four Suns. Recent Lidar shows greater extent than mapped — twice previous estimate.
Why it mattersMost powerful western Maya military state; last Long Count date; architectural mountain pyramid typology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Extent of lower terraces still unexcavated
Theories
- 01Acropolis hill is largely artificial fill over natural rise — greatest earth-moving in Maya world
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 500–900 CE, Acropolis pyramid 700–750 CE
- Period
- Classic Maya, Late Classic apogee
- Culture
- Maya — Toniná polity
- Builders
- Maya
- Purpose
- Military capital acropolis pyramid rising 74 m — seven-tier artificial mountain with palaces, temples and ballcourts
- Excavation
- Excavated
711 CE
Toniná defeats and captures ruler of Palenque
909 CE
Last dated Long Count monument at Toniná
1972
INAH project under Carlos Pernaut and Yadeun begins
On the ground
Structures & features
16.9012° N · 92.0097° W · 950 m · 2 mapped features
Acropolis upper pyramid temples
pyramidSeventh terrace temple row with vaulted superstructures and stucco friezes
16.9017° N · 92.0092° WBallcourt and prisoner sculpture terrace
ballcourtSunken ballcourt with carved prisoner markers and wall panels
16.9007° N · 92.0102° W