The Mayans – Tonina Chapter

There are dozens of Mayan archaeological sites in Chiapas, some are still undiscovered and some have just been recently opened to the public (and tourists do not visit them much). One of these hidden gems is the Mayan city of Tonina, about 13 Km east of the town of Ocosingo.

The site includes several temple-pyramids set on terraces rising some 71 meters (233 ft) above a plaza, A large court for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame, and over 100 carved monuments, most dating from the 6th century through the 9th centuries AD, during the Classic period.

Toniná possesses one of the largest pyramids in Mexico; at 74 metes (243 ft) in height, it is taller than the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan.

Toniná was an aggressive state in the Late Classic, using warfare to develop a powerful kingdom. For much of its history, Toniná was engaged in sporadic warfare with Palenque, its greatest rival and one of the most important cities in the west of the Maya region, although Toniná eventually became the dominant city in the west.

The city is notable for having the last known Long Count date on any Maya monument, marking the end of the Classic Maya period in AD 909.

We hiked all the way to the top of the pyramid, there are not many signs of how to climb it, so you need to explore and find stairs or other ways to go up! super fun!

Toniná is distinguished by its well preserved stucco sculptures and particularly by its in-the-round carved monuments, produced to an extent not seen in Mesoamerica since the end of the much earlier Olmec civilization.[

Halfway through!

Toniná means house of stone in the Tzeltal language of the local Maya inhabitants, an alternate interpretation is a place where stone sculptures are raised to honor time.