Monument 160 in the Tonina Museum

Brief History of Tonina

The fragmented history of Tonina has been gleaned from its scattered and broken monuments, which suggest it was among the most powerful cities of the Maya.

Palace of the Frets/Grecas at Tonina

Palacio de las Grecas

The huge stepped fret motifs found on Tonina’s Palacio de las Grecas remain a mystery, however they were probably designed to broadcast the city’s belief in a lifecycle, or spiral, of violence and death.

Palace of the Underworld at Tonina

Tonina: Palace of the Underworld

Serving a dark ritual purpose, the eerie Palace of the Underworld is a mysterious labyrinth of 11 passageways that weave beneath Tonina’s pyramid acropolis.

Sacrificial Altar and Ballcourt 1 at Tonina

Tonina: The Great Plaza

The Great Plaza at Tonina is the first area you enter, before ascending 7 levels to the heavens. Here on Platform 1 though, things are still very much in the depths of the underworld.