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.
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.
Although badly ruined, the Temple of the Earth Monster’s altar still reveals a mysterious beast that may represent the sacred lineage of Tonina’s rulers.
The Frieze of the Bird Dancers portrays two men dressed in magnificent feathered outfits ambiguously posed to look like ballplayers in the throes of dance
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.
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.
Discovered as recently as 1990, the huge Frieze of the Four Eras depicts some fantastical other-worldly processes, which leaves much to the imagination.
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.