Tonina: Home to One of the Largest Mayan Pyramids

 

Tonina: Home to One of the Largest Mayan Pyramids Over the course of history, there have been countless civilisations and cities that rose to great heights, only to find that they had farther to fall in the end. Some histories we know, while others, we’re not so sure about. It’s those mysteries that visitors to Tonina, in modern day Mexico, will find. When the Maya civilisation was at its height, Tonina was a military capital that drove conflict between the Maya and the neighbouring Palenque. Those based there elevated the city to new heights, a status that is reflected in its name. Some translate “Tonina” as “house of stone”, while another possible translation is the epic “place where stone sculptures are raised to honour time”. Both names are fitting, as the city is home to one of the largest pyramids in Mayan culture. Recent excavations revealed that the startling discovery that the city itself was almost twice as large as previously thought. The greatest mystery that still remains is what happened not only to the Maya, but at Tonina. Carved on the face of a monument at the pre-Columbian archaeological site is the latest known date ever recorded in the Mayan calendar: 909 AD. After that? Nothing. Tonina marks the end of the Maya and hopefully, someday, scholars will be able to answer some of the most baffling questions they left behind.