Palenque: Pueblo Magico Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chiapas

Chiapas is an important Mexican state because of its unique biodiversity. The state houses the "Selva Lacandona" jungle, which is home to species of animals like the toucan, the tapir, and the quetzal, as well as tree varieties like cedar and oyamel. Chiapas is a warm state, characterized by its importance in the development of prehistoric cultures. Chiapas has also been in the spotlight in modern conflicts, most notably a civil uprising by the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion Nacional (an organization demanding rights for the indigenous people and against capitalist systems of government) in 1994.

Answer: UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (abbreviated UNESCO) started in 1945, a few months after the United Nations was born as a new institution. Functioning as an agency of the UN and headquartered in Paris, France, UNESCO has a mission of advancing international cooperation through education, science, and culture. UNESCO plays an important role in preserving natural sites and monuments that would otherwise be at risk of being destroyed or damaged.

The World Heritage Program started in 1972 with the aim of identifying and protecting landmarks around the world that are considered to "belong to all the peoples of the world". Now, there are more than 1,000 World Heritage Sites in more than 160 countries. In 1987, at the 11th session of the World Heritage Committee, Palenque became one of the first six sites in Mexico to be inscribed into the list. The pre-hispanic city and national park were recognized for the cultural and historical significance of its buildings and natural features.

Answer: Wood

According to historical accounts from the Mexican government, Palenque was born in 1567 when a Spanish priest gathered several indigenous families together from the "Selva Lacandona" jungle. Probably because of this natural fencing, the Mayan subculture of "choles" called the place "Otulun", which means "closed or fortified site".

The name later evolved to "Palenque", which added the "wood" component to the word's meaning. Other native Mayan groups who inhabited the city included the tzeltal and lacandon peoples. To this day, people who live there create hand-crafted clothing items, ceramics, and jewellery made with amber.

Answer: Sun

An "ajaw" was regarded as a king in Mayan cultures. Its literal translation is "one with a powerful/authoritative voice", and every Mayan state had an "ajaw" to rule them. They lived in complexes built around temples and palaces, and believed that their status brought them closer to the gods.

In Palenque, one of the longest-ruling leaders was K'an Joy Chitam I. After his death, his sons took power and began using the title "K'inich", later used by many of their successors. The honorary title is a reference to Itzamnaaj or the K'inich Ajaw, the Mayan sun god known as the creator of time, light, and heat. The title could translate to "eye or face of the sun", further alluding to the connection to one of the Mayans' most important symbols: the sun.

Answer: Tamales

Tamales are a delicious Mexican dish popular all around the country! The particular variety of Palenque is the "tamal chiapaneco" (as in the state of Chiapas), which use the chipilin leaf combined with a filling of chicken, cheese, or countless other ingredients. Fillings can also include corn, meat, or assorted vegetables. It is common to see local vendors walking around Palenque with tamales, so most people who want to buy and eat them can do so from the comfort of their homes!

Other dishes eaten at Palenque include duck, fish, and deer prepared with local seasonings and recipes, as well as honey candies and the chilacayote fruit for dessert.

Answer: Usumacinta

The Usumacinta River is one of the largest rivers in Chiapas and the southern part of Mexico. The river's name means "place of monkeys", which is attributed to the populations of howler monkeys living on the shores of the river (though there is more fauna around, including crocodiles).

The Usumacinta is special because it shares a delta with the Grijalva river in Tabasco, and crosses to the Guatemalan department of Peten. This combination makes the Grijalva-Usumacinta Rivers one of the longest in Mexico.

It is an additional source of interest for tourists visiting Palenque.

Answer: The temple was partially destroyed by fire during wars with the Dzibanche peoples

The Temple of the Inscriptions is one of the most iconic structures in Palenque. It was built during the reign of K'inich Janab Pakal, with the goal of becoming a resting place for his remains. The temple is a matter of great interest to Mexican archaeologists for its uniqueness, as it is one of the only known edifices in Mesoamerica to be explicitly designed to honor a then-living ruler's remains. Much of what we now know about the temple is thanks to an exploration by archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in 1952, where he discovered the tomb for K'inich Janab Pakal buried deep in the temple. He is the one who found the hidden stairway that took him from the upper part of the temple to an underground crypt. Once he reached the crypt, he noticed hundreds of objects meant to honor the ruler, including a funerary mask made out of jade.

The name of the temple derives from the fact that there are several hieroglyphics inscribed throughout the building with plaster stucco reliefs. Palenque did engage in several wars with surrounding communities, but there is no evidence that fire damaged the temple, from the war or otherwise.

Answer: Cross

The Temple of the Cross Complex in Palenque houses three buildings: the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Foliated Cross, and the Temple of the Sun. The temples, each located over pyramidal structures, have reliefs inscribed onto them that reflect sacred objects and rituals. One of the scenes depicted in the Temple of the Cross ("cruz" in Spanish) is a ritual where K'inich Kan B'ahlam receives power from his father (who had actually already died at the time of that ceremony, but he is portrayed as if he was present in the ceremony).

A board found in the temple with a "t-shaped" object, or a cross, is the origin of the now famous temple's name.

Answer: Jaguar

The jaguar, known in Mayan as "balaam", is one of the most sacred animals for the Mesoamerican civilization. For the Mayans, the Sun God would transform into a jaguar at night in order to travel through the world of the dead. The animal represented power, authority, and societal importance, which is why those with high status would wear jaguar-themed clothes.

The jaguar is represented in many Mayan artworks, including their temples. The Temple of the Jaguar in Palenque, for instance, depicts an elaborate representation of a king sitting on a jaguar-shaped throne.

The feline is often associated with the state of Chiapas itself (its soccer team was called Jaguares de Chiapas!)

Answer: True

"Juego de pelota", simply translated as "ball game", is a game known to be played in many cultures, including Mayan, Mexica or Aztec, and Nahua. The game was played with a hard rubber ball, and though there are many variants, the best-known version consists of placing the ball through a hoop using the hips to hit the ball. As was the case with many elements of Mesoamerican life, "juego de pelota" was quite ritualistic, and in some cases involved sacrificing slaves or even themselves to the gods. Sometimes, winning the game and being sacrificed was in fact considered a great honor.

A version of the game is still played today within small Mayan groups, and there are still vestiges of these courts in places other than Palenque, such as in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.