Toniná facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Toniná

A pyramid on the 5th terrace of the Acropolis at Toniná.
Location in Mesoamerica
Location	Ocosingo
Region	Chiapas, , Mexico
Coordinates	16°54′4.39″N 92°0′34.83″W / 16.9012194°N 92.0096750°W / 16.9012194; -92.0096750
History
Abandoned	10th century AD
Periods	Classic
Cultures	Maya
Site notes
Excavation dates	1972–1975, 1979-1980+
Archaeologists	Pierre Becquelin, Claude Baudez, Juan Yadeun INAH
Architecture
Architectural styles	Classic Maya
Responsible body: INAH

Toniná (also called Toniná) is an ancient city built by the Maya civilization. It's now a ruined archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico. It's about 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) east of Ocosingo.

This large site has many temple-pyramids built on terraces. These terraces rise about 71 meters (233 feet) above a main plaza. There's also a big court for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame. Over 100 carved stone monuments have been found here. Most of these date from the 6th to 9th centuries AD, during the Classic period.

Toniná is special because its stucco sculptures are very well preserved. It also has many round, three-dimensional carved monuments. This kind of carving was not seen much in Mesoamerica since the much older Olmec civilization. Toniná has one of the largest pyramids in Mexico. At 74 meters (243 feet) tall, it's even taller than the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan.

During the Late Classic period, Toniná was a strong kingdom. It used warfare to become powerful. For much of its history, Toniná often fought with Palenque. Palenque was its biggest rival and an important city in the western Maya region. Toniná eventually became the most powerful city in the west.

The city is also famous for having the last known Long Count date on any Maya monument. This date, AD 909, marks the end of the Classic Maya period.

What Does the Name Toniná Mean?

The name Toniná means house of stone in the Tzeltal language. This is the language of the local Maya people. Another idea is that it means the place where stone sculptures are raised to honor time.

However, Toniná is a modern name. The city's original name was likely Po or Popo. This name appears in old Maya texts. The kings of Toniná used the title k'uhul po' ajaw, which means "Divine Lord of Po". In 1558, during Colonial times, a Maya group called the po' winikob (People of Po) rebelled. Early versions of the Toniná emblem glyph show a double po symbol. The name Popo is also found in old records. Since Maya texts often shortened double sounds, Popo might be the city's true original name.

Where is Toniná Located?

Toniná is found in the Chiapas highlands of southern Mexico. It sits at an altitude of 800 to 900 meters (2,600 to 3,000 feet) above sea level. The city is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Palenque. Palenque was Toniná's main rival throughout its history.

Mountains separate Toniná from Palenque. The main part of Toniná is on a limestone ridge that is easy to defend. It's just west of a river that flows only part of the year. This river is a branch of the Río Jataté.

Who Were the Rulers of Toniná?

A stone sculpture of a ruler in the Toniná site museum.

The names of Toniná's rulers are written in Maya script on the city's monuments. Here are some of them:

The very last date recorded at Toniná is on Monument 101. It shows the date January 15, 909 CE.

History of Toniná

Early Classic Period

Toniná was very active during the Early Classic period. However, most of its early buildings are now buried under later ones. Because of this, we don't have many early writings. An 8th-century text talks about a king ruling in AD 217. But it only gives his title, not his name.

Ruler 1 is shown on a few Early Classic monuments. The best preserved is an altar from 514. Another ruler, Jaguar Bird Peccary, is on a 6th-century stone slab. It says he became king in 568.

The first time Toniná is mentioned by another city is from Chinikiha. This city is 72 kilometers (45 miles) northeast on the Usumacinta River. A text there says a person from Toniná was captured in 573.

Late Classic Period

Stela showing the 6th century ruler Jaguar Bird Peccary.

Toniná's history becomes clearer in the Late Classic period. More hieroglyphic texts from this time tell us about its past.

K'inich Hix Chapat

In 633, K'inich Hix Chapat is recorded as putting two lesser lords in charge. We don't know much else about his rule. He probably became king in 595. The last mention of K'inich Hix Chapat is on a monument from 665. It seems to be a memorial stone.

Ruler 2

Ruler 2 became king of Toniná in 668. His rule was marked by many wars. His monuments often show captured people with their arms tied. Ruler 2 started the style of carving round, three-dimensional statues. This became a common feature of Toniná's stone slabs (stelae). A monument from 682 shows three prisoners. One is a lord from Annak', a site we don't know much about yet. Ruler 2's rule may have ended when he was defeated and captured. This happened in September 687 by K'inich Kan Balam II of Palenque. A text from Palenque's Temple 17 describes this event. It probably ended with Ruler 2 being sacrificed.

K'inich B'aaknal Chaak

K'inich B'aaknal Chaak became king in 688, twenty years after Ruler 2. He ruled for twenty-seven years. During his time, he made Toniná powerful again. He won many military battles against Palenque. His rule was mostly about fighting Palenque for control of the region. Ballcourt 1, the larger of Toniná's two ballcourts, was opened in 699. This celebrated three victories over their main rival. The ballcourt originally had six sculptures of tied prisoners. These were all leaders from the Palenque king's area. We don't know when this king died.

Ruler 4

Sculpture of a tied captive in the Toniná site museum.

Ruler 4 took power in 708 when he was very young. Three years later, in 711, Toniná won a big victory over Palenque. Ruler 4 was still a child then. This battle led to the capture of Kan Joy Chitam II of Palenque. It made Toniná the main power in the lower Usumacinta region. The victory was so complete that Palenque's history has a ten-year gap. The captured ruler might have been held as a hostage. Ruler 4 continued to rule and celebrated important time periods in 716 and 721. A captive shown on one of his monuments is from the distant city of Calakmul. Calakmul was one of the two Maya "superpowers."

K'inich Ich'aak Chapat

Ruler 4 was followed by K'inich Ich'aak Chapat in 723. Around 725, Toniná fought a war against Piedras Negras. This city is on the north bank of the Usumacinta River in Guatemala. Several events during his rule were marked on monuments between 726 and 729. In 730, he rededicated the tomb of his predecessor, K'inich B'aaknal Chaak. K'inich Ich'aak Chapat's mother was Lady Winik Timan K'awiil. His father might have been K'inich B'aaknal Chaak himself. It's interesting that during K'inich Ich'aak Chapat's rule, there are no sculptures of tied war captives. We don't know why.

Later Rulers

We know little about the next two rulers. Ruler 6 was K'inich Tuun Chapat. He celebrated a period ending in 736 and may have died in 762. A damaged text with a tied captive suggests more fighting with Palenque during his rule. However, the prisoner's name is missing. So, it's unclear if it was the actual king of Palenque or just one of his leaders.

Ruler 7 followed him, and even less is known about her. Around 764, Toniná defeated Palenque in battle. Ruler 7 has been identified as the mysterious Lady K'awil. A small text on an altar disc records her death in 774.

In 775, a text recorded the death of Lord Wak Chan K'ak'. He was a prince who seemed to be next in line for the throne. But he died before he could become king.

Ruler 8 was the last of Toniná's successful warrior kings. He celebrated many events between 789 and 806. These included defeating Pomoy in 789. He also captured the ruler Ucha'an Aj Chih. This ruler seemed to be a leader under B'olon K'awiil of Calakmul. In 799, Ruler 8 rededicated Ruler 1's tomb. Ruler 8 also oversaw a big redesign of the upper parts of the Acropolis. He put up many sculptures of tied war prisoners. He took the title aj b'olon b'aak, meaning "He of Many Captives". However, Toniná's power was starting to shrink. This is clear from its victory over Sak Tz'i' (White Dog). Sak Tz'i' was an important city in the Lacandon region. This area had once been completely controlled by Toniná.

By the time Uh Chapat became Ruler 8's successor, Toniná was clearly getting weaker. Only one event, in 837, can be dated to his rule. A stucco mural showing captives with ropes around their necks might be from his time.

Toniná's history continued even after most other Classic Maya cities fell. This might be because the site was quite isolated. Ruler 10 is linked to a monument from 904 in the Terminal Classic period. A monument from 909 has the last known Long Count date. But the king's name has not survived. Broken pottery pieces show that people lived at the site for another century or more.

Ritual Practices for Rulers

Archaeologists found urns with the ashes of Maya rulers in the Temple of the Sun at Toniná. These urns also contained rubber, coal, and roots. These are the same materials used to make the rubber balls for the Mesoamerican ball game. This suggests that the Maya people in Toniná honored their rulers. They may have mixed the rulers' ashes into the special balls used in the ritual ball game.

Modern History and Discovery

The first written account of the ruins was by Fray Jacinto Garrido. This was at the end of the 17th century. Many visitors explored the ruins of Toniná in the 19th century. The first was an expedition led by Guillaume Dupaix in 1808. John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood visited in 1840. Stephens wrote a long description of the site. Eduard Seler and Caecilie Seler-Sachs studied the monuments at Toniná. They published their findings around 1900. Karl Sapper visited the site in 1895 and 1896. Frans Blom and Oliver La Farge explored the site in the 1920s for Tulane University. They published their reports in 1926–1927.

The French Toniná Project started digging in 1972 and continued until 1975. They started again from 1979 to 1980. This work was led by Pierre Becquelin and Claude Baudez. The National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH) began its own digs at Toniná the next year.

The site is open for visitors. It has a small museum that opened on July 15, 2000.

What Does Toniná Look Like?

The Acropolis of Toniná, built on seven terraces on a hillside.

The city was built on a platform covering about 6 hectares (15 acres). The main buildings are in the Acropolis. This part has seven terraces facing south. They rise 71 meters (233 feet) above the plaza below. Toniná's layout is more geometric than most Maya sites. Most buildings are at right angles to each other.

Many of the carvings at the site show how harshly the city treated its enemies. After the city was abandoned at the end of the Classic Period, many sculptures fell down the steep hillside.

Main Structures

Ballcourt 1 (also called the Sunken Ballcourt) was dedicated in 699. King K'inich B'aaknal Chaak opened it to celebrate three victories over K'inich Kan Balam II of Palenque. Sculptures of the upper bodies of six captured leaders from Palenque were used as markers in the ballcourt. One of these leaders was named Yax Ahk (Green Turtle). He was the lord of Annay Te', a site likely located between Piedras Negras and Yaxchilán on the Usumacinta River.

Ballcourt 2 is the smaller of the two ballcourts. It is in the northern part of the plaza, at the bottom of the Acropolis.

The entrances to the Palace of the Underworld.

The Palace of the Underworld is entered through three arched doorways. These are on the eastern side of the Acropolis's second terrace.

The Palace of Frets is on the fourth terrace of the Acropolis. The south side of the palace has four large, stepped patterns called frets. On the east side, a stairway leads to a decorated stone and stucco throne. One room in the palace has stucco decorations. These show feathered serpents and crossed bones.

Monuments and Sculptures

The monuments at Toniná are usually smaller than those at other Maya sites. Most of the stone slabs (stelae) are less than 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall. The biggest difference from other Maya sites is that they are carved in the round, like statues. They often have hieroglyphic text running down their backs. On the fifth terrace, three-dimensional sculptures of Toniná's rulers stood over flat carvings of defeated enemies.

The dated monuments at Toniná cover the period from AD 495 to 909. This includes most of the Classic Period.

Sculpture of a tied captive in the Toniná site museum.

Monument 3 is broken into many pieces. Five of these were found in different places in Ocosingo and Toniná over the 20th century. Most of them are now together in the Toniná site museum. Even though it's broken, the stone slab is mostly complete and not too worn. It's a statue of a ruler with writings. These writings describe K'inich Baaknal Chaak becoming king and Aj Ch'aaj Naah becoming a priest.

Monument 5 was found at a school in Ocosingo and moved to the Toniná site museum. It's a badly worn, life-size human statue with its head missing.

Monument 7 is carved from yellow sandstone and has only minor damage. It's a base for a stone slab with well-preserved hieroglyphs on all four sides. K'inich Ich'aak Chapat dedicated it in 728. It is currently in the Museo Regional in Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

Monument 8 is from the time of Ruler 2. It marks the end of a time period in 682. It shows three war captives being presented.

Monument 12 is a sculpture carved in the round. It shows Ruler 2 and dates to AD 672.

Monument 27 is a carved step. It shows K'awiil Mo', a lord from Palenque, as an old prisoner. He is tied and lying on his back. His face is positioned so people would step on it again and again.

Monument 99 is a broken piece with no date. It shows a female captive, which is rare in Maya art.

Monument 101 has the last Long Count date found on any Maya monument. It marks the end of a K'atun (a 20-year period) in AD 909.

Monument 106 is the earliest monument at the site with a clear date, AD 593. It shows Ruler 1.

Monument 113 shows Ruler 2 taking part in a scattering ritual.

Monument 114 was dedicated in 794 by Ruler 8. It remembers the death of an important noble. This noble was likely a relative or a leader under Ruler 8's predecessor, Tuun Chapat.

Monument 122 is a low relief carving. It marks Palenque's defeat by Ruler 4 in 711. It also shows the capture of Kan Joy Chitam II, who is shown as a tied captive.

Monument 141 is a very well-preserved hieroglyphic panel. It's carved from fine white limestone, and almost all the writing is still there. It describes K'inich B'aaknal Chaak dedicating a ballcourt.

Monument 154 is from the time of K'inich Hix Chapat. It records him putting two lesser lords in charge in 633.

Monument 158 has a very late date, AD 904. This is at the very end of the Classic Period. Ruler 10 put it up.

Stucco sculpture of a skeletal spirit, from the Frieze of the Dream Lords.

The Frieze of the Dream Lords (also called the Frieze of the Four Suns or Frieze of the Four Eras) was found by archaeologists in 1992. It's a stucco mural on the east end of the 5th terrace. This frieze was once painted in bright red, blue, and yellow. This frieze looks very similar to paintings at the great Early Classic city of Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan was far away in the Valley of Mexico.

Site Museum

A glyph showing Itzamna, a supreme Maya god, in the Toniná site museum.

The site museum is about 300 meters (980 feet) outside the Toniná archaeological area. It has two exhibition rooms and a conference room. The first room explains the pyramid shape of the acropolis. It also shows how it connects to Maya mythology. The main room has sculptures of the city's rulers.

The museum's collection includes stone sculptures, pottery, and items made from bone, shell, obsidian, and flint. The pieces in the museum clearly show the two sides of Toniná's power. On one side are sculptures of the city's rulers. On the other side are carvings of tied war prisoners.

See also

In Spanish: Toniná para niños