Illustration of the Classic Maya Site, Yaxchilan in Chiapas, Mexico.

In 1992 I had the wonderful opportunity of spending some time in Central America. One of the highlights of that trip was the incredible journey I took by way of dugout canoe. I started from Sayaxche, in Guatemala and traveled along the Pasion River, stopping at Altar de Sacrificios on the way. From there, I headed down the grandest of all Maya rivers, the Usumacinta, to the Classic Maya site of Yaxchilan, located on the banks of a horseshoe peninsula on the Mexican side of the river.

This magnificent site has the qualities of a real Middle Earth. We arrived in the darkness of early evening and after scrambling and slipping up the steep, muddy bank, we made the jungle our home for a couple of days with hardly a visitor on site.

Fortunately, much of the architecture at Yaxchilan (‘Green Stones’) has survived the ravages of time and the site is well documented by such renowned scholars as Carolyn Tate, Linda Schele and Ian Graham whose writing and superb illustrations are a valuable record of the city’s importance. Although many of the important lintels have been moved from the site to the museum in Mexico City and to the British Museum in London, many still remain.

It is well worth researching the history of Yaxchilan before making a trip to this site, because of the sheer amount of glyphic text and visual documentation on the stelae and lintels. The life and times of rulers such as Shield Jaguar and his son Bird Jaguar, along with their wives with lovely names such as Lady Xoc and Lady Great Skull Zero are vividly portrayed.

The Hieroglyphic inscriptions provide us with a wealth of information regarding the royal lineage from births, accessions, bloodletting ceremonies, the capture of important political enemies as well as sacrificial ceremonies and eventual deaths on the monuments of Yaxchilan. I spent quite a bit of time scribbling in the rain and listening to the birds and the not too distant howler monkey’s hanging about in the forest canopy.

Today, Yaxchilan is much more accessible than in years past, replete with concrete boat ramp and ticket booth. Although, when visiting there in 2001, we confronted the constant arrival and departure of motor launches full of tourists, the ruins are still a majestic testimonial to one of the great cities of Maya Culture.

Yaxchilan - Chiapas, Southern Mexico, Classic Maya Period


	In 1992 I had the wonderful opportunity of spending some time in Central America. One of the highlights of that trip was the incredible journey I took by way of dugout canoe. I started from Sayaxche, in Guatemala and traveled along the Pasion River, stopping at Altar de Sacrificios on the way. From there, I headed down the grandest of all Maya rivers, the Usumacinta, to the Classic Maya site of Yaxchilan, located on the banks of a horseshoe peninsula on the Mexican side of the river. This magnificent site has the qualities of a real Middle Earth. We arrived in the darkness of early evening and after scrambling and slipping up the steep, muddy bank, we made the jungle our home for a couple of days with hardly a visitor on site. Fortunately, much of the architecture at Yaxchilan (‘Green Stones’) has survived the ravages of time and the site is well documented by such renowned scholars as Carolyn Tate, Linda Schele and Ian Graham whose writing and superb illustrations are a valuable record of the city’s importance. Although many of the important lintels have been moved from the site to the museum in Mexico City and to the British Museum in London, many still remain. It is well worth researching the history of Yaxchilan before making a trip to this site, because of the sheer amount of glyphic text and visual documentation on the stelae and lintels. The life and times of rulers such as Shield Jaguar and his son Bird Jaguar, along with their wives with lovely names such as Lady Xoc and Lady Great Skull Zero are vividly portrayed. The Hieroglyphic inscriptions provide us with a wealth of information regarding the royal lineage from births, accessions, bloodletting ceremonies, the capture of important political enemies as well as sacrificial ceremonies and eventual deaths on the monuments of Yaxchilan. I spent quite a bit of time scribbling in the rain and listening to the birds and the not too distant howler monkey’s hanging about in the forest canopy. Today, Yaxchilan is much more accessible than in years past, replete with concrete boat ramp and ticket booth. Although, when visiting there in 2001, we confronted the constant arrival and departure of motor launches full of tourists, the ruins are still a majestic testimonial to one of the great cities of Maya Culture.

Yaxchilan - Chiapas, Southern Mexico, Classic Maya Period