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The Temple of the Cross is the largest and most significant pyramid within a complex of temples at the Maya ruins of Palenque in the state of Chiapas in Mexico. It is located in the south-east corner of the site and consists of three main structures, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Cross, and the Temple of the Foliated Cross. The temple is a step pyramid containing bas-relief carvings inside. The temple was constructed to commemorate the rise of Chan Bahlum II to the throne after the death of Pacal the Great. The bas-relief carvings reveal Chan Bahlum receiving the great gift from his predecessor. The cross motif found at the complex allude to the names given to the temples, but in reality the cross is a representation to the World Tree that can be found in the center of the world according to Mayan mythology.〔Miller 1999, p.9.〕 ==History== The Temple of the Cross complex was built by Kan-Bahlum who reigned between 684 AD and 702 AD. One purpose of the temple was to house the panels that recorded Kan-Bahlum's ancestral history, his accession and the divine origin of his lineage. In the sanctuaries in the temples there are carved stone tablets to be found, one tablet for each tower containing hieroglyphic information about the purpose of each temple. They also contain information about the Palenque triad of gods (GI, GII, and GIII) and their right to leadership.〔Houston 1996, p.132-151.〕 The pyramids in the Cross Complex were built in the Late Classic period of the Mesoamerican chronology, constructed according to the general Mesoamerican architectural traditions. They relied on intricate carved stone to make the spectacular stair-step design. These three temples are the only structures in the Maya realm that play the role of a Maya codex (bark paper book) in three parts. Within the temples there is both real and mythical history recorded. The recorded history is cohesive; as you move from temple to temple, you can read the history as if it were a book.〔Lounsbury 1976, p.211-224.〕 Archaeologist have evidence that the site was attacked by Calakmul in 599 and 611. The attacks may have inspired the building tradition initiated by Pacal and continued by his son, K'inich Kan Bahlam, and grandson, Akul Mo' Naab. After the site was attacked by Toniná the construction of elaborate and complex buildings stopped around 800, and the population of the site decreased.〔Lounsbury 1980, p.99-115.〕〔Lounsbury 1985, p.45-58.〕 When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, Palenque had been abandoned and forgotten by the Maya in the region. In 1567 Father Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada was the first European to study and publish a description of the ruins which he named Palenque. Father Pedro Lorenze de la Nada was exploring near the Usumacinta River where he stumbled upon its stone temples and plazas. Excavation, maintenance, and restoration of the Cross Complex was not initiated until 1940. More funding for maintenance came after Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in 1952 discovered the burial tomb of Pacal the Great in the Temple of Inscriptions. Since the discovery of Pacal's tomb, the site has become one of the most extensively studied archaeological sites in the Americas. Archeologist Jorge Acosta expanded excavation and conservation of the Cross Complex from 1967 to 1974. The Palenque Project led by archeologist Arnoldo González Cruz in 1989 initiated extensive research, restoration, and conservation projects on the Cross Complex. In 1993 archaeologists found an offering containing more than 100 incense burners within the Temple of the Cross. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Temple of the Cross Complex」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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