Tortuguero, Maya archaeological site in Macuspana, Mexico.
Tortuguero is an ancient Maya site in Macuspana featuring limestone structures and monuments built across a strategic location. These remains stand between the Tabasco highlands and the flat plains of the Gulf Coast region.
During the Classic Period between 600 and 900 CE, Tortuguero was linked to the city of Palenque and shared the same dynastic emblem. The two places formed a defensive alliance in this region of Mexico.
Monument 6 here records the victories of a ruler named Bahlam Ajaw through Maya glyphs carved into stone. This inscription also marks the only place where the Maya wrote about the completion of a major time cycle, making it a rare historical document.
The archaeological remains here are closed to visitors, but key artifacts are housed at the Carlos Pellicer Museum in Villahermosa for viewing. The museum displays items from the site and provides an overview of the Maya culture of this region.
A cement factory was built directly over the site in the 1960s, causing substantial damage to the ancient Maya structures buried beneath. This industrial installation now covers the ancient ground, making it difficult to access for archaeological work.
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