Palenque is the archaeological site of the Maya civilization not far from the Usumacinta River in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. It''s Maya site is not as big as the cities of Tikal or Copan, but the discoveries are of great value. Some of the best architecture, carving and stucco-relief in the Mayan world can be found there.

The place was long abandoned when the Spaniards conquered the country. Padre Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada was one of first to visit the place and he wrote a report on it in 1567. In those times the local Chol Maya called it Otolum, meaning ''the country with strong housing''. De la Nada roughly translated it to Spanish with Palenque, which means "strengthening". The original name of the city was Lakam Ha, which means Great Water, because of the sources and rivers that spring there. It was the capital of a city which was named B'aakal.