Bonampak is a Classic Maya site in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, occupied from about 650-850 AD. The relatively small settlement was subsidiary to Piedras Negras in the 7th century and later to Yaxchilán, located 25 kilometers away, and it is believed that the wife or kinsman of the eighth century ruler of Bonampak Chan Muán was related to Yaxchilan's ruler Bird Jaguar. Bonampak's architecture is fairly simple and small, with one minor exception: the murals.
The site is most well known for its marvelous wall paintings found on the interior walls of Structure 1, which were painted in the last decade of the 8th century. The paintings depict images of the Bonampak king Chan Muan, his lords, courtly life, a battle painting, dressing rituals with costumed ball players, and a sacrificial scene.
There have been two large two documentation projects at Bonampak, linked in the side bar. David Hixson at Tulane has a terrific photo archive; and Yale University is in the process of documenting the site as well.
Archaeologists associated with Bonampak include Sylvanus Morley, Frans and Gertrude Blom, Tatiana Proskourikoff, A. Villagra Caleti, and Mary Miller.
Sources
Miller, Mary Ellen. 2001. Bonampak. Pp. 82-85 in Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster. 2001. Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encylopedia. Garland Publishing, Inc. New York.
This glossary entry is part of the Guide to the Maya Civilization and the Dictionary of Archaeology.
