Tonina (or Toniná in Spanish orthography) is a pre-Columbian archaeological site and ruined city of the Maya civilization located in what is now the Mexican state of Chiapas, some 13 km (8.1 mi) east of the town of Ocosingo.
The site is medium to large, with groups of temple-pyramids set on terraces rising some above a plaza, a large court for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame, and over 100 carved monuments, most dating from the 6th century through the 9th centuries AD, during the Classic period. Toniná is distinguished by its well preserved stucco sculptures and particularly by its in-the-round carved monuments, produced to an extent not seen in Mesoamerica since the end of the much earlier Olmec civilization. Toniná possesses one of the largest pyramids in Mexico; at in height, it is taller than the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan.
Toniná was an aggressive state in the Late Classic, using warfare to develop a powerful kingdom. For much of its history, Toniná was engaged in sporadic warfare with Palenque, its greatest rival and one of the most important polities in the west of the Maya region, although Toniná eventually became the dominant city in the west.
The city is notable for having the last known Long Count date on any Maya monument, marking the end of the Classic Maya period in AD 909.
Etymology
Toniná means house of stone in the Tzeltal language of the local Maya inhabitants, an alternative interpretation is the place where stone sculptures are raised to honour time. However, this is a modern name and the original name was either Po or Popo, appearing in Classic Maya texts in the title used for the kings of Toniná, k'uhul po' ajaw (Divine Lord of Po). A Maya rebellion in Colonial times, in 1558, featured a group called the po' winikob (People of Po). Toniná is separated from Palenque by mountainous terrain and the site core is located along an easily defended ascending limestone ridge immediately to the west of a seasonal tributary of the Río Jataté, one of the two rivers forming the Ocosingo Valley.
Rulers
thumb|right|upright|In-the-round sculpture of a ruler in the Toniná site museum
Rulers of Toniná recorded in the Maya script on Toniná monuments include:
{|class="wikitable"
! Name (or nickname)!!Ruled !!Alternative names
|-
|Unknown name
|c. 217
|
|-
|Kokaaj(?) Witz'
|c. 501-514?
|Cabeza de Reptil ("Reptile's Head")
|-
|K'inich(?) Sawan B'alam Yaxuun Acal/Tihl
|January 16, 568-573
|B'alam Ya Acal, Jaguar Bird Peccary; Zots Choj
|-
|Chac B'olon Chaak
|589?
|–
|-
|K'inich Hix Chapat
|July 23, 668–687
||Jaguar Casper; Ruler 2
|-
|K'inich B'aaknal Chaak
|June 17, 688–708/715?
|Ruler 3; Personage 3; Kuk; Craneo de Serpiente ("Snake Skull")
|-
|K'elen Hix and Ix K'awiil Chan (regents)
|November 28, 708 (de facto) - 715/722
|K'el Ne Hix and Ix K'awiil Kaan.
|-
|K'inich Chuwaaj(?) K'ahk'
|723–739+
|Ruler 5; Garra de Jaguar ("Jaguar Claw")
|-
|K'inich Tuun Chapat
|February 15, 762 - 774
|Ruler 7
|-
|K'inich ¿? Chapaht
|–806/810?
|Ruler 8
|-
|Uh Chapat
History
Early Classic
Toniná had a particularly active Early Classic presence, although the Early Classic remains lie entirely buried under later construction. In 633 K'inich Hix Chapat is recorded as installing two subordinate lords but little else is known of his reign, although he was probably enthroned in 595. Ruler 2 established the use of in-the-round sculptural style that came to typify the stelae of Toniná.
K'inich B'aaknal Chaak
K'inich B'aaknal Chaak was enthroned in 688, twenty years after Ruler 2, and reigned for twenty-seven years. Ballcourt 1, the larger of Toniná's two ballcourts, was dedicated in 699 to celebrate three victories over the city's arch-rival. The date of the king's death is unknown. The victory was so complete that it resulted in a ten-year gap in the dynastic history of the defeated city, during which the captured ruler may have been held hostage. Ruler 4 continued in power to celebrate the period endings of 716 and 721. A series of events during his reign were marked on monuments between 726 and 729 and in 730 he rededicated the tomb of his predecessor K'inich B'aaknal Chaak. A damaged text accompanying the image of a bound captive indicates renewed warfare with Palenque during his reign, however the name of the prisoner is lost and it is unclear if it is the actual king of Palenque or merely one of his vassals.
He was succeeded by Ruler 7, about whom even less is known.
Ruler 7 has been identified as the mysterious Lady K'awil, known from a fragmentary text on an altar disc which records her death in 774.
In 775 a text recorded the death of Lord Wak Chan K'ak', a prince who appears to have been the heir to the throne and who died before he could take power. He celebrated a series of events between 789 and 806, including the defeat of Pomoy in 789, and the capture of the ruler Ucha'an Aj Chih, who appears to have been the vassal of B'olon K'awiil of Calakmul. In 799 he rededicated the tomb of Ruler 1. Ruler 8 erected a number of sculptures of bound prisoners of war and adopted the title aj b'olon b'aak, "He of Many Captives".
The history of Toniná continued after most other Classic Maya cities had fallen, perhaps aided by the site's relative isolation.
Modern history
The first published account of the ruins was made by Fray Jacinto Garrido at the end of the 17th century. A number of visitors investigated the ruins of Toniná in the 19th century, the first being an expedition led by Guillaume Dupaix in 1808. Eduard Seler and Caecilie Seler-Sachs investigated the monuments at Toniná, publishing their reports at the turn of the 20th century. Karl Sapper visited the site in 1895 and 1896.
Site description
thumb|right|275px|The Acropolis of Toniná, occupying seven terraces upon a hillside.
The site was built on a platform covering . The principal architecture is located in the acropolis, which occupies seven south-facing terraces on the northern side of the platform, rising over the plaza below. It has a more distinct geometry than at most Maya sites, with a right-angle relationship between most structures.
Much of the public imagery of the site details the ruthless manner in which the city dealt with its enemies. A frieze on the fifth terrace probably displayed Toniná's most distinguished victims, dozens of fragments of this frieze were discovered in the plaza below.
After the abandonment of the city at the end of the Classic Period, many of the sculptures fell down the steep embankment supporting the seven terraces.
Structures
Ballcourt 1 (the Sunken Ballcourt) was dedicated in 699 by K'inich B'aaknal Chaak to mark three victories over K'inich Kan Balam II of Palenque. Sculptures of the torsos of six captured vassals of the Palenque king were used as ballcourt markers.
Ballcourt 2 is the smaller of the two ballcourts and lies in the north of the plaza, at the foot of the Acropolis.
thumb|The entrances to the Palace of the Underworld.
The Palace of the Underworld is entered via three step-vaulted arches on the eastern side of the second terrace of the Acropolis.
The Palace of Frets is located on the fourth terrace of the Acropolis. The south facade of the palace is decorated with four large stepped frets. The most important difference from monuments at other Maya sites is that they are carved in the round like statues, often with hieroglyphic text running down the spine. On the fifth terrace, in-the-round sculptures of Toniná's rulers dominated two-dimensional representations of defeated enemies.
Monument 5 was recovered from a school in Ocosingo and moved to the site museum of Toniná. It is a badly eroded life-size human statue with the head missing.
Monument 7 is carved from yellow sandstone and has suffered only minor damage. It is a stela base with well-preserved hieroglyphs on all four vertical sides and was dedicated by K'inich Ich'aak Chapat in 728. It is currently in the Museo Regional in Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Monument 8 dates to the reign of Ruler 2. It marks the period ending of 682 and shows the presentation of three war captives.
Monument 99 is an undated fragment that depicts a female captive, which is rare in Maya art.
Monument 106 is the earliest securely dated monument at the site, dating to AD 593. It depicts Ruler 1.
Monument 113 depicts Ruler 2 participating in a scattering ritual.
Monument 141 is a very well preserved hieroglyphic panel carved from fine grained white limestone with almost the whole inscription intact. It describes the dedication of a ballcourt by K'inich B'aaknal Chaak.
Monument 154 dates to the reign of K'inich Hix Chapat and records his installing of two subordinate lords in 633.]]
<!-- [[File:Teotihuacán - Palacio de Atetelco Wandmalerei 3.jpg|thumb|right|Painted mural at Teotihuacan with a very similar feathered scaffold structure.
Site museum
thumb|right|Glyph with a representation of [[Itzamna, the supreme god of creation and destruction, in the site museum of Toniná.]]
The site museum is located outside of the Toniná archaeological zone. It possesses 2 exhibition rooms and a conference room.
Artefacts in the collection include stone sculptures, ceramics and artefacts sculpted from bone, shell, obsidian and flint.