What Happened To The Maya Metropolis of Palenque? - Ancient America Documentary

[@PeteKellyHistory]

In 2022 I was lucky enough to visit the ancient ruins of Palenque. One of my favourite places on the planet! Had to make a video about it.... Where are your favourite archaeological sites? Let me know in the comments!

[@bethwilliams4903]

I would love to see you film anything on the Breton sites, it has NOT all been done before and certainly not the way you would cover the material! Also, when I was in grad school the ruins (altho not so ruined!) of Akrotiri on Thera (Santorini, part of the Cycladic Bronze age, which disappeared around 1600bc) - my area was/is French and English history 1300-1500 specifically but I was sorely tempted to switch to Bronze age for Akrotiri! The Minoan script, Linear A, to my knowledge still has not been deciphered and what most intrigues me about the massive structures and artworks at Akrotiri is that the community was asymmetrical, completely, from their buildings to designs on ceramics - for someone raised on Roman and Greek art, or even the Egyptian models, a culture that is wholly asymmetrical blows my mind. I think you would be fascinated by Thera!

[@ricardoserra6392]

Karnak temple, Pompeii, Eleusis, Machu Pichu ... impossible to choose just one.

[@orionxtc1119]

Human sacrifce was it's death knell

[@bethmarriott9292]

Pete's videos always help calm me down from the edge of an anxiety attack, so thank you Pete

[@katdavenport6698]

Omgawd!! Same!

[@bethmarriott9292]

@@katdavenport6698 he's just so calm and engaging and everything is so interesting and the music is so chill and it's so visually good and distracting it's like oh yeah i remember what breathing is now

[@katdavenport6698]

@@bethmarriott9292 yes ma'am! Al so, he has become an every night staple in my bedtime routine...It's always like "OK Pete, let's rewatch Orkney for the 400th time" lolz Literally never get tired of his videos!!

[@theodoresmith5272]

Pete is a treat.

[@theg0z0n]

Check out his meat!

[@PeteKellyHistory]

This comment is a treat

[@SamWelbourneGuitar]

Great video! I love the first hand view. Thanks for sharing 🙏 and for being both realistic and poetic ✌️😎

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@bethwilliams4903]

Pete, once again I get the most disembodied feeling watching one of your extraordinary films, you produce material about places and people so remote from where we are today and yet as ethereal as they are you put them in our grasp, it’s magical, maybe it’s your calm, soft voice, or your dream like manner dealing with howler Monkeys, drenched belongings in your room or the crunching sounds underfoot as you move thru the rainforest but I feel as though we are right there too. Amazing work. Just wonderful, as usual!

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Thanks for watching. So many more on the way :)

[@danimal27]

Something about how Pete reads his script is calming yet maintains attention. Well done pete love the videos

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Thanks for watching. appreciate it

[@sizanogreen9900]

Sorry to hear about your encounter with Wolfgang. As a german myself I feel like those kind of people are sprouting like mushrooms right now...

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Ah it's alright you find these people everywhere. Strange when they are pretending to have archaeological expertise though. Much love to Germany

[@everfour5388]

I love your content, there is so litle about mesoamerica in general, thanks for enlighting the people by sharing your experience

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Its an incredible place and I have many many more videos on the way on it

[@kathleengarvey4634]

Honestly Pete, I love all your videos, but I have saved viewing this one until I can watch uninterrupted. Still waiting, but I wanted to let you know to keep posting. I find the ones you are most interested in are the ones I most enjoy. Keep doing what you do the way you do it. Keep it this real and we'll never leave.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Thanks for watching my friend. I will never stop making these videos as long as I can. Couldn't dream of doing anything else. They sometimes take a long long time to make though so thanks for sticking around.

[@GameCrafters11]

I was fortunate enough to visit Palenque for the first time in my life last July. I visited Pakal's remains in Mexico City many times in the past, but never the city where he came. That day I started thinking again about becoming an archaeologist after I get my history degree

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Just a magically beautiful place

[@daveburrows9876]

It takes a highly curious romantic with tough knees and a strong back to be an archaeologist.

[@SusanCombs-x3w]

This was amazing. Showed so much more than other channels. Great job.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Thanks for watching

[@heartsgoing]

Mayans had many religious beliefs and took part in many rituals for their faith. Great video! You always make awesome videos!

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Indeed they did. Just like all human societies. we're all very similar. all the best from the English midlands

[@Overitanne]

Thanks!

[@witthauk]

Excellent storytelling, as per usual Pete. Thanks!

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Thank you. I appreciate it

[@SimonWillig]

Never heard of the place before, so I'm grateful Pete went there and explored it for us. Hopefully this site will never be spoiled by gift shops and icecream boots.....

[@Istehomo]

Thank you Pete Kelly, this is just what I needed.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Thanks for watching

[@rheinhardtgrafvonthiesenha8185]

As far as eccentrics go Pete is my cup of tea

[@01Lenda]

Well, this was just a fabulous adventure! Thanks for sharing!

[@theodoresmith5272]

I loved palenque. Ruins, no matter how spectacular, are often spectacular because of the setting not the ruins. Let's face it, many ruins it's often little more than rocks or mud brick on top of another one. The Maya, unlike most, decorate and built there buildings a with a lot of art and style. To me, even with the Maya buildings, after 2-4 hours, they loss the bang wow factor. Well you get both and a bonus at palenque. The ruins and town are 360 in the cloud forest, not rain forest with pretty steep terrain that is pretty. The ruins are very much part of the natural settling with several building built into hills and a stream going threw it. . The 3rd is the wildlife in that area is awesome. Butterflies, hummingbirds amd howler monkey's galore. You can see many species in the ruins, which is in a nature park with lots of things to do besides the ruins. I dont number the ruins I've been to all over the world but i do know palenque was one of the top ruins and overall enjoyable places in the ruins and in the area. Also much fewer vendors than itza or teohananca.

[@mercurydime8152]

This is fabulous! Wonder if the KZbin algorithm just didn’t suggest it much? Definitely deserves to be shared!

[@nigelmorroll3343]

It's amazing and mind blowing to think that not matter how many city's or large centres have been found so fare. Yet no doubt more will be uncovered in year's to come.

[@Littlewing1974]

Thank you for sharing this video. I thoroughly enjoyed your commentary along with the scenery. I was fortunate enough to visit the Mayan temple of the sun god in Belize back in 2010 with my family. I find it all to be breathtaking and fascinating.

[@lindarichardson4986]

Thank you for the revisit. I, too, was drawn there, now 50 years ago, in the early 1970s. More submerged in the jungle and less uncovered. I and a friend accompanying me were the only people there except for a few workers uncovering the stonework. The jungle was all around, and we plunged into it seeing mounds and mounds of what we thought were surely more buildings. This was back in the day when Mayan researchers were debating the extent and contributions of Mayan communiies in the lowlands vs the highlands. We now can appreciate more the vast coverage of civilizations interacting across Mexico and Central America. I love your video, thanks!

[@dcspangler8025]

Thank you Pete. Never forget..."Many ancient astronaut theorists contend."

[@thomascampbell4237]

Excellent!! Well produced and love Pete’s style. Inspirational for my interest in Ancient Mesoamerican History!

[@jons3808]

Fascinating! Thank you for this interesting video.

[@Borj1]

I LOVE YOU PETE KELLY!!!!!!!!

[@mitorajAstar]

Peter-Your history channel is the Best 💥💫 Thank you..

[@TeresaGarcia-zk8gw]

I love this documentary

[@DrinkTheKoolAid62]

Thank you for the excellent video and stories. Having lived in Guatemala and visited Chiapas in the early '90s, seeing it again 30 years later through someone else's eyes is amazing. Much has changed but the place still seems timeless.

[@claytonfrag]

Fantastic, really enjoyed this video. im never going to get there myself, so its great to see it, i love the mayan history..

[@margo3367]

Captivating and mysterious. ✌️

[@juansanchez5001]

For sure, in my top 6 of Maya city-states. Lucky to have been there before the coronavirus.

[@barbietrink4984]

I was in Mexico from December 2009 until March of 2010 for 4 months. We traveled on our 1800 golding motorcycle 🏍. We went to 50% of the Maya Cities, including this 1. We didn't need a guide or police for any of them. Absolutely amazing history. What year were you here? What month. In our 4 months, we never saw rain. Have good friends in Chiapas. I am from Canada.

[@daveburrows9876]

The thing about guides is that they have interesting little easter eggs to share, little micro stories that caught their attention when they first heard it. I used to be kinda snobby about guides, like, I don't need that shit. In truth, I didn't need them, but hearing them, as many as possible, is an enriching aspect of the experience. I was here in 93 with my then 9 yo son. He's here right now as we watched this together. It was truly an experience of a lifetime we'll never forget, and there's so much more known now than then. We drove from near Pittsburgh and back, visiting many ancient places. Like you, we saw no trouble then either.

[@thislittlelightofmine8776]

That was very well done, and somewhere I've never heard of before! Thank you

[@angelicanavarro5311]

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Beautiful video

[@sjaakmcd1804]

Cheers Pete, awesome as ever

[@tracymcgeachie7525]

Finally got time to enjoy it from beginning to end. 👍🏻

[@Travelswithgirlbear]

Love your videos, you put so much extra work into the history of a place.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Thanks for watching. appreciate it

[@thetacokawaii5708]

​@@PeteKellyHistoryhi

[@BenSHammonds]

good show Pete

[@daves.3895]

Beautiful place! Thank you for the video.

[@claymonsterpottery]

I’m so distracted by you’re wearing shorts in such a creature infested area. This is a really fun video about your travels. Will you be doing a video that focuses more on the archaeology and what you learned while there?

[@anasevi9456]

such a beautiful site. thank you for your lovely video! I think preclassic is slept on but not much someone can to via rocking up to amend that.

[@charlesnewman6468]

I was there it was awesome. So awesome that I put some of its details in my novel.

[@Channelsearch1-dh3sv]

Another great video!

[@PenguinofD00mxxx]

Great video, I've watched it twice, thank you for sharing your trip.

[@rosem0918]

I really enjoy this video !

[@Otis-Tank]

Sound is impeccable!

[@M.M.83-U]

A very pleasant video, thanks.

[@heathervelasquez9108]

Great video!

[@theolewell7535]

thank you for this exploration

[@davidhuth5659]

What an incredible place! Too bad it has to be tainted by fake historians. Thanks for sharing your adventure!

[@ryanmorgan5677]

Just discovered this and History Time yesterday. Thank you for the great videos. History of the Mayans was incredible. Glad you call out the pseudo-scientists and the guide. Oh and by the way, the second shot you used when you talked about his grand canyon theory was actually the lower falls of the Yellowstone river - not sure if that was a bit of snark or not lol.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Hey. Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah to be honest I just put any footage at that bit . It can be anything you want it to be or something .. haha

[@joshbinder2884]

Love ur vids

[@BoogieBoogsForever]

I haven't made it there yet. Thanks for the footage. I don't know whethet that app would work as my family is from various countries.

[@icescrew1]

Awesome. Thank you @

[@rk41gator]

How sad people's gullibility can be so easily exploited by the confused or unscrupulous. It is insulting to the memory and the ancestors of the Maya! Beautiful story and its telling.

[@burrellbikes4969]

A question I have to know - was the population shift a relatively fast evacuation? Or did it decline slowly over time until just a few squatters remained, hearing stories about the “good old days”?

[@TubususCZ]

Although I'm not an expert, I think in general archeology points to the latter option. I don't know about any evidence of fast abandonment of Mayan cities. The reasons for the decline aren't clear, but there are certain theories - maybe a climate change meant that it was impossible to support such large populations in such small areas, maybe there were some conflicts that drove people away, but it probably was a combination of many factors. One of the more interesting theories that I've heard is that water supply in some cities that were getting drinking water from cenotes in city centers (so, not Palenque) got poisoned over time by mercury. You know that red paint they used for their temples made from cinnabar? That contains mercury. Combine that with the rains constantly washing it down into nearby sinkholes and in a few centuries, large parts of population are slowly poisoning themself just by drinking the water from them.

[@vondonks]

been there 3 times, twice it was sunny all day! third time we paid a local guide to take us through the surrounding jungle. I was filming and slipped on a hill and grabbed the WRONG tree for support.. you know, those ones with the espinas? I like the venus flytrap grass too. when I was there only 2% was uncovered. I've never seen LiDAR done of the site.

[@vondonks]

also.. first time I ever heard howler monkeys. wow!

[@alexdunphy3716]

I wasnt notified

[@gladysseaman4346]

Neither was I.

[@italianlifestyle7911]

Bellissimo posto🌄

[@seanpoore2428]

"Bullshit" 😂 always a great day when pete posts

[@rk41gator]

Before making Palenque, Covid sent me home. It looks like such a magical place.

[@YolandaPullman]

Was the hole at 13:26 caused by looters?

[@freerideziege6047]

Thanks for traveling places I can't go and showing it in such beautifull way. Also thank you for not falling for charlatans like Van Däniken and people who fell for his bllsht.

[@joshuagimpel2632]

Did you start this channel to fund your travels around the world? 😅 Keep up the good work

[@PeteKellyHistory]

One of the reasons for sure

[@macfilms9904]

The Yucatan must have been an unbelievable place in the Classical Maya period.

[@Jet_Rod_94]

I really thought that guy was gonna walk in front of that car!

[@debbralehrman5957]

Thanks Pete👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 🍁🍂🎃🍂🍁

[@rockweiler777]

You're doing everything right, man. Holy faw...

[@piotrgrabowski5024]

Are any temples at Palenque not taped off?

[@enamulhaquefahim4924]

Come to Asia one day, make a documentary on 13th century South Eastern Asia and Mongol rule.

[@ChefVegan]

Cheers

[@qwertyuiop1st]

I assume this adventure occurred several weeks, if not months, ago.....but bats are known reservoirs for a lot of viruses that do not play well with the human immune system, going into that little hole was Not A Good Idea. Lovely video though.

[@PRH123]

Bats and their microorganisms are OK when left alone by the us govt...

[@qwertyuiop1st]

@@PRH123 You need to study biology. There are plenty of dangerous viruses in bats, no need for your much-loved government meddling.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Hi there. Bats are just regular animals. If you keep them in cages alongside all manner of other animals for consumption then weird things can happen. If you just leave them alone in a forest then they are just bats. It's good to be in nature.

[@qwertyuiop1st]

@@PeteKellyHistory Still, they harbor a lot of viruses, and enclosed areas with bat feces and bat urine are simply not a good idea. A wide open area I wouldn't worry about even if there were a lot of bats, but an enclosed area has too many risks. (You do freaking Excellent videos.)

[@BigSnipp]

Subbed.

[@Uap-i3o]

Hello pete kelly

[@BoogieBoogsForever]

1. This is the most convoluted revenge video I've seen. 😂😂 I guess just telling the guy to fuck off wasn't an option? 2. Of course I'm kidding, and your mission of countering misinformation is noble and needed. 3. I would caution you to also be precise. You said that the media spin Chiapas as dangerous. A quick Google search (and living in Yúcatan for years) shows more that it's foreign governments which are warning against travel there. Let's avoid leading people to more distrust of the mainstream media which is, in general, a good way to get general coverage of current events. We don't want to push people further into paranoid isolation and distrust of major institutions like media and government. I say this as a plea of a North American facing the regression of my countrymen.

[@MrSdasf]

Viva EZL

[@vonderloo3184]

😂 🧠 melt. 🥤 ❤

[@dirkwyse1609]

Thanks for debunking the ridiculous "ancient astronauts" bullshit. It still lives on, people WANT to believe

[@davidjones2921]

Boost

[@denaisaacthiswasgreat.thum7598]

Mustn't have your brains melt out of your ears!

[@denaisaacthiswasgreat.thum7598]

❤❤❤

[@kats9755]

Few things make me more furious than the bullshit "ancient aliens" stuff. Jesus Christ. 🙄

[@01Lenda]

🤔 Well, we don't really know though, do we?

[@kats9755]

@01Lenda Yeah we do. Ancient humans being inventive and creative and making amazing things is infinitely more likely an explanation than "aliens came down and showed people how cuz humans are too stupid to figure things out." That ancient aliens shit is insulting to the ingenuity of the human mind.

[@crystalbluebutterfly]

Just last year??? You’re clearly no authority on this subject, no matter how British your narrator voice is!!!

[@user-McGiver]

feeding gods with human hearts... yeah!... what a ''civilization''... as much as I like your narration, I'll pass this one, thank you...

[@Arkantos117]

Is there really a need to go on about pseudo this and pseudo that? I really am sick of those terms and how they're used.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

Of course there is a need to call someone a pseudo expert. When hundreds of pounds exchange hands to someone who lies about having expertise there needs to be a name for it

[@Arkantos117]

@@PeteKellyHistory No there really isn't. It's akin to a Christian always saying, "X, who is a heretic, states this." It's nothing more than an ad hominem. It's enough to just say that their claims are unsubstantiated, outdated, wrong or discredited or to just not mention them at all. Obviously you were prompted by events on the trip to mention them this time but again, I completely disagree with describing people as pseudo anything, especially if they don't outright state themselves that they are an archeologist or w/e the science happens to be. The term is just not very specific and I think that it's unfair to be grouping swindlers who outright lie with others who just really missed the target with their beliefs. You have amateurs who are wrong and fraudsters trying to make money and yet they both can be grouped under the pseudo tag and receive the same vitriol. If an amateur astronomer makes an incorrect claim based on their observations we don't start calling them a 'pseudoastronomer', they were just wrong. The term for someone who lies about having expertise is a fraud in every other profession.

[@iamperplexed4695]

The moment you used the term psuedo-archeologist, i clicked off this video. I think Danniken was wrong but anyone that doesnt recognize that ALL archeology is "psuedo-archeology" isn't an actual historian.

[@LokiOdinson-fz8ps]

But yet stayed long enough to write a rude obnoxious reply. Ok hero.

[@iamperplexed4695]

@LokiOdinson-fz8ps not rude or obnoxious.

[@R_V_]

I am not yet at the end of the video, but as far as I've heard, he wasn't called a pseudo-archeologist, but a pseudo-intellectual.

[@PeteKellyHistory]

If someone is scamming me for their own financial gain then yes I will talk about it. It’s all good and well living on the internet with whacky theories but there is a whole world out there that suffers immensely when people lie and twist things to make money.

[@michellechambers6653]

Well done my friend. Thank You

[@chronics3311]

Excellent ! thank you for another amazing video, very lucky to able able to visit these places. need a human slave to carry some equipment ? hit me up ! :P thank you for bringing these places into my living room and your in depth story telling

[@JamesHoffa1]

neat