A lintel is the stone beam over a doorway, and at Yaxchilán the Maya turned lintels into masterpieces. Carved on their undersides, they show kings and queens performing rituals, capturing enemies and communicating with ancestors, with hieroglyphic captions giving names and dates. Together they are among the finest relief sculptures of the ancient Americas.
The most famous series comes from Structure 23, the temple of Lady K’ab’al Xook — “Lady Xoc” — principal wife of Shield Jaguar the Great. Lintel 24 shows her drawing a thorn-studded rope through her tongue as the king holds a torch above her; Lintel 25 shows a vision serpent rising before her. Both were removed by the explorer Alfred Maudslay in the 1880s and are now in the British Museum in London. Lintel 26 is in the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City.
The Carved Lintels: what to see and do
Find the lintels still in place
Many lintels remain over doorways at the site, including those of Structure 33. Look up as you pass through doorways — and bring a torch to light the carving from the side.
See Structure 23, Lady Xoc’s temple
Her temple stands on the Grand Plaza. The famous lintels are gone, but standing in the doorway where Lintel 24 once hung is a powerful experience.
Visit the originals in London and Mexico City
Lintels 24 and 25 are displayed in the British Museum’s Mexico gallery; Lintel 26 and other Yaxchilán sculpture are in the Maya hall of the Museo Nacional de Antropología.
The Carved Lintels: how to get there
- At the site: lintels are spread across the Grand Plaza, Structure 33 and the acropolises; a guide will point out the key ones.
- In museums: the British Museum (London) and the Museo Nacional de Antropología (Mexico City).
Insider tips
- Read up before you go — knowing the stories of Shield Jaguar, Lady Xoc and Bird Jaguar IV brings the carvings alive.
- A guide who reads glyphs is worth the extra money here more than at almost any other Maya site.
- Early or late light rakes across the reliefs and makes them far easier to see.
The Carved Lintels: the best tours
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to get there:
Day trip from US$111 Palenque: Yaxchilán and Bonampak Archaeological Area Tour
The most-booked way to see Yaxchilán: an early pickup in Palenque, the drive along the Frontera highway, a lancha down the Usumacinta to the river city, then Bonampak and its painted rooms on the way back. Close to a hundred reviews and one of the lowest prices.
- Boat along the Usumacinta from Frontera Corozal
- Guided visit of Yaxchilán and the Bonampak murals
- Hotel pickup in Palenque
Day trip from US$220 Yaxchilán & Bonampak Ruins and Lacandon Jungle from Palenque
A long-running classic with dozens of reviews: the boat to Yaxchilán, the murals of Bonampak and the Lacandon rainforest in between. Priced a little higher than the basic day trips, with more of a jungle focus.
- Cruise the Usumacinta to Yaxchilán
- The painted rooms of Bonampak
- A taste of the Lacandon rainforest
