Our class stopped in the interior court of Palenque’s palace, and I was drawn to the multiple sets of stairways leading down into the court from all sides. My sketchbook is always with me when I travel so I can jot down notes alongside drawings, and here I made note of the interesting glyphic staircase describing Palenque’s return to regional prominence under the direction of King K’inich Janaab Pakal. The sketch proved quite useful when I referenced the readings on Palenque after the visit, and allowed me to contextualize our visit by orienting my sketch alongside maps of the site.
Caption by Crystal Wang, Class of 2018, economics major; photo by Lacey-Ann Wisdom, Class of 2017, history major