Illustration of Piedras Negras in Guatemala

Piedras Negras (Black Rocks) is located on the Guatemalan side of the Usumacinta River. It is quite a large site that has sadly fallen into ruin through years of war and neglect. Piedras Negras is, by and large, inaccessible and covered by jungle foliage.

My wife and I had the opportunity to visit the site in July 2001. The journey to Piedras Negras was an adventure we shall never forget. After a great deal of research and planning and blessed with glorious weather, we met with our friend, Senor Marco, of the Xibalba Hotel in Palenque. Later in the day, he introduced us to our guide and man at arms, "Willie", a cheerful chap who reminded us of Cheech Marin.

We set off with Willie before dawn the following morning and headed south along the now paved Carretera Fronteriza del Sur some 70 kms south of Palenque. After a light breakfast, we took a 4-wheel drive truck through pastureland to Nueva Esperanza, where we disembarked and then hiked some 4 kms through the bush to reach the banks of the Usumacinta River (Sacred Monkey River) just south of Busil-Ha Falls.

After sinking in the fast moving sandbank and nearly losing all my equipment, we traveled in a launch up-river through rapids, arriving at El Porvenir, a checkpoint in a jungle clearing on the Guatemalan side about a mile south of Piedras Negras. The river was swift as we approached the small beach close to the ruins.

Little is known of the early dynastic rulers of Piedras Negras, except through several well preserved monuments and sculptured inscriptions on various stelae that provided key evidence. The noted Russian scholar, Tatiana Proskouriakoff (1909-1985), studied and illustrated Piedras Negras in depth.

We hacked our way through the jungle and eventually ascended a massive temple structure. At the very top is a plaque dedicated to Tatiana Proskouriakoff, under which her ashes are buried. I managed to bring along copies of her illustrations from the 1936 expedition to the site as inspiration for some drawings of my own. After awhile, we hiked back through the jungle and passed by an antique tractor left there by the University of Pennsylvania when it was excavating the site in the 1930’s.

Along the banks of the river is a large boulder with the emblem glyph of Piedras Negras carved on it and facing skyward. In high water it is completely covered over by the rushing river. We camped on the riverbank that night in the company of a couple of Guatemalan guards who had come down stream with provisions for the outpost. It was just our luck! Instead of heading back down river in the morning as planned, we took up their offer to go upstream in their boat all the way to the ceremonial site of Yaxchilan, some two and a half hours upriver! Due to the treacherous rapids, we would not have been able to do it without the guidance of these seasoned boatmen. This trip is recommended for experienced jungle travelers only and a knowledgeable river guide is absolutely necessary!

I would like to thank the following individuals for their inspiration and enthusiasm in encouraging me to attempt this trip: Ron Canter, Christopher Shaw, Alonzo Mendez and Tammy Ridenour (Maya Expeditions).

NOTE: At the time of this writing, Piedras Negras is threatened with the greatest catastrophe that could befall it: a proposal to build a hydro electric dam some 30 miles downstream on the Usumacinta River at Boca de Cerro. One can only wonder if the people responsible in the Mexican government are aware of the dire consequences this would bring to Piedras Negras. If such a calamity were to occur, some 18 archaeological sites could be threatened.

Piedras Negras – Guatemala, Late Classic Period.


	Piedras Negras (Black Rocks) is located on the Guatemalan side of the Usumacinta River. It is quite a large site that has sadly fallen into ruin through years of war and neglect. Piedras Negras is, by and large, inaccessible and covered by jungle foliage. My wife and I had the opportunity to visit the site in July 2001. The journey to Piedras Negras was an adventure we shall never forget. After a great deal of research and planning and blessed with glorious weather, we met with our friend, Senor Marco, of the Xibalba Hotel in Palenque. Later in the day, he introduced us to our guide and man at arms, "Willie", a cheerful chap who reminded us of Cheech Marin. We set off with Willie before dawn the following morning and headed south along the now paved Carretera Fronteriza del Sur some 70 kms south of Palenque. After a light breakfast, we took a 4-wheel drive truck through pastureland to Nueva Esperanza, where we disembarked and then hiked some 4 kms through the bush to reach the banks of the Usumacinta River (Sacred Monkey River) just south of Busil-Ha Falls. After sinking in the fast moving sandbank and nearly losing all my equipment, we traveled in a launch up-river through rapids, arriving at El Porvenir, a checkpoint in a jungle clearing on the Guatemalan side about a mile south of Piedras Negras. The river was swift as we approached the small beach close to the ruins. Little is known of the early dynastic rulers of Piedras Negras, except through several well preserved monuments and sculptured inscriptions on various stelae that provided key evidence. The noted Russian scholar, Tatiana Proskouriakoff (1909-1985), studied and illustrated Piedras Negras in depth. We hacked our way through the jungle and eventually ascended a massive temple structure. At the very top is a plaque dedicated to Tatiana Proskouriakoff, under which her ashes are buried. I managed to bring along copies of her illustrations from the 1936 expedition to the site as inspiration for some drawings of my own. After awhile, we hiked back through the jungle and passed by an antique tractor left there by the University of Pennsylvania when it was excavating the site in the 1930’s. Along the banks of the river is a large boulder with the emblem glyph of Piedras Negras carved on it and facing skyward. In high water it is completely covered over by the rushing river. We camped on the riverbank that night in the company of a couple of Guatemalan guards who had come down stream with provisions for the outpost. It was just our luck! Instead of heading back down river in the morning as planned, we took up their offer to go upstream in their boat all the way to the ceremonial site of Yaxchilan, some two and a half hours upriver! Due to the treacherous rapids, we would not have been able to do it without the guidance of these seasoned boatmen. This trip is recommended for experienced jungle travelers only and a knowledgeable river guide is absolutely necessary! I would like to thank the following individuals for their inspiration and enthusiasm in encouraging me to attempt this trip: Ron Canter, Christopher Shaw, Alonzo Mendez and Tammy Ridenour (Maya Expeditions). NOTE: At the time of this writing, Piedras Negras is threatened with the greatest catastrophe that could befall it: a proposal to build a hydro electric dam some 30 miles downstream on the Usumacinta River at Boca de Cerro. One can only wonder if the people responsible in the Mexican government are aware of the dire consequences this would bring to Piedras Negras. If such a calamity were to occur, some 18 archaeological sites could be threatened.

Piedras Negras – Guatemala, Late Classic Period.