TENAM PUENTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONE HOW TO GET THERE Chiapas is located in southeastern Mexico. It shares its borders with Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz the Pacific Ocean and Guatemala. Tenam Puente is situated in the municipality of Comit·n de DomĖnguez in the so called Frontier Region. You can only reach Tenam Puente by road. Take the highway from the capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, to Comitan. Ten kilometers south of the city you will see a turnoff for a dirt road that leads to the ruins. BACKGROUND The word "Tenam" is a Nahuatl word which means fortress; while the word "Puente" is a hang over from the name of a turn of the century hacienda on which the ruins are presently located; however, the "hacienda" no longer exists, being replaced by communal lands. The main period of occupation corresponds to the Classical and Early Post-Classical Periods, at which time Maya sites were abandoned in the central region (currently the Peten in Guatemala). Tenam Puente was mentioned for the first time in the book "Tribus y Templos" edited by Frans Blom and Oliver La Farge in 1928. DESCRIPTION The archaeological zone of Tenam Puente is built on a strategically chosen site high on a mountain top that overlooks the valley of Comit·n, which extends as far as the Lakes of Montebello in the eastern sector of Chiapas. The territorial extension of this pre-Hispanic settlement stretches out for two square kilometers over which diverse constructions of a civic and religious nature were built. The complex also included dwellings. Tenam Puente was constructed over large platforms with monumental containing walls, the access narrowing as you ascend. These enormous walls were arranged in five levels, creating open and closed plazas around which the main buildings were grouped, some of which characteristically have stone ramp-like buttresses. Some other outstanding features are the three ball courts and the acropolis with structures four and seven. ACTIVITIES This is a great place for archaeology and camera buffs. It is also near several other points of interest: the Lakes of Montebello and CristÛbal Colon; the archaeological site of Chinkultic; or old haciendas that date back to the nineteenth century. RECOMMENDATIONS Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and shoes with non-slip soles since you will be doing some climbing. Be sure to bring along your camera because the view is truly spectacular.