Ebook: Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions 6.1 (Tonina)

The ruins are located near the town of Ocosingo, on a range of foothills that forms the northern edge of the Ocosingo Valley. The range of hills is, in fact, one of the many limestone ridges that run roughly northwestsoutheast through the state of Chiapas and into Guatemala. The ridge on which the ruins lie is intersected by small seasonal streams which flow into the Rio de la Virgen or the Rio ]atate, the two rivers that form the Ocosingo Valley.

The main group of ruins is located immediately to the west of one of these seasonal tributaries of the Rio Jatate. The hillside on which the ruins lie was modified by the ancient Maya into a series of terraces rising above a large plaza.

Tonina can be reached quite easily by road from Ocosingo. The journey, some 13 km long, takes about 30 to 40 minutes. From the central square of Ocosingo, one travels southeast on the road running immediately in front of the church. This road (l~ Calle Oriente) is virtually straight until the outskirts of town are reached. At this point, the road swings left shortly before reaching a fork (1.1 km from the square). One follows the left arm of the fork and continues another 1.9 km before reaching a second fork. Again, the left branch should be taken. Four kilometers from the square, the road passes over a bridge spanning the Rio de la Virgen. At 6.2 km and 7.2 km, fords are crossed, and at 8.2 km is another junction and the first signpost to the ruins! The right arm of the fork should be taken here. At 10.2 km is another ford, and at 12.2 km is a ranch which lies at the entrance to the track to the ruins. At this point is another signpost; one turns left off the main road and veers back in the direction of Ocosingo. Almost immediately, one passes over a cattle grid, and at 12.9 km another grid serves as the entrance to the Tonina ranch. At 13.0 km is the ranch. The site museum, which is the official entrance to the ruins, is located to the right of the road. The parking area and new museum lie about 0.4 km farther on, and just beyond them - across the arroyo - are the ruins.

The first mention of Tonina was made by Fray Jacinto Garrido, who lived at the end of the seventeenth century. His description of the site was used as the basis for a passage in the Isagoge Historico Apologetico (anon. 1892, pp. 108-109). The passage is quoted, in translation, by Blom and La Farge (1926-1927, vol. 2, pp. 259-260).

In 1808 Guillaume Dupaix visited Tonina and published a brief description of the site, which is accompanied by illustrations by Antonio Castaneda (1834, vol. 1, Premiere Partie, Troisieme Expedition, pp. 10-13, and vol. 2, Premiere Partie, Troisieme Expedition, pIs. 8-10; Kingsborough 1831-1848, vol. 4, pis. 9-10, vol. 5, pp. 291-294, vol. 6, pp. 470-472; Alcina Franch 1969, pp. 189-194, pIs. 88-91). Four monuments are included among Castaneda's drawings: Monuments 9 and 25 and two other monuments which Dupaix saw in the town hall of Ocosingo but which have not been seen since.

Juarros (1823, p. 19) made brief mention of Tonina under the name Tulha.

John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood visited Tonina in 1840 (Stephens 1841, vol. 2, pp. 255-261). Unfortunately, however, only a brief description of two monuments, without illustrations, was published.