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The city which the Spanish named Palenque was called "Lakamha'" (Great Water) by the ancient Maya, and was the capital of the Baak kingdom, governed by a "k'uhul ajaw" (divine king).

Palenque's golden age began with the ruler Pacal (Shield), who was enthroned in 615 at the age of 12. Among his achievements was the construction of the famous Temple of Inscriptions. Inside this temple, a steep staircase leads down to a burial chamber first discovered in 1952, in which Pacal was laid to rest in 683. Under his oldest son, Chan-Bahlum (Snake-Jaguar, who ruled until 702), the arts continued to flourish.

At the end of the 8th century, the residents of Lakamha' (or Palenque) began to leave the city. The last recorded date is 799.

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