The Jolja’ Cave Project

Regional Description

Jolja’ is in a semi-tropical, deciduous forest environment. The steep sides of Misopa’ Mountain that are adjacent to the site are a mix of forest, coffee groves and corn fields. The Misopa’ Mountain range is a massive limestone formation about 18 km long and 10 km wide that runs on a northwest/southeast axis. To the east of the mountain range and running parallel with it is the Ixtelja Valley, then the low Cordon Sumidero range (400 m), the Tulijá Valley, the Don Juan Mountain range (1100 m) and finally the coastal plain. The Classic Period site of Palenque is located on the north side of the Don Juan Mountain range some 32 km northeast from Jolja’ as the crow flies (Figure 3).

Shown in Figure 3, the right dot is Palenque and the left black dot is Jolja’. Palenque is located on a ridge of hills overlooking the plain. Immediately to the south of Palenque is the Chacamax Valley. Behind the Chacamax is the massive Don Juan Mountain range. This mountain range has two peaks called Cerro Norte and Don Juan. On the south side of the Don Juan range is the Tulijá River Valley. A low mountain range separates the Tulijá Valley from the Misopa’ Mountain Range. The Ixtelja River flows down the side of Misopa’ Mountain and winds its way through a break in the lower mountain range to join with the Tulijá. Jolja’ is located at the headwaters of the Ixtelja. The Tila Valley is located on the other side of Misopa’ Mountain to the west of Jolja’.

North of Misopa’ Mountain is the El Limar Valley, the Panwitz range (600 m), the lower Tulijá River and the coastal plain. The Classic site of Tortuguero is located at the edge of the coastal plain approximately 47 km northwest of Jolja’. The Tila Valley and the mountain ranges of northern Chiapas are to the west. The town of Tumbalá is at the southeast end of Misopa’ Mountain at an altitude of 1500 m, and below Tumbalá is the Yajalón valley that leads to the Ocosingo Valley of central Chiapas. The Classic site of Toniná is located in this latter valley, 57 km southeast of Jolja’.

Tumbalá is connected by paved road to the Yajalón Valley highway. This highway, in turn, leads north to Salto de Agua via Tila or south to Highway 186 (the Palenque/San Cristóbal highway). A narrow, dirt road descends along the eastern slopes of Misopa’ Mountain, and connects Tumbalá to La Trinidad at the eastern edge of the El Limar valley. From La Trinidad, a paved highway eventually leads to Salto de Agua via the Tulijá Valley. Joloniel is situated adjacent to the Tumbalá/La Trinidad dirt road, some 19 km from Tumbalá. The only reliable all-weather route to Joloniel is from Tumbalá because the section of the road below Joloniel is so rocky, rutted and steep that it is only passable by trucks with very high clearance.

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page