Abstract
By means of extensive bibliographical studies, this article takes us back to the first contact between the Spaniards and the Maya civilization, a chance meeting that would, in 1746, lead to the discovery of Palenque. This ancient city, known by the natives as the "Houses of Stone," fueled the curiosity of countless explorers who, over the years, explored its secrets and offered different explanations of its origin. The earliest reports from Palenque claimed it was the work of Greeks or Romans; later explorers dared to attest that the builders of Palenque and Toniná had been the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Theories abounded, but it was not until the 19th century that research of a more scientific nature began. The explorers contributing increasingly reliable data included Dupaix, Humboldt, Galindo, Corroy, Waldeck, Walker and Caddy, Stephens and Catherwood and, finally, Charnay and Maudslay, whose discovery of Yaxchilán gave birth to a more systematic style of archeology.
