Xpujil – Campeche – Mexico

Posted on 25/06/2023 by Michael

Xpujil

Xpujil – Campeche

Location

The archaeological area is situated due west of the village of Xpujil, on Federal Road 186 between Chetumal (120 km east) and Escarcega (150 km west). The central part of the base of the Yucatan Peninsula witnessed the emergence of Rio Bee architecture at several settlements between the 6th and 8th centuries AD. One of the sites that exemplifies this style is Xpuhil, situated at the west end of the almost homonymous town of Xpujil, the administrative centre of the municipality of Calakmul. The name Xpuhil is derived from the Yucatec Maya language and there are two hypotheses about its origin. Certain authors point out the name of a plant whose flowers resemble the tail of a feline: xpuhil, ‘cat’s tail’ (Cladium jamaicense); others believe the toponym refers to a ‘hunting place’: puh, ‘tracking, hunting’, //, ‘place of’.

Timeline, site description and monuments.

Most of the constructions visible today at the preHispanic site were built between AD 600 and 800. At the entrance to the archaeological area are several monumental mounds as yet unexcavated and covered by vegetation. The path leads to Structure IV, which is composed of a platform over 30 m long, at the centre of which rises a 5-m-high pyramid. Flanking the pyramid are two rooms with entrances on their east or main side. The exterior walls display a pair of crosses, forming a chessboard pattern; the gaps must have also been used to ventilate and cool the interior. Inside the rooms are low, wide benches, the fronts of which are decorated with symbolic motifs.

Structure III is similar to the previous one but has no pyramid. Situated on a solid masonry platform are four rooms comprising spacious benches; the centre of one of these is decorated with various small drums that are reminiscent of Puuc elements. The rooms were originally covered by corbel vaults and have been identified as the dwelling spaces of high-ranking figures in the ancient city. A little further west lies another mound, unexcavated, and on its north side another platform supports Structure II, a palatial complex with six rooms around a central courtyard. The access stairway is situated on the east side and has broad balustrades. The far west end of the archaeological area is occupied by the monumental Structure I, which stands atop a 60×30 m platform. The most outstanding elements of this construction are the three towers, two at the sides and one in the middle of the rear facade. There are 12 rooms distributed according to the cardinal points, most of them containing benches. Six rooms arranged in pairs can be accessed from the east side. The three facades have been lost and only parts of the stacks of stylised masks flanking the entrances can still be seen today. At the north and south ends of the building, behind each of the lateral towers, are two rooms. The other two rooms face west and are accessed from the west, being situated on both sides of the central tower. With their rounded corners and non-functional stairways, the towers are typical of Rio Bec architecture. The steps used to be adorned by three giant stone mosaic masks of Itzamnaaj, and each of the towers culminated in a false temple with a roof comb. The facade of these shrines repeated the ubiquitous image of the principal deity, with an open mouth surrounded by curved teeth, ear ornaments, a nose ring, volutes and associated symbols. The north and south towers must have once stood approximately 18 m high, and the central one, much better preserved, is 23 m high. The south tower has an interior staircase rising to a somewhat higher point than the roofs of the rooms.

No sculptures or stelae have been recorded at Xpuhil. During the restoration works of the north and south towers of Structure I in the 1970s, two flint knives left by the Maya builders were found at a height of approximately 15 m. The pieces were finely carved and were uncovered in the sections corresponding to the upper masks, which had been lost years earlier. One of the knives is shaped like a laurel leaf, while the other has notches along the edges and still has traces of red and blue pigments. Both pieces are on display at the Archaeology Museum of Campeche.

Xpujil

Importance and relations

The archaeological area open to visitors is only part of what was the ancient settlement. In certain blocks in the modern town of Xpujil, as well as in the surrounding area, it is still possible to see traces of the monumental architecture built by the ancient Maya. Even so, the urban development has practically erased them. In preHispanic times Xpuhil must have had strong links with nearby sites such as Becan and Chicanna to the west, and Payan and Okolhuitz to the east. These coexisted on the Caribbean route with the towns of Nicolas Bravo, Kohunlich, Dzibanche, Butron and Xulha

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp336-337.

Xpuhil

1-6. Structures I to VI

Getting there:

The site entrance is only a short walk from the area that the buses and combis stop, in Xpujil town, on the main highway between Chetumal and Puerto Escarsega. Follow the road west, on the right hand side and the entrance is to the right of the pavement, just as the road starts to climb slightly.

GPS:

18d 30’ 38’ N

89d 24’ 22” W

Entrance:

M$70

More on the Maya

Oxtankah – Quintana Roo – Mexico

Posted on 11/06/2023 by Michael

Oxtankah

More on the Maya

Oxtankah – Quintana Roo

Location

This archaeological area is situated 16 km north of Chetumal and barely 1 km from the Caribbean coast in a flat and slightly uneven area. The surrounding vegetation is tropical and of low to medium height. The climate is damp and hot. The Yucatec Maya word that refers to the site means ‘three towns’: ox, three; tankah, settlement. It may well be a reference to the three communities that occupied this area in the 16th century. In order to facilitate the political and economic control over Indian villages, the Spanish authorities would ‘reduce’ or group several towns into a single place.

Timeline and site description

The different explorations have revealed that the earliest ruins date from the Preclassic period. The settlement prospered and built major works in the Peten style throughout the Early Classic and was then abandoned in the Classic period, around AD 900. It was then reoccupied, albeit with a smaller population, in the Postclassic (AD 1000-1500) and finally appears to have been the site of several indigenous communities under Spanish rule. This explains the existence among the pre-Columbian constructions of a ruined chapel from the 16th century.

Oxtankah is a medium-sized site with several constructions open to the public; most of the remaining ones are covered by vegetation. In some of the platform groups the Maya built chultunes or underground cisterns. The Plaza of the Columns, which is situated south of the area open to the public, is surrounded by several constructions. The most important of these is Temple VI, where five tombs with their grave goods, possibly corresponding to rulers of the site, have been found. Situated in the central part of Oxtankah is another group of constructions and platforms of varying sizes, called the Plaza of the Bees. Temple I has also been excavated, revealing the tombs of two other dignitaries. Meanwhile, in the northern section of the site are the ruins of a viceregal chapel built in the 16th century and occupied until the middle of the following century.

Importance and relations

Oxtankah was a community that expanded during the early centuries of the Common Era due to the exploitation of the marine and coastal resources, the concentration of a relatively large population and intense participation in two coastal routes: one leading north, to Ascension Bay and the Bay of the Holy Spirit; and one leading south, to the coast and sites in northern Belize. Its contact with inland places may have supplied coastal products and materials to sites such as Xulha, Resbalon, Kohunlich and Dzibanche.

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, p357

Getting there:

From Chetumal. Either a taxi from Chetumal or – take a combi from the main combi station behind the Museum of Mayan Culture that goes to Calderitas. Get off at the last stop (where the combi does a u-turn and heads back to Chetumal) and take the road to the right. At the bottom turn right and you will see a sign post showing Oxtankah being 6 kilometres away. Try to get a lift or walk – but it will be hot. If you get there you will probably be ab le to get a lift back to Calderitas from one of the staff on their motorbike, M$50.

GPS:

18d 36’ 29.68” N

88d 14’ 00.72” W

Entrance:

M$70

More on the Maya

Kohunlich – Quintana Roo – Mexico

Posted on 11/06/2023 by Michael

Kohunlich

More on the Maya

Kohunlich – Quintana Roo

Location

The site is situated 70 km west of Chetumal. Take Federal Road 186 and when you reach the village of Francisco Villa there is a turn-off to the south (10 km) which leads to the archaeological site. The pre-Hispanic city occupies a flat area and the adjacent hills with patches of medium-height rainforest and groups of corozo palms. Situated in a low area north-east of the settlement is an aguada approximately 50 m in diameter which provides water all year round and was fundamental for the ancient inhabitants. The name of the pre-Hispanic site is a corruption of the English words ‘cohune’ (corozo palm) and ‘ridge’. It appears to have been coined in the mid-20th century by Yucatec Maya speakers who had difficulty pronouncing the ‘r’ sound.

Timeline and site description

The archaeological explorations indicate that the site was first occupied around the 5th century BC. It continued to grow during the Early Classic (AD 250-600), reached its peak in the Late Classic (AD 600-900) and was abandoned around AD 1100. The tour of the site can take several hours if you want to explore the excavated spaces in detail. The best-known buildings are situated in the core area of the settlement: the Pyramid of the Masks, the Ball Court and the Acropolis are perhaps the most interesting, but the Pixaan, 27 Steps and Yaxna groups are also worth seeing.

Pyramid of masks.

This construction in the Peten style adopts the form of a four-tier platform with a temple at the top comprising five very narrow rooms. The corners are rounded and it has a single stairway, on the west side, flanked by stucco masks. The faces symbolise the sun god at various points of its passage across the firmament. The construction is approximately 25 m long and 20 m wide, and stands nearly 11 m high, not including the guano palm roof that protects the stucco pieces. During the second half of the 20th century the masks were illustrated as symbols of Quintana Roo.

Pixaan group.

This is situated some 200 m southwest of the Pyramid of Masks on a natural mound. It comprises several constructions, the most imposing of which is the one that is located north of the group and faces south. It is accessed via a wide terrace and had four generous-sized rooms, revealing its former importance. To the west and south lie other constructions, also with several rooms but this time of smaller proportions. Most of the constructions display features typical of the Rio Bec style.

27 steps group.

This is reached by following the path situated south-west of the Pixaan Group. It was thus called because of the various flights of steps leading to the group of buildings at the top of the hill. In this upper section there is a rectangular courtyard surrounded by several masonry buildings with rooms of a residential nature. The deliberate east-west orientation of the courtyard is plain to see, as well as the arrangement of the works on several levels in relation to the latter. Situated south-east of the main group are various other constructions also near the top of the hill.

Ball court.

This is situated north of the Pixaan Group. Oriented east-west, the court is approximately 60 m long and just over 10 m wide. Like the majority of the constructions on the site, the walls are clad with regular-shaped limestone veneer stones. No stone ring or any other fragments have been found.

Merwin plaza.

This rectangular space west of the Ball Court is surrounded by four elongated buildings. The west construction is fronted by pairs of columns, providing access to the interior, and the constructions on the north and south sides also had several entrances formed by pilasters. At the centre of the plaza lies a quadrangular platform.

Temple of the stelae.

This monumental space is situated north of Merwin Plaza. It takes its name from the various monoliths that can be seen on the east stairway. Its principal axis runs north-south and it had several rooms accessed from the east and west. A masonry roof comb displays six stucco figures seated on a type of throne that adopts the form of a giant mask of the Earth Monster or Sacred Mountain. The figures may have represented rulers of Kohunlich.

Acropolis.

This is an irregular quadrangle (60×45 m) with a single access on the west side and an average height of 10 m, the result of several construction phases. Parts of towers with steep non-functional stairways typical of Rio Bec architecture have been recorded on the east and south sides. These were added in ancient times as fillings for the Acropolis. In the upper section is a large courtyard with several rooms on the south and west sides. The constructions in the south-west section seem to have been the latest additions, around AD 1000.

Road group.

Just west of Merwin Plaza are several platforms that have not yet been excavated, ranging in height from one to two metres. Together, they form three parallel roads or long corridors approximately 100 m in length. They are not unlike the ‘avenues or roads’ reported at Chacchoben, north of Bacalar, or those recorded at Chichmuul, 40 km further north.

North-west group.

This is situated west of the Acropolis and represents another set of rooms formerly covered by corbel vaults. Some of them have benches and many display various modifications. The majority were used for residential purposes.

Yaxna plaza.

This monumental space with its platforms and pyramids is situated some 600 m north-west of the previous group. Only a few of the buildings have been excavated. These comprise both residential and worship functions, dedicated to the memory of high-ranking officials. The ceramic materials of the offerings that have been found are from the Early Classic (AD 250-550).

Importance and relations

Kohunlich boasts major examples of Peten architecture as well as constructions that bear witness to the emergence of the Rio Bec style and its gradual transformation. It is therefore a key point for beginning to gain an understanding of the bygone societies south of the site, which were closely linked to those of northern Belize and south-eastern Campeche. Meanwhile, the analysis of the various types of housing and grave goods belonging to the different social classes will undoubtedly shed light on the composition and political integration of Kohunlich down through the ages.

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp346-347

How to get there:

From Chetumal. From the combi station behind the Museum of Mayan Culture take the Nicolas Bravos bound combi and get off at Francisco Villa – about an hour. M$60. The turn off to the site is to the left of the direction of travel. Try and hitch or encourage someone to give you a lift on the back of their motorbike. Pay between M$50 and M$100.

Once at the site ask if anyone can give you a life to the junction. That seems to be a M$50 standard.