Archeologists Uncover Grisly Realities In Ancient Mayan Cities
The Mayan civilization may have started as far back as 7,000 BCE but was brought to an end in the 17th Century by Spanish colonization. Yet, while that civilization fell, its grand structures and cultural artifacts have remained centuries later.
While it’s true that an ancient Mayan calendar shocked thousands into thinking the world would end in 2012, the large, finely crafted ruins that now stand throughout southeastern Mexico and Central America are testament to this civilization. Since the Mayan civilization lasted for thousands of years, that means archaeologists never ran out of Mayan artifacts to discover.
A Staircase To Nowhere
Although this stone staircase must have been very well-constructed to last millennia, it doesn’t seem like the building it once led up to shares its good fortune. Known as Structure 36, this staircase is found at the Dzibilchaltun Archaeological Zone in Merida, Mexico.
As was common for ancient Mesoamerican empires, there’s a pyramid-like design to these limestone steps. Although they seem tricky to navigate, it’s worth remembering that it’s impressive that erosion hasn’t worn them down beyond the capacity for climbing them at all.
A Breathtaking Architectural Marvel
Although there is no shortage of photos of Mayan pyramids like this, few replicate the experience of seeing these towering behemoths in person quite like this. Thanks to the tiny-looking people gathering around it, it’s easy to get a sense of how massive it truly is.
This is the Temple Of Kukulkan El Castillo, which is a landmark structure in the Chichen Itza Mayan ruins in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. Considering how monolithic Egyptian pyramids tend to look, it’s certainly unusual to see a temple so dramatically dwarfed by the staircase leading up to it.
The Mayans Had As Much Finesse As Structural Knowledge
Although the ancient Mayans could build some impressive and long-lasting temples, their construction projects had as many artistic considerations behind them as practical ones. Since the Mayans believed in over 250 different deities, it’s fairly easy to understand why they built so many temples honoring them.
Indeed, as with most religions of past and present, it was common for them to carve supernatural figures into the stonework of those temples. Although this is one of the smaller buildings at Chichen Itza, it’s possible that the mural chiseled into it was intended to invoke a fertility god or goddess.
There’s Always More To Discover
While it’s unclear exactly what they had uncovered up to the point this photo was taken, the fact that these archaeologists were working in Chichen Itza as recently as 2023 makes it clear that there are far more treasures to discover in these Mayan ruins.
What is clear is that the blocks that make up the temple in the background have all been marked with special designations. Whether they were dismantling the ruined temple or rebuilding it according to its original design, they had to plan it carefully.
Hard At Work Poking Through Rough Terrain
It’s often hard to tell what leads archaeologists to suspect that a specific patch of ground has artifacts resting under it. They accompany builders during big construction projects on the off-chance the workers find anything but these ruins are too old and precious for that.
So unless someone discovered something ancient by accident in this area, it would be interesting to know why these archaeologists started digging under these rocks in search of Mayan artifacts. Granted, chances are good they would find something in many areas of Chichen Itza.
Up Close And Personal
Although the photographer behind this image didn’t reveal the names of these archaeologists or what they expected to find, this close shot provides a good idea of what their process is like.
Once they have reason to believe something is in a given area in Chichen Itza, they cordon off the area to ensure people know not to stumble into their work sites. Since major equipment runs the risk of damaging valuable artifacts, they then patiently use simple tools to slowly uncover them.
The Undiscovered Sophistication Of Their Art
One thing that immediately jumps out about Mayan temples and pyramids is how ornate the stone work is on them. Even a skilled mason would have a long and difficult road ahead of them if they tried to recreate this.
As with the work of the masters of the Renaissance and the centuries of European art that came before, it’s amazing what people can accomplish when they feel their work has divine inspiration behind it. It’s unclear who these mosaics are intended to honor, but it was clearly a venerated deity.
Not Every Building Was On Top Of A Pyramid
Although the grand Mayan temples seemed to adhere to the elaborate pyramid designs seen at Chichen Itza, the Mayans were like any other civilization in that their temples were accompanied by buildings that served practical purposes.
As this photo from the site’s Monjas complex shows, these buildings weren’t any less elaborate in their stonework than the places of religious worship. However, the fact that this was supposed to be an ancient nunnery suggests its architecture is similar to the temples for a reason.
A Much More Distinct Design
Although many of the structures at Chichen Itza are adorned with elaborate stonework that’s hard for anyone besides an ancient Mayan or a particularly learned archaeologist to interpret, this one stands out for having a much simpler decorative theme.
That’s not to say that it isn’t sophisticated in its artistry or impressive in its scale, but it means that most people can recognize that this wall is full of skull images. That said, that could be for an obscure reason if this wasn’t intended to be a mausoleum or similar burial chamber.
There Are Ruins All Over The Yucatan Peninsula
Although it’s true that Chichen Itza is the site of a dizzying array of Mayan ruins, it’s far from the only place in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula that holds them. As this aerial view shows, these ruins are nowhere near what looked like a bustling ancient city.
Instead, these ones can be found at the Ek Balam archaeological site near the city of Valladolid. As with other former temples, it seems that the staircases leading up to them had a better chance of survival than the structures themselves.
Imagine What This Looked Like When It Was New
Whether due to the actions of 17th Century Spanish conquistadors or the unpredictability of nature, archaeologists will often find that some Mayan structures are better preserved than others. That seems particularly evident when the brightness of this elaborate stonework is considered.
Although much of that stonework was preserved in other temples, there’s such a bright cleanliness to this particular mosaic that it looks like it was completed recently rather than hundreds of years ago. It’s especially remarkable considering how much time has affected the other structures at Ek Balam.
Hard Yet Delicate Work
As much as the Indiana Jones series makes archaeology look like a path of daring adventure, those who do that job will often find it’s more about patience, finesse, and endurance than intrepid courage.
Considering that they have to both move these big rocks and do so without damaging any artifacts, it takes equal parts strength and gracefulness to be an effective archaeologist. Since the tools used are also selected for minimizing risk to the artifacts, it’s also often slow, gradual work.
The Work Appears To Get Results
After long enough, the archaeological team that carefully worked at this site in Chichen Itza dug deep enough to yield some promising results. Again, it’s unclear what exactly they uncovered but there’s a clear sign that they found something interesting.
After all, the other rocks in their shallow pit appear standard and discarded while the team prepared to look under them. However, that big, whiter block of rock between the two men in the foreground appears to have been kept intact for a reason. Either the rock itself is something important or an artifact is locked within it.
It Looks Almost Cozy
While it’s pretty easy to see the significance of the buildings with elaborate stonework in Mayan ruins, not even ancient civilizations with a lot of time on their hands put that kind of effort into all of their buildings.
Just like anywhere else, the Mayan civilization also had its share of humble residences meant to give people permanent shelter from the elements. Considering how Spartan this building at Ek Balam archaeological site looks compared to other ruins, it seems likely that its purpose was purely practical.
This Was Once An Important Building To So Many People
This staircase in Chichen Itza leads up to yet another ruined building that seems to only have its foundation remaining. However, that doesn’t appear to have stopped archaeologists from figuring out its former purpose when it stood.
Indeed, if any Mayans from Chichen Itza could travel forward in time, they’d likely be saddened to see it like this. That’s because this was an ossuary dedicated to the tomb of the Great Priest, which meant he had to be quite the venerated spiritual leader to inspire such a grand monument.
This Structure Is Practically Hanging By A Thread
In the far background, we can see two tourists visiting some Mayan ruins at San Gervasio, which is on the Mexican island of Cozumel. Considering that this photo was taken during the 1990s, it’s unclear whether the archway they’re approaching even exists anymore.
After all, only one long, flat rock seemed to connect the sides of this ancient gate at the time. So much can happen in 30 years that it’s not impossible that this rock fell off a long time ago.
The Ruins Of Entire Ancient Cities Remain Intact
Although Chichen Itza may be the most well-known archaeological site to house a former Mayan community, the ancient civilization had many such grand cities before the onset of contact with and colonization by the Spanish Empire.
Here, we can see a panoramic view of one of them, which now resides in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Back when the Mayan civilization still stood, this was a city called Tonina, as that’s now the name of the archaeological site. The place’s original name meant “house of stone.”
It’s Taller Than It Looks
This structure may look a little different from the Mayan projects seen thus far, but it stands out for being particularly large. Known as El Castillo, this 57-foot castle is considered the tallest pyramid in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
El Castillo stands in the Sian Ka’an world biosphere reserve, which was designated as such by UNESCO. It’s also the landmark structure for the ancient Mayan city of Chunyaxche, which is often known as Muyil in modern times.
A Familiar Feature Of Mayan Architecture
Whether they’re the ancient Mayan equivalent of gargoyles or just decorative patterns, it’s clear that elaborate stone carvings like this were a common feature for the grander Mayan buildings. That was true at Chichen Itza but in this case, it’s also a feature of a building in a Mayan town that was once called Uxmal.
Considering that elaborate stone mosaics like this typically honored one of the 250+ Mayan gods, it’s reasonable to conclude that this was once a house of worship. It was certainly unusual to see common residences look like this.
Ancient Storytelling Preserved
Although many of the elaborate stone mosaics that adorned ancient Mayan buildings were religious in nature, that wasn’t the extent of Mayan cultural expression. After all, this stucco frieze on the Temple of Kukulkan in the Mayan city of Mayapan doesn’t depict any of the civilization’s many deities.
Instead, the figure on the left was the star of a legend about a warrior. The image stands next to a headless being, and it’s probable that it looked like that when the Mayan civilization still stood. That’s because that alcove was likely intended for the heads of sacrificial victims.
