Ek' Balam

Ek’ Balam

119 mi. E of Mérida (190 km)
100 mi W of Cancún (160 km)
10 mi N of Valladolid (17 km)

This information is written in stone at the site, and is most informative:

“Commander Juan Gutiérrez Picón relates in the ‘Account of Ek’ Balam’ (1579), that Captain Francisco de Montejo granted him the capital of the district of Tiquilbalon or Ek’ Balam, containing five villages, for having been one of the conquerors of the region. According to this account, it also states that Tiquilbalon was founded and populated by the great man called Ek’Balam, who built most of the five structures at the site and that the rest were constructed by other captains, under his orders.

Ek’Balam is a Yucatec Maya name – apparently taken from this leader – which may be translated as the ‘black jaguar’ or ‘bright star-jaguar’.

The enormous dimensions of the buildings are what stand out at this site, as well as the fact that the central part is surrounded by two walls, an uncommon attribute. The most important structures are found within the walled enclosure of less than one square kilometer and distributed within two large, connected plazas, referred to as the Central and South Plazas. Numerous constructions of different sizes are found around these.

The walls have five entrances in different sections of its periphery and five sac be’oob (roads) which depart from them in the direction of the four cardinal points. The south side of the wall is a special case, as it has two entrances and two sac be’oob. The most important cultural period at Ek’Balam was the late Classic (700 – 1000 AD); however, the early inhabitants arrived earlier and remained living there until after 900 AD, as demonstrated by a few small constructions built after this date. Their characteristics are very different from the older buildings, which makes it clear that the society suffered some changes and dedicated les resources and work to construction.”

The central plaza.

Looking at the Acropolis from atop another pyramid.

As in many of the lesser known ruins, Ek’ Balam is covered in vegetation and only partially restored. All things considered, it is one of the most interesting sites in the area due to the mixtures of architectural styles that abound. Tree covered mounds stand next to reconstructed temples. Once you’ve gotten the feeling for the environment, you know those mounds are unrestored pyramids (temples) and realize how much is yet to be seen at this site.

One of many unrestored temples.

The words “Ek’ Balam” mean “dark/star/black jaguar”. I am going to go off track for a minute because of this translation. Three resources; three definitions of the word “ek’”. In learning the Mayan language, I question all this kind of stuff. I looked up Ek’ in the Diccionario Maya Popular. This word does not exist in my dictionary (there is ek, éek’, eek’ but no ek’), but check out these entries:
Ek: A bumblebee
Eek’: star
Éek’: dirty (as in dirty laundry) or dark
Éek’ Báalam: a medicinal plant of the Croton family
Báalam: jaguar
I am going to leave the title of this article as it is, but for future reference, this incredible Mayan site will be called “Eek’ Báalam” in my book and be known as STAR JAGUAR.

The view atop Acropolis with visible sacbe. In the distance you can barely make out Cobá.

Eek’ Báalam contains some of the finest sculptures in the Yucatán. It holds the record of having the longest continuously inhabited communities in the area. The “sac be’o’ob’” or white roads, raised limestone paved causeways used as footpaths between Mayan cities, are visible from the top of the tallest pyramid. On a clear day (which most days are, it seems) you can see the ruins of Cobá and Chichén Itzá as well. The sacbes lead to those ruins. Some of the white roads stretch 100 miles. One day I would like to walk the length of one of the sacbe’o’ob and feel the spirits in the jungle.

This was a walled city, much like Tulum on the Caribbean coast. The core area is 4 square miles (6 sq km). Eek Báalam was first settled in the Pre Classic era, around 100 BC. Most of the buildings in the central plaza were built around 800 AD or later. The Acropolis is one of the tallest buildings in the Yucatán standing 32 meters high (100 ft.). The size of the building is most impressive. At 520 ft (160 m) long and 200 ft (60 m) wide, it holds a series of separate chambers. Many of them are currently under restoration. They are continually finding more elaborately designed and surprisingly well preserved stucco sculptures and inscriptions. The most impressive chamber is a huge stucco frieze covered in inscriptions. The door transforms into the wide open jaws of a snake with skulls on the corners supporting unusual human winged figures, called Mayan Angels. This is an elaborate representation of the gaping mouth of the underworld god, Xibalbá.. This was only seen in the Chenes architectural style, which flourished far away in Campeche.

Winged Mayan Angels.

The frieze looking up from the ground.

There is a unique caracol (conch shaped) building, much like the one used in Chichén Itzá, a rounded building thought to be used to study the stars. There is a fine arch similar to those found in the Ruta Puuc near Uxmal and the ruins near Campeche.

Thought provoking rounded structures.

The arch, similar to Kabah and Uxmal structures.

Eek’ Báalam and nearby Yaxuná appear to have been defeated by military operations in the 11th century. Many native plants have been preserved, and Eek´ Báalam gives one the feeling of walking through a botanical garden. It is one of those destinations that beckons you to return. You know that each time you go more of the site will be accessible and understandable as the mysteries continue to be unraveled.

Unidentified flower.