Oxkintok Ruinas Story

On Sunday, July 5th, we drove south of Mérida on the Ruta Puuc, an area dotted with ruins, cenotes and underground caverns. We found Oxkintok by accident. It was a surprisingly impressive discovery. As we drove the final four kilometers on the gravel road we were surrounded by partial ruins and unrestored pyramids. Thirty groups of buildings have been discovered at the site. Of those, three main groups have been restored in an 8 sq. km. area. The Ah May, Ah Canul and Ah Zib Groups each from separate eras of life in Oxkintok.


Archaelogists have become excited about Oxkintok in the past several years. This site is located halfway between Celestún on the Gulf Coast and Dzibilchaltún north of Mérida. The three centers are connected by sacbes, or raised white roads. In fact, the number of large constructions at Oxkintok and the abundance of sacbes proves there was a major political, economical and cultural exchange; the Maya had contact with the center of México as well as other Meso-American groups.


They've found inscriptions in the architecture here dating back to the 'Early Oxkintok' phase (300-500 AD) that tell of the Pre-Classic history of life in 300 BC. One of the large structures looks much like the pyramids of Teotihuacán outside of México City, a major Aztec site.

Oxkintok Ruinas

Buildings in Ah Canul Group dating back to 500-600 AD.


(I am unable to move these photos around. They are out of order. I'm going to have to wing it and post the information separately.)

Evidence of two distinct building styles and phases, Ah Canul Group.







The above photos taken of courtyard in the Ah Canul Group.

The road to ruins.


The grounds were extensive and nicely manicured. It was really peaceful there.

The largest restored pyramid in the Ah May Group.

The labyrinth.

Labná

Labná, or "Casa Vieja" in Mayan, is located 122 kms. south of Mérida along Hwy 261, or more commonly known as LA RUTA PUUC. "Puuc" means "hilly" or "hills", thus also describes the typical architecture found in this area. Several ruins are located in the vicinity which might be the only part of Yucatán state that is not as flat as a cornfield in Iowa.

Labná is treated as a lesser known ruin because only an area of 300 square meters is open to visitors. Its numerous buildings are spread out over a much larger unrestored, undiscovered area. It is believed at least 3000 Maya lived here between the years 600-900 AD.

The main structures are connected by a series of sacb'e(o'ob) (white roads), the longest of which is shown in the photo below.

Labná is a great day trip from Mérida. We got off to a late start the day we went and didn't stop at other Puuc ruins that day. When we got there we were the only visitors on the site. The temples and buildings are set in an open flat area that is nestled in the Puuc. Other than the manicured lawn, the area is lush with vegetation and birdlife. The caretakers of the area are very laid back, and we took the opportunity to practice some of our Mayan language skills with them. They sell cold drinks and memorabilia and talk story with the visitors.

The first thing you see entering the site is the Palacio. It is one of the longest buildings in the region, very decoratively carved and quite well preserved. There are many impressive and unique carvings, including several of Chak, the rain god.

Contemplating the Palacio is Lynne, visiting from Alaska. This was the first Mayan ruin site she had ever visited.


Looking down the length of the main section of El Palacio.

This is the kind of place I can sit and think for hours about what all this means. A visit to Labná makes for an inspiring location to write or draw.

Chak mask.

Looking at El Palacio from afar. The lawn is inviting, isn't it?

This is a reconstruction of Labná's most famous feature, the corbeled arch, connected to the Palacio by a long sacbé. This scan from the book "El Mundo Maya Reconstruido" written by...as far as I can tell, several contributors. It shows the arch as it was thought to have been a link between two enclosed courtyards.

Today the arch stands alone and connects two separate open plazas.

The Puuc architecture is known for its corbeled arches. The one below is part of the Palacio and we were in awe of its construction.

The longest sacbé here begins at the Palacio and leads to el Mirador, a pyramid topped by a temple topped by a Petén style facade. The pyramid is mostly rubble and cannot be climbed. The temple at the top is positioned to be a lookout, hence the name, El Mirador. It's a good example of the Maya building over sites, adding to sites, and the changes that occurred throughout their time.

Next time I head down the Ruta Puuc, I'll get an earlier start so we can stop at Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil and Xlapak, all nearby. All in due time, folks. We'll visit them all.

Copán Ruinas, Honduras

Sculpture of the glyph "zero" in the Grand Plaza.



Tikal has impressive tall temples. Palenque’s pride is its limestone relief panels. Copán is famous for its sculpture and hieroglyphics. As one of the most important Mayan sites, more hieroglyphs have been found here than at any other archaeological site, offering more than just a glimpse of the history of Copán. 25,000 sculptures have been found. There are 4,500 known structures in the 135 sq. km. of ruins in the Copán Valley. Five separate phases of building have been identified. What we see today was built during 600-800 AD; underneath the visible temples are layered and connected by a series of underground tunnels.

Copán was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980 and a Honduran National Monument in 1982. One Spaniard discovered Copán in 1570, but he only found five families living there who insisted they didn’t know anything about its history. Nearly three hundred years later another Spaniard arrived and drew up the first map of Copán.

It is believed Copán was first inhabited circa 1200 BC and was dominant from 250 through 900 AD. 20,000 Chorti Maya lived in the 15 square miles (24 sq. km.) of the principal site. Most of the artwork we see today was built by the Kings Smoke Shell and 18 Rabbit between 600 and 700 AD.


Admiring the work of the ancients.

The entrance to the ruins is a bit confusing. There is a ticket office but no signs. We were surprised at the $15 US entrance fee for the ruins, $15 US to enter the tunnels, and $7 US for the museum per person. Somehow we found ourselves inside the ruins without tickets to the tunnels. If you didn’t pay to enter the tunnels before entering the site, you blew it. They don’t sell them at the tunnel entrances, and if you exit the park to purchase them you pay another $15 to re-enter. Copán is not as user friendly as the other ruins we visited.

After entering at the highly armed guard gate, we walked through the park to arrive at the Grand Plaza. Noticeable are the numerous stelae standing tall on the manicured lawn. The stelae portray the rulers of Copán and were all originally painted. Only Stele C has remnants of the red paint. Several of the sculptures represent Uaxaklajún Ubah K’awil (18 Rabbit). Some have figures on both sides, and all of them are covered in glyphs.

Red paint evident on Stele C in the Grand Plaza.

King Uaxaclajún Ubah K'awil (18 Rabbit) is represented in several stelae.

Moving on to the Acropolis, we see Copán’s most famous feature, the hieroglyphic staircase. The 63 step, 80 ft. high steps lead to the Temple of the Inscriptions. The steps are comprised of several thousand glyphs creating a genealogical tree of the HISTORY OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF COPÁN.

Heiroglyphic staircase .

At the bottom of the stairs is a stele of King Smoke Shell. (He sounds like fun!) This is the longest text carved into stone by the Maya, but there are large gaps in the history due to the crumbling of the temple over time. The staircase is now protected by a roof, limiting visibility and photo opportunities. In the same courtyard is Altar Q. The carvings all around its sides represent 16 kings of Copán. Macaws and jaguars were the favorite sacrifice offered to please the gods.

Acropolis photos.

People with tickets going into tunnel Los Jaguares, and headed OUT of the park!

There are many tunnels in Copán, but only two of them were opened to the public in 1999. One is a short walk leading to the flagrantly red Rosa Lila Temple, showing part of it completely intact underneath newer constructions. A life size replica of Rosa Lila, or Temple of the Sun, is on display in the museum on site. The original temple was discovered in 1989. According to its glyphs, it was originally dedicated in 571 AD.

The Rosa Lila Temple replica in the museum open to sun and sky.

People with tickets entering Rosa Lila tunnel.
The other tunnel used to be 700 meters long. It was reduced to 80 meters when opened to visitors. There is a catch-22 involved in visiting tunnel Los Jaguares. If you enter it, it leads you out of the park. If you want to re-enter, you guessed it, you have to pay fifteen more bucks!

Copan’s ball court is the third one built in that location. The two smaller courts are buried underneath. The ball court we see is the second largest in Central America and is unique with its hoops shaped like macaws’ heads. It was dedicated in 731 AD. They say this game was played by participants moving a hard rubber ball through the air (and hoops) without using their hands. The prize for winning may have involved a trip to the altar – as a sacrifice!

The heiroglyphic staircase, the ball court, and the scenery of Copán.

The ball court with macaw headed hoops.

Historians think the 20,000 residents put a strain on the valley’s agricultural resources by 900 AD, and the ensuing deforestation caused flooding, so the people moved on. By 1200 AD Copán was completely reclaimed by the jungle. On January 1, 2005, 1500 Chorti Maya, descendants of the original builders, occupied the ruins and closed them from visitation for five days as they protested for human rights to the indigenous people. The living conditions for the 8,000 Chorti living there now are still stark and difficult, and the issue of government subsidies is still an unresolved problem. Maybe that explains the somewhat hostile vibes we felt from the locals at the ruins and in the town of Copán Ruinas.

The entrance to the museum is a snake's mouth. Inside you wind around its innards until you reach the open and sunny museum. The museum is new and beautiful inside.

In town we found a busy family hostel with reasonable rates after a lengthy inquiry of available lodging. Pablo and I were traveling together, and if I asked the price of a room they looked at my blonde hair and blue eyes and promptly responded $50 US. Finally I waited in the park and Pablo found us a decent room for $25 US. The monetary unit of Honduras is the lempira, but if I’m not mistaken the tourist business operators all had bright green dollar signs in their eyes.

We loved the ruins, but the hostile environment felt like a heavy cloud hanging over the beautiful valley that is Copán.


Pablo drawing the scene as we sit admiring the ancient man sculpture

This looks like the work of King Smoke Shell, all smiley, but it's just a guess.

Fearsome representation of the rain god Chak as a sacrificial altar.

Tikal Ruins, Guatemala

Tikal is my favorite of all the Mayan ruins I have visited to date. It is set in the sub-tropical jungle in the highlands of Guatemala’s northeastern section. The Parque Nacional Tikal covers 550 square kilometers, and contains thousands of separate ruined structures. Tikal was an important center. It was originally settled around 700 BC, and flourished until 900 AD, the beginning of the “mysterious general collapse of lowland Mayan civilization.” (Lonely Planet Guide to Guatemala)

There is an abundance of flint in the hills of the Petén area of Guatemala. They Mayans used flints for their tools and weapons. It is said 100,000 people lived here in its peak times. It has only been partially restored, and the process continues. They were working on the tallest temple in North America (pre skyscrapers, that is), Temple IV, during our visit last summer. They had built scaffolding on the top of the 212 ft. temple and were climbing up, over and around us barefooted, moving heavy rocks, while we sat looking out at the spectacular view. Pablo drew the vista (below).




The view from atop Temple IV, Tikal.


I was eavesdropping on the tourists who arrived huffing and puffing at the top, after the seemingly endless climb up the temporary makeshift stairs. I also enjoyed breathing in the clean rainforest scented breezes and looking out pensively at the top of the jungle canopy below. We sat there for over two hours. It was so serene. It was so thought-provoking. Trying to understand the history of this complex people is a constant challenge to me. I love a place like Tikal, where a person gets a real feel for the way life may have been. It is evident how temples were built over older temples, so I can get an idea of the timelines.

This is the campsite inside the park.


The palapa in the far corner shows our hammocks and mosquito nets. We camped out here for three days. There are three little restaurants within walking distance, where the food was reasonable and surprisingly good. Inside the park grounds are three small hotels, but they cost around $100 US per night. We were on a backpackers' budget, and frankly, we loved sleeping outdoors at the ruins. We saw lots of birds and wild animals, including howler monkeys swinging across the canopy next to us. Listening to howler monkeys is one of life's eye-widening events. They sound like lions, tigers, and bears. It is fascinating.

The jungle path into and through the park.


The back side of one of the main temples in the Acropolis.


The towering la ceiba tree is sacred. It symbolized the world-tree which unites the surface of the earth with nine levels of the underworld of Xibalbá.


Map of the main groups of buildings found at Tikal.

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The ball court.

Petén style architecture.

Buildings in the Gran Plaza.

Stela are protected by palapas.

Walking through this area we saw toucans and parrots flying overhead, oscillated turkeys pecking around the grass, a snake crossed our path, spider monkeys swung through the trees, and we heard and watched several howler monkeys.

Looking down from atop one of the temples.


There are many noticeable structures that have been only partially restored.

At one crossroads on the path, we saw hundreds of coatimundi.


Taking it all in.


El Mundo Perdido - The Lost World. The oldest structures from Preclassic times.


On top of the world!