83. Cultural heritage in southern Mexico

Cultural Heritage in Southern Mexico - February 18th to March 3rd, 2019
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- Whoever is asked about the history of Mexico before the settlers arrived, imagines the great empire of the Aztecs. Indeed, it was the most powerful Mesoamerican civilization of the time. It was concentrated in the centre of Mexico, so much so that I was unable to observe the Aztec remains during my trip to the south of the country between San Cristóbal de las Casas and Cancún. It is mainly the remains of the Mayan Empire that I explored during my trip.
- This article tells the story of the four centres I was able to visit in Mexico: Toniná, Palenque, Uxmal and Chichén Itzá. Here are the most beautiful monuments and the Mayan traditions associated with them!
Toniná
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- Toniná is currently an archaeological site of a medium-sized Mayan city. Its name comes from the Tzeltal and means "Big stone house". Toniná was also a site of rituals, known to be the home of celestial lights and the deities of time.
- Nevertheless, the city managed to play an important role, especially around 730 AD when Toniná warriors ransacked its rival Palenque.
- Consisting of several temples, the site includes an acropolis that rises 71 meters above the other complexes, a large field for playing the Mesoamerican ball game, and more than 100 carved monuments, most of which date from the 6th to the 9th century AD, during the Classical period. Here are some videos to help you imagine the place:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b03ffclCkIM&list=PLpkaK0yJ22OxHA-EkCiClNXxNk9gh6qhY
B'alam Ya Acal
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- Here is the sculpture of one of the first rulers of the city: B'alam Ya Acal (his name means Jaguar Peccary Bird). Toniná stands out for its well-preserved stucco carvings and in particular for its monuments carved all around, produced with an unprecedented levels of finish in Mesoamerica since the end of the much older Olmec civilization.
- The icons on this site represent two distinct eras: the ancient period between 300 and 700, represented by birds coming from the underworld and ruled by a dead and scorched sun. The second period, between 700 and 900, is represented by celestial felines, the lights of the sky, the morning star and the stars of the night.
Palenque
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- Palenque is one of the most impressive sites of Mayan culture. Compared to other Mayan cities, it is of medium size: much smaller than Tikal or Copán, it is nevertheless distinguished by its architectural and sculptural heritage. The great dynasties reigned between 400 and 800.
- The area discovered up to 2005 is 2.5 square kilometres, but it is estimated that less than 10 per cent of the total area has been explored. There are still more than a thousand structures covered by the forest.
The Pyramid of Inscriptions
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- This pyramid was named because of the limestone tablets that decorate the central piece. They contain the longest Mayan text found at that date. The text relates events in the life and death of the great ruler Pakal II and the coronation of his successor Kan B'ahlam II. The coronations of Pakal's ancestors are also mentioned. Past and future events are referred to as episodes from more than a million years ago and other events that will take place in the year 4772 AD.
The Palace
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- Once one of the most beautiful buildings of the classical Mayan period, Palenque Palace was in a state of ruins covered with vegetation when it was photographed by the explorer Alfred Maudslay more than a century ago.
The Temple of the Cross
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- The Group of the Cross consists of three temples dedicated to three different deities, named by Heinrich Berlin GI, GII and GIII for God I, God II and God III.
- Here the Temple of the Cross is one of the highest buildings on the site. This temple is dedicated to the god GI, the god of water. Framed by the figures of K'inich Kan Bahlam, young and old, the central icon represents the tree of creation at the centre of the world. The tree emerges from a mask of the earthly monster. At its top is perched a supernatural bird and the figures stand on a celestial band. All the representations in the Temple of the Cross are associated with the celestial sphere and the ancestors.
The Temple of the Leafy Cross
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- Dedicated to the god Unpen K'awiil (the god God GII), this shrine has a carved tablet depicting B'ahlam Kan K'inich and his late father Pakal II. On the sacred Ceiba pentandra tree, a personification of the corn emerging from the head of the mountain monster (witz in Maya). The images of this temple are associated with water and agriculture.
The Temple of the Sun
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- Dedicated to the sun god GIII, this shrine has a panel depicting Pakal II and B'ahlam Kan K'inich. The latter being at the origin of these constructions. In the centre of the scene, there are insignia of the military and politico-religious powers: spears, a shield and a ceremonial staff. The latter is carried by the rulers as a sign of power, connecting his authority with supernatural forces. The staff has a serpent's head at each end, perhaps to symbolize the sky. The images in this temple are associated with the underworld and war.
The game of pelota
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- These two parallel platforms constitute the structure for a game of pelota, which can be found in every Mayan building. Exploration and consolidation work is still needed in Palenque.
The North Group
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- A long platform of five temples with a south-facing façade. The buildings are of different sizes, meaning that they were built at different periods.
The Temple of the Count
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- It was a French explorer Jean-Frédéric Waldeck who named it so. Indeed, it was there that he stayed during his trip to Palenque. Among other extravagances, he liked to be called Count (and sometimes Baron or Duke). This elegant building has a five-degree base. In the upper part is a temple that has preserved all of its original architectural elements.
Uxmal
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- Uxmal is an ancient Mayan city of the classical period. The city was inhabited by the Maya group of the Xiu between 800 and 950. The monuments of Uxmal have facades at the lower level very bare and at the upper level more worked, a characteristic of the Puuc style.
The pyramid of the Soothsayer
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- This pyramid is 35 meters high and has an elliptical shape. To date, five construction phases have been detected, each one coming with its own style of architecture and covering the previous construction. The general shape of the Pyramid of the Soothsayer represents the cosmos and the gods according to the Maya.
The quadrilateral of the Nuns
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- The Spaniards tended to give this nickname to buildings with many rooms reminiscent of the cells of a convent, when in fact it was a government palace.
- The quadrilateral of the Nuns can be considered as a microcosmic ensemble, i.e. a group of buildings that represent the cosmos. According to one hypothesis, based on the arrangement of the buildings in relation to each other, the North Building, the highest, would correspond to the celestial world, the South Building, the lowest to the infraworld, and the East and West Buildings, built at an intermediate level to the middle world, i.e. the terrestrial world.
The Governor's Palace
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- This enormous palace of 187 by 170 meters, dating from the 10th century, embodies the apogee of Puuc architecture. A statue in high relief of Chan Chaak K'ak'nal Ajaw (the governor of the time) is placed above the central door of the palace. The statue is framed by a series of snake bars, an emblem of Mayan royalty in the classical period.
The Turtle House
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- The house of the Turtles so called because of the presence of turtles in the upper part of its cornice. In Mayan mythology, the turtle would be associated with water, rain and earth. The House of Turtles was dedicated to the god of rain Chac.
The big ball or pelota court
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- The land dates from the year 905. The ball game was a prestigious and much-attended ceremony used by the leaders to humiliate their prisoners. This religious game symbolized the struggle against the forces of death. At the end of the game, some players could be sacrificed.
- The game was played with a solid rubber ball of 20 to 35 centimetres (the size depends on the region). The ball could only be touched with the hips, elbows and knees. The objective is to hit targets or pass the ball through a ring. Players wear protective leather clothing to cushion the impact. Here are more explanations from "It's Not Wizard" or game videos:
- https://youtu.be/3ye7BxnqAEc
- https://youtu.be/tYmDBA6NyC4
- https://youtu.be/yyKiR3YcNY8
The Pigeon loft group
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- The name of this building obviously comes from its resemblance to a dovecote. This building was to be used for astronomical functions during the 10th century.
Chichén Itzá
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- Chichén Itzá is an ancient Mayan city that was probably the main religious centre of Yucatán in the 10th century. Today it is one of the most important and visited archaeological sites in the region.
- The presence of a Mayan city in this area is due to the presence of at least five cenotes (natural wells) which were an invaluable treasure in this waterless region. The site owes its name to this underground water source: Chi means "mouth" and Chan means "well". Itzá ("water sorcerer" in Maya) is the name of the group that, according to ethno historical sources, constituted the ruling class of the city.
The pyramid of Kukulcán
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- Also known as "El Castillo", it is the most important and spectacular building on the site. Kukulcán is a Mayan serpent god, similar to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl.
- Legend said that at the end of the 10th century, Chichén Itzá was occupied by the Toltecs led by the legendary Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, who was chased by a rival faction from the Toltec capital, Tula, north of present-day Mexico City. The Castillo, attributed to these foreigners, presents architectural innovations that revolve around the theme of the Feathered Serpent.
- The pyramid has a square base and a calendar vocation. Indeed, the Maya civilization developed to a very advanced degree the astro-architecture which consists in combining astronomical knowledge with architectural know-how. The orientation and the construction of the pyramid are such that at the precise moment of the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun produces a shadow on the edges of the pyramid which makes one believe that the big snake heads at the foot of the stairs of the pyramid are prolonged by the undulating body of a snake. This snake is none other than the god Kukulkan or "feathered snake". This phenomenon caused a very large influx of tourists at that time.
- The Great Pyramid was erected on top of a smaller, pre-existing one. At its top is a small temple in good state of preservation that contains a stone throne carved in the shape of a jaguar with jade eyes that faces a chaac-mool, on which offerings were placed. A very narrow tunnel with an entrance under the stairs gives access to it.
- When you clap your hands at the foot of these stairs, from about five to ten meters away, the sound that echoes back is like a bird's cry, an additional symbol celebrating the Mayan gods. On video:
- https://youtu.be/4f1U-qd6n-s
The observatory
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- The observatory (also called caracol or snail in Spanish) faces the Great Pyramid. It allowed the Maya to study the planet Venus attributed to the god Kukulkan and the movement of the stars of which they had a very precise knowledge. Indeed, the Mayan "priests" never went out during the day in order to have a more sensitive eye allowing them to observe the stars without any device.
The big ball field
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- The exceptional dimensions (168 metres by 70) of the Great Ball Field of Chichén Itzá lead archaeologists to believe that this was more a ceremony than a sport. Large bas-relief frescoes surrounding the field depict feathered snakes and sacrificed players.
- It is believed that during the great festivals a team representing the forces of the underworld (the underworld where the dead went - symbolized by jaguars) faced a team representing the light (in the form of eagles). The match could last more than one day and according to the explanations of the guides on the spot, the head of the captain of the losing team was cut off by the captain of the winning team and his blood was spilled on the ground. The Maya associated blood with life and believed that it allowed the soil to be fertilized, improving the crops. For the Maya, it was a great honour; the head was then impaled in the wall provided for this purpose just next to the pelota stadium.
The warrior temple
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- The Temple of the Jaguar Warriors has frescoes that relate the conquest of the peninsula by the Toltecs. The entrance to the temple (forbidden to the public), which is built on a pyramid, is delimited by two magnificent pillars, placed on two enormous snake heads and preceded by a chaac-mool: this strange figure is carved in stone in a half reclining position, resting on his elbows, so that he supports on his belly a tray intended to receive the offerings made to the god (the hearts of the sacrificed victims). Near the Temple of the Warriors stands the Temple of a Thousand Columns, each of which is carved in the shape of a feathered serpent.
The Sacred Cenote
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- The dredging of the cenote has uncovered many gold and jade objects as well as a large number of bones. It is estimated that they belonged to about 100 bodies, often prisoners and rarely volunteers.
The platform of the skulls
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- The Tzompantli or platform of skulls shows the clear cultural influence of the Mexican central plateau. Unlike the tzompantli of the highlands, the skulls were impaled vertically rather than horizontally as in the Tenochtitlan.
The church
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- Its name was given to it by the Spaniards because of its proximity to another building nearby called the Quadrilateral of the Nuns.
My visit ended there!
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- There are great Mayan sites to visit in the Mesoamerican region and I am sure that there are many historical monuments still to be discovered in the Mesoamerican region. Some Mayan sites have been buried or are lost in the jungle, who knows: maybe one day the Machu Picchu of the Mayas will be discovered! 83. Cultural heritage in southern Mexico

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