Archaeology
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Archaeology
Ruinas del Rey- Located in the heart of Cancun's Hotel
Zone, this site holds classic examples of traditional Mayan
architecture.
El Cedral- An important ceremonial center dedicated to Ixchel the goddess
of fertility.
Tulum- Walled Mayan city located on a bluff overlooking the ocean.
Frescoes dating back 500 years are still visible painted on the interior
walls of several temples. Tulum was considered one of the most important
political, religious and ceremonial centers on the coast.
Coba- Made up of four separate groups of structures, one of which
contains the highest known pyramid (42 meters) built by the Maya.
Considered one of the most archaeologically significant sites for
ancient study.
Chunyaxche- Abandoned city rising like an island out of the emerald green
jungles of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.
Dzinbanche- Exceptionally well preserved site. The structures are
amazingly detailed, especially the central pyramid, which has an
elaborately carved lintel, estimated to be more than one thousand years
old.
Kinichna- Visitors will be stunned by the majesty of its central pyramid
and surrounding sacrificial buildings, all built out of elaborately
carved cream-colored limestone.
Kohunluch- Famous for is stucco masks, this site displays elaborate and
mysterious traces of celestial observations.
Ruins of Socorrito- An archaeological treasure that speaks nobly of an
ancient race that once filled it with glory and wisdom.
Chichen-Itza- Possibly the largest and best kept of the
ancient Mayan cities. Every spring and summer equinox, the largest
pyramid in the city, El Castillo, is the scene of a mysterious natural
phenomenon: When the sun reaches its point of equinox, the combination
of light and shadows formed by sculptures on the pyramid, give birth to
the moving silhouette of a gigantic snake descending to earth down to
monumental steps. The same phenomenon, known as the Lunar Serpent,
occurs during full moons on varying dates.
Uxmal- Three times destroyed and rebuilt, This citadel is the most
impressive stop. Pyramids with evocative names like "The Sage", "The
Dwarf", or "The Governor's Palace" mark different sections of the city.
Uxmal dates far back to the Mayan classic period, a time when that
civilization reached the height of its power, science and cultural
development.
Labna- Classic city, where visitors can see a typical Mayan arch adorned
with many different carvings and flanked by smaller structures.
Kabah- In the ancient Mayan tongue this name means "The one with the
large hands." Kabah is the second largest Mayan city in the area. It is
connected to Uxmal by the sacred sand and stone road 20 km. long, called
a Sacbe.
The most spectacular of its structures is the Codz Pop or "Palace of
Masks", whose facade is decorated with masks of representing the 300
faces of Chaac, the rain god.
Xlapak- The smallest of Mayan centers, it features a large somber looking
building dedicated to the worship of water and decorated with the masks
of Chaac.
Syil- Important ceremonial center dating back to the post classic period
(900-110 Ad:). Its ruins indicate a culture very advanced in commerce
and the arts. The main structures are El Miardor, the ball courts, and
the well restored majestic Palace.
Dzibilchatun- This is perhaps the oldest Mayan city in Yucatan, dating
back mroe than 3000 years. Its ruins indicate that it was an important
ceremonial center. The city is dotted with large palaces and temples
from which the ancients studied the movements of the sun an dmoon to
determine the precise times of quinox and solstice. History and mystery
lovers can also visit the "Temple of the Seven Dolls". It is teh only
structure built by the Maya that has windows. When the sun shines from
the east, during the quinox, (6:00 a.m. on March 21 and September 21),
the temple becomes an enormous mask of the deity Chaac.
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Things to see while on vacation in Mexico...
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Vacations in Mexico
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