The Most Famous Cities of the Maya: The History of Chichén Itzá, Tikal, Mayapán, and Uxmal

172 Pages·2016·8.73 MB·English

by  Charles River Editors

The Most Famous Cities of the Maya: The History of Chichén
Itzá, Tikal, Mayapán, and Uxmal
By Jesse Harasta and Charles River Editors

Picture of El Castillo in Chichén Itzá, taken by Daniel Schwen
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Introduction
Chichén Itzá’s Great Ball Court. Photo by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen
Chichén Itzá
Many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st
century, like the Greeks and the Romans, but of all the world’s civilizations,
none have intrigued people more than the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy,
language, and mysterious disappearance all continue to captivate people. At the
heart of the fascination is the most visited and the most spectacular of Late
Classic Maya cities: Chichén Itzá.
Chichén Itzá was inhabited for hundreds of years and was a very influential
center in the later years of Maya civilization. At its height, Chichén Itzá may
have had over 30,000 inhabitants, and with a spectacular pyramid, enormous ball
court, observatory and several temples, the builders of this city exceeded even
those at Uxmal in developing the use of columns and exterior relief decoration.
Of particular interest at Chichén Itzá is the sacred cenote, a sinkhole was a focus
for Maya rituals around water. Because adequate supplies of water, which rarely
collected on the surface of the limestone based Yucatan, were essential for
adequate agricultural production, the Maya here considered it of primary
importance. Underwater archaeology carried out in the cenote at Chichén Itzá
revealed that offerings to the Maya rain deity Chaac (which may have included
people) were tossed into the sinkhole.
Although Chichén Itzá was around for hundreds of years, it had a relatively
short period of dominance in the region, lasting from about 800-950 CE Today,
tourists are taken by guides to a building called the Nunnery for no good reason
other than the small rooms reminded the Spaniards of a nunnery back home.
Similarly the great pyramid at Chichén Itzá is designated El Castillo (“The
Castle”), which it almost certainly was not, while the observatory is called El
Caracol (“The Snail”) for its spiral staircase. Of course, the actual names for
these places were lost as the great Maya cities began to lose their populations,
one by one. Chichén Itzá was partially abandoned in 948, and the culture of the
Maya survived in a disorganized way until it was revived at Mayapán around
1200. Why Maya cities were abandoned and left to be overgrown by the jungle
is a puzzle that intrigues people around the world today, especially those who
have a penchant for speculating on lost civilizations.
Mayapán
A panoramic view of Mayapán
Early Mayapán was closely connected to the overshadowing power of the
region at the time: the mighty trading city of Chichén Itzá. Mayapán emerged
first as a minor settlement in the orbit of Chichén, but it slowly came to replace
it after the larger city's trade connections with the Toltecs of Tula crumbled and
it suffered a staggering defeat by Mayapán's armies. The building styles and art
in their city show both admiring references to the great Chichén Itzá as well as
an attempt to position Mayapán as a more orthodox heir of Maya tradition. At
the same time, they emulated many features and could not escape the
tremendous influences - especially in religion - of Chichén. This is seen in the
fact that many of the most important buildings in the new city appear to be
small-scale reproductions of ones in Chichén.
Due in part to the fact that it has long been overshadowed by Chichén Itzá, a
lot excavation and scholarly research on the site has only come about in recent
decades, and even though there is still plenty of work to do, a lot of information
about life in Mayapán has been unearthed. At its height, Mayapán may have
boasted a population of over 15,000, and archaeologists have had their hands full
trying to discover and restore the several thousand buildings both inside
Mayapán’s walls and outside them as well.
Tikal
Tikal’s main plaza during the Winter Solstice. Picture by Bjørn Christian
Tørrissen.
The Maya maintained power in the Yucatan for over a thousand years, and at
the height of its “Classical era” (3rd-9th centuries CE), the city of Tikal was one
of the power centers of the empire. Archaeologists believe Tikal had been built
as early as the 5th or 4th century BC, and eventually it became a political,
economic and military capital that was an important part of a far-flung network
across Mesoamerica, despite the fact it was seemingly conquered by
Teotihuacan in the 4th century CE. It seems the foreign rulers came to assimilate
Mayan culture, thus ensuring Tikal would continue to be a power base, and as a
result, the city would not be abandoned until about the 10th century CE.
As one of the Ancient Maya’s most important sites, construction at Tikal was
impressive, and even though it was apparently conquered, the city’s records
were unusually well preserved. This includes a list of the city’s dynastic rulers,
as well as the tombs and monuments dedicated to them. Thanks to this
preservation, Tikal offers researchers their best look at the Ancient Maya and
has gone a long way toward helping scholars understand Mayan history.
Uxmal
Palimp Sesto’s picture of the ruins of Uxmal
During the Maya’s Classical era, the city of Uxmal was one of its most
noteworthy places. While it was not as powerful as cities like Tikal, Uxmal was
apparently at the forefront of Mayan culture, particularly when it came to
architecture. However, while Uxmal used high ground to display its prominence,
and the ruins are still among the most popular places for tourists in the region,
the site is still shrouded in mystery. Even as scholars continue to work on the site
to further interpret it, it’s still unclear when exactly Uxmal was founded, how
many people called it home, and when it was abandoned, despite the existence of
Mayan chronicles and oral legends.
What is apparent, however, is the skills of Uxmal’s artisans, whether through
constructing structures like the five-level Pyramid of Magicians and the
expansive Governor’s Palace or adorning the structures with precisely detailed
art and sculptures. In fact, the craftsmanship can be credited with helping to
preserve Uxmal itself.
The Most Famous Cities of the Maya: The History of Chichén Itzá, Tikal,
Mayapán, and Uxmal covers the history of each city, as well as the speculation
and debate over the city’s buildings. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you
will learn about the Mayan cities like never before.
The Most Famous Cities of the Maya: The History of Chichén Itzá, Tikal,
Mayapán, and Uxmal
About Charles River Editors
Introduction
Tikal
A Note on the Periods of Mayan History
A Note on Pronunciations and Names
Chapter 1: Early Tikal
Chapter 2: The First Dynasty
Chapter 3: The Entrada, Teotihuacán, and the Second Dynasty
Chapter 4: The Great Hiatus and the Third Dynasty
Chapter 5: Jasaw Chan K'awiil I and the Fourth Dynasty
Chapter 6: The Collapse
Chapter 7: Modern Tikal
Uxmal
Chapter 1: Description of the Site
Chapter 2: Daily Life in Uxmal
Chapter 3: Origins of the City
Chapter 4: The Puuc Era
Chapter 5: Chichén Itzá and the Eclipse of Uxmal
Chapter 6: Revolution and The League of Mayapán
Chapter 7: The Abandonment and Rediscovery of Uxmal
Timeline of Events in the Yucatan Postclassic Period
Chichén Itzá and Mayapán
Chapter 1: Origins of Chichén Itzá
Chapter 2: The Era of Chichén Itzá's Glory
Chapter 3: Description of the Site of Chichen Itzá
Chapter 4: The Decline of Chichén Itzá and the Rise of Mayapán
Chapter 5: The Layout of Mayapán
Chapter 6: Life in Mayapán
Chapter 7: Outside the Walls
Chapter 8: The Centrality of Religion in Mayapán
Chapter 9: Mayapán's Decline
Chapter 10: The Rediscovery of the Cities’ Ruins
Online Resources
Bibliography
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