UXMAL, Part One

Uxmal

(pronounced oosh-mal)

Visiting Uxmal was amazing!  It’s my favorite Mayan site to date, and it is surprisingly under-touristed.  It is impressive in its massiveness, especially The Sorcerer’s Pyramid, which reaches 115’ high and has an unusual elliptical shape to its base.  It is quite irregular as well as unusually rounded, suggesting, as is the case, that it has been rebuilt several times, each time over the preceding temple, for a total of at least 5 and possibly 7 temples!

Front Side Steps are now Closed to the Public - NO Climbing Allowed

The Temple Altar Room at the top level of the Pyramid  is rectangular, however, which is the more common building style of the Maya, with carved lintels and colored frescos in stucco on the walls.  These unfortunately have faded and washed away over time and are no longer evident, except for a fleck of color here or there that defied the ravages of time.  There is no question that this site was once a Great Ceremonial and Administrative Center that commanded respect over a large domain, arising as it did, from the beautiful Capital City of Xiues. 

Back Side of the Sorcerer's Pyramid

When I first entered present-day Uxmal in the early morning, The Sorcerer’s Pyramid was immediately before me, albeit with its back facing west toward me as well as toward the rising sun.   I was quickly engaged and in awe from this first glimpse…

The front of this massive hulking Pyramid Temple was shaded at this early hour of 8:30AM (often the best time of day for visiting popular ruins - before the tour buses arrive and  disembowel their charges into the parking lot).

Nun's Quadrangle

Nun's Quadrangle - North Building

So I proceeded into the commanding courtyard at its feet, known as the Nun’s Quadrangle.  Many of these Mayan ruins were given the name of Nun’s this or that because the excavators saw rows of individual rooms with doors and were reminded of nunneries back home in Spain.

South Side of the Nun's Quadrangle

However, the concept is erroneous.  These were administrative offices of the highest order – of Kings and Priest-Shamans with commanding responsibilities in their day. 
    

Mayan Arch

I entered the Quadrangle through a Classic Mayan Arch and into an open flat courtyard, and yes, it was somewhat reminiscent of the grand Atrium I beheld at the convent in Izamal (see that former post), it’s true, except that instead of open rounded arches shading processional walkways, there were solid buildings on all 4 sides, with incredible stone carvings above and across the entire façade above the doorways and around the corners.



I was fascinated by the geometric stonework before me, each building differently designed and executed.

The most common theme throughout Uxmal and at many other Mayan sites, is the 

repeating presence of innumerable Chac Masks, which 

represented and supplicated their Rain God, CHAC, 

because water was so crucial to sustaining life on the dry limestone plateau of the Yucatan plain, albeit Uxmal is at the beginning of the rolling hills known as the PUUC. How the peoples of first & second centuries survived at all (probably at least 20,000 of them in the city’s “glory days” around the year 1000AD) when they had no cenote for fresh water…  is a miracle in itself!  But they did build themselves chaltunes, or shallow wells, to access fresh water.  Regardless, The Maya had a CRITICAL relationship with their Rain God CHAC!  Thus hundreds of Chac Masks adorn most of their large buildings with a fierce representations of his visage.

It took me awhile to be able to “see” Chac in the deteriorating masks, but once you discern a curly nose, you know his mask is there.  The more I looked, the more clearly I could make out the features of these masks, always with round stones for eyes, carved eyelids above and below the eyes, round holes for ears (or maybe they were once filled with wooden ear plugs and perhaps the ear is the curly-Q sometimes found behind the hole), the curling nose (which was the first feature to succumb to the ravages of time, so they are often missing), and in some cases, rounded teeth beneath and feathered headdresses above the face.  They were fearsome indeed!

Ball Court

Leaving the Quadrangle via the same Mayan Arch I entered, I wandered through the park-like setting while workers raked leaves under the shade of the spreading trees.  Down a few wide steps and onto the grassy grounds at the foot of the Quadrangle is a medium sized Ball Court with single round stone ring high on each side (only one remains), which registered a goal when penetrated by the hard rubber ball that was hit through it by shoulder, elbow, hip or thigh, all heavily shielded to protect the player.  Most games were played with 2 players per team (although the Super Bowl of Ball Courts at Chichen Itza had 4 or more players per team) alternating with back-up players as needed.

Ball Court's Ring

The center of the Ball Court is flat and perhaps 20 feet across with open ends.  It has stone sides that slant upward toward a vertical wall on either side, at the center peak of which is the carved RING that the ball must pass through.  When the ball was hit, it made a “pok” sound that resonated between the walls, the noble Gentry watched from above, while Kings and certain privileged members of his court watched from the stone steps at one end of the court, where they could better see the ball passing through the stone ring.

I have been told there was a hierarchy of classes with the King-Priest and his immediate family or entourage at the top, his wealthy and influential nobles and advisors, astronomers, priests, etc. beneath him, warriors and ball players below them, the business owners beneath them, and all resting on the labors of the peasants.  However, ONLY the King and his High Court were privy to the Ball Game, unlike so many societies where games are used to satiate and appease the masses.   Peasants were not even allowed within the walls of these great Mayan cities unless on specific service to the privileged ones.    In fact the walls of these cities were meant to keep the classes separated, rather than for protection (Tulum being the most obvious exception), which is why when it came to war, these Mayan cities were vulnerable. 

Another interesting detail which was clarified for me by a Mayan Guide in Coba was that in the early days, before the Toltec/Aztec influx from the Central Valley of Mexico gradually overran the original Mayan influences, there was a simple blood-letting ceremony held after the Ball game when the Captain of the winning Team would slice his ear or cheek in order to offer his “superior” blood to the gods.  As the fiercer Toltec/Aztec customs won the day after 1000AD, the captain of the WINNING team would be sacrificed, which was his great honor – to be worthy to give his life to the gods as a reward for his excellence!

Partially Excavated Great Pyramid

With the Ball Court now behind me, I continued forward to the foot of the Great Pyramid, impressive and still climbable, although hardly as daunting as the steps of the Sorcerer’s Pyramid, which is now closed to the public.  What I liked best about this pyramid is that the back of it remains unexcavated and quietly overrun with forest, as when the explorers first found these ruins.

Detail At Top Temple of Great Pyramid

Only a few Mayan ruin sites continue with excavation, such as Ek Balam (see former post) and Tikal.  The word I heard was that Uxmal is “done” and no more new ruins are to be uncovered.  It IS quite impressive as it is, although I’m sure there’s more to learn at this and many other archeological sites.

Uxmal was not the least bit crowded, as opposed to Chichen Itza which is verily overrun with tourists.  None the less, I prefer to veer away from the places where others tend to gather, so as a few groups scrambled up the Great Pyramid, I took a right turn and found myself all alone at the charming and unique formation called the Dovecote Group.

Front Rooms & Roof Combs of the Dovecote Group

Back Side of Dovecote

There is nothing else like this in all of Mayadom!  It is but a wall with a central arch that takes you beyond and perhaps out of the old city. 

Dovecote Seen From Atop the Great Pyramid

What makes this formation so unique is the 9 roof combs that are stepped, with fretted niches throughout, like giant triangles of stone reaching to the sky!  There used to be rooms and stucco reliefs and stone statues of important personages on pedestals, but they are all gone now, while the deteriorating roof combs still stand as one-of-a-kind sentinels against an azure blue sky - a reminder of Uxmal’s majestic past.  Perhaps this was the official entry into the Once Great City, full of rooms busy with commerce and administrative tasks that one needed to satisfy in order to enter the Valley beyond…  all the way to the great Sorcerer’s Pyramid and Temple beyond.

Small Room Behind Dovecote Gate

I found myself spending time alone in the forest behind the Dovecote Wall, exploring the un-excavated backside of the great Pyramid, and other semi-exposed ruins that sparked my curiosity.  Having it all to myself for at least an hour was a special treat!  

There's more to follow on Uxmal....