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Mayan PyramidsMexico’s TreasuresBy Linda Aksomitis
First stop on my quest to learn more about the Mayan people and their pyramids was Chichen Itza. This ancient city, whose name means “in the mouth of the Itzáe’s well,” was once home to about 50,000 people during the time of its grandeur, between 800 and 1200 A.D. An important archaeological site since the 1920s, much has been discovered about the Maya civilization as more and more of the 20 square miles area of Chichen Itza has been mapped and uncovered.
The pyramids show us not only the ingenuity of the Maya people, who created these massive structures without the use of even simple machines—like the wheel, but also their mathematic skills and knowledge of astronomy. Indeed, the Mayan calendar had 365 days, at a time when Europe was still using the Gregorian Calendar.
The next site I visited was Cobà, which is home to the tallest pyramid in the Northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula. A few new experiences waited for me here.
The steamy jungle atmosphere soon made me feel I’d travelled back in time to a day when Cobà or the “City of Ghosts” was teeming with a population of 50 to 60 thousand people. I could almost see them—laborers carrying the rich in litters down the extensive sacbeob or Mayan roads constructed of stone. With a little imagination I could hear the voices of children at play, see iguanas strolling along the path.
Whatever reason you have for visiting Cancun and Mexico, make sure to include a day discovering one of the true marvels of the continent—the Mayan pyramids. Photo credits to Linda Aksomitis. Contact information: Visit Chichen Itza El Castillo – The Castle Alltournative Mayan Encounter |
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Some visit Mexico for the beautiful
azure blue water and white sandy beaches. Some for tropical weather getaways
from colder climates. Me, I planned my trip to Cancun to discover the secrets of
the Mayan pyramids, some of Mexico’s most beautiful treasures.
According to my tour guide, the temples
and palaces tell much about these fascinating people of Mesoamerica. Traders
from the Yucatan and Cozumel visited the powerful city during the 10th century,
bringing goods to share. Builders created elaborate, highly decorated structures
using triangular rocks and arches. The Toltecs from Central Mexico followed,
leaving their imprint in square pillars and ornately carved rattlesnake designs.
There is even some Viking influence visible, pointing to an early visit from
them as well.
Roughly at the center of the site, the
massive Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl, called "El Castillo" (the castle) tempts
visitors to climb all of its ninety-one steps. The base of this square structure
is 60 yards (55.5 meters) on each side and rises to a height of 79 feet with 4
sloping walls leading to a temple at the top of the pyramid. During solstice
sunlight passes through the openings to show 7 Triangles of light and 6 darker
triangles, corresponding to the 13 overall levels of the underworld the Maya
believed existed.
My favourite part of the site, however,
was the ball court, where games were held, presumably during the equinox. Many
believe the winners were killed and sent on to glory in the afterlife, skipping
those 13 levels of the underworld. With walls 545 feet long and 225 feet wide
overall, players on the court wore two different shoes, a sandal and a boot, and
could not use their hands to throw the ball through the hoop that hung high at
its center. The most intriguing feature of the court however, is that the
acoustic principles, which we still can’t replicate, allow a whisper made at one
end of the court to be amplified and heard at the opposite end. The Maya truly
had secrets we still haven’t uncovered in the 21st century!
Nohoch Muul has 120 steps and is close
to 140 ft high. The view—even from the halfway point—is spectacular. This site
is one of Mexico’s more recently discovered ancient ruins, only unearthed in the
1980s, so it is a new find in terms of Mayan treasures. Hidden in a tall forest,
I was more than happy to take a ride in a Mayan taxi, which turned out to be a
bicycle-driven two-wheeled carriage pedalled by a smiling member of the Mayan
village, to Nohoch Muul.
Comprised of over 6500 structures, only
10% of the treasures at Cobà have actually been excavated. The area, which is
occupied by the local Maya people, is over 50 sq. km in size, and is about 50 km
west of Tulum. Here, opportunities for a true Mayan Adventure abound!