Chinkultic
Chinkultic (sometimes also Chincultic ) is a Mayan ruins located in the Mexican state of Chiapas in the Lagunas de Montebello National Park on the Laguna Chunujabab . The archaeological site, discovered at the beginning of the 20th century but only examined more closely in the 1970s, consists of around 200 buildings, most of which date from the Classical period.
location
The ruins are located about 32 km east of La Trinitaria on the slope of a steep hill above one of the numerous small lakes in the area at an altitude of about 1450 to 1500 m above sea level. d. M .; the 'H' -shaped ball playground is located in flatter terrain.
history
The first traces of human settlement can be found as early as the late pre-classical period (around the 1st century BC). During the Classical period, Chinkultic rose to become a regional power. Possibly it owed its influence to the fact that it imprisoned nobles from other cities; In any case, frequent portrayals of prisoners suggest it. The dynastic history has so far been hardly explored, despite several inscriptions that have been discovered, which span a period between 591 and 897 AD. Ceramic finds have shown that, despite the subsequent decline, the place was still inhabited into the post-classical period .
architecture
Most of Chinkultic's buildings are in poor condition. Only the large temple pyramid ( Estructura 1 ) with a wide staircase and the ball playground are to be emphasized .
See also
literature
- Nikolai Grube (Ed.): Maya. God kings in the rainforest . Potsdam 2012, ISBN 978-3-8480-0033-3 , p. 443
Web links
Coordinates: 16 ° 8 ′ N , 91 ° 47 ′ W