Comalcalco (Mayan site)
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The Maya site of Comalcalco in the Mexican state of Tabasco is one of the most unusual sites in all of Mesoamerica because of its brick construction . At the same time, it is (possibly together with Malpasito, about 140 km further south ) one of the westernmost of all known Maya sites .
location
The archaeological site of Comalcalco, which can undoubtedly belong to the Mayan culture, was located on an old trade route about 10 km south of the Gulf coast . Today it is about 2 km northeast of the center of the present-day town of Comalcalco at an altitude of around 12 m .
history
The buildings that were probably built in the 2nd century BC The existing sites - despite the extensive lack of steles with Mayan dates - can be dated to the late Classical period (approx. 550–900) of the Mayan culture due to their architectural decorations. The local ruling family maintained dynastic relationships with the last rulers of Palenque . In its heyday, the city was over 7 km² and formed an important economic and trade center between the Yucatán peninsula and the central highlands. It was abandoned around the year 900, gradually fell into disrepair and was only rediscovered in 1880 by the French explorer Désiré Charnay ; superficial finds had already been removed from predatory graves . Charnay was able to save a lot, but extensive excavations and reconstructions did not take place until the 1950s.
architecture
Reconstruction drawings convey the image of an orderly Maya city with a large main axis lined with temples and residential buildings (palacios) , at the end of which a large, multi-tiered temple pyramid rises. The core of all buildings is made up of embankments, the surface of which has been fixed over time by fired bricks. All buildings were clad with layers of plaster and stucco and then painted, but the remains of paint and plaster have only been preserved in a few protected locations. Some bricks are decorated with small human or animal reliefs or incised drawings.
Great pyramid
The most striking building of the complex is the Great Pyramid with its wide staircase, the lower part of which is slightly in front of the actual structure. From a landing about halfway up the multi-tiered pyramid, a narrower and steeper staircase leads to the actual temple, of which only parts of the outer walls have been preserved; the roof, supported by wooden beams and probably stuccoed, collapsed and disappeared a long time ago.
Other buildings
Most of the elevated buildings along the broad Mittelstrasse can also be interpreted as - albeit smaller - temple pyramids. Here, too, wide stairways lead up to the actual temples. The buildings that are further back seem to have been residential buildings of the nobles; the majority of the people lived in simple huts with thatch or thatch made of branches tied together with bast fibers or thin twigs.
Stucco reliefs
Several stucco reliefs were discovered in the area of the excavation site. One room deserves special attention (“Tomb of the Nine Lords of the Night ”), the walls of which are decorated with nine human stucco reliefs; the people represented are connected to one another via gestures. The floor of the room shows four right-angled elevations that are reminiscent of graves.
Stucco mask
Tomb of the Nine Lords of the Night
Stucco reliefs
cruciform stucco relief
museum
The museum of the excavation site shows numerous stucco heads and brick reliefs; there are also other small finds to be seen. Reconstruction drawings complete the overall picture.
Stucco head
Stucco head
Stucco head
Brick relief (crocodile)
Brick relief and carving (turtles)
Scratch drawings (birds)
literature
- Nikolai Grube (ed.): Maya, god kings in the rainforest. Potsdam 2012, ISBN 978-3-8480-0033-3 , p. 443
- E. Mejía and L. Mirambell: Comalcalco. INAH, México 1992
Web links
- Archaeological Zone of Comalcalco - Info from INAH (Spanish)
- Comalcalco Archaeological Zone - Photo Links
Coordinates: 18 ° 16 ′ 45 ″ N , 93 ° 12 ′ 3 ″ W.