Originally coined by Cyrus L. Lundel, the name Calakmul denominates an ancient Maya city, an ecological reserve and the most recently-formed state municipality. The biosphere reserve was created in 1989 and covers an area of 723, 185 hectares -almost 13 percent of total state territory. It is therefore the fourth largest protected area in Mexico, and the largest of the tropical zones. The reserve is home to the different ecosystems characterizing the Campeche Petén, a continuation of the northern region of Guatemala and an area withwich it shares a considerable natural and cultural affinity. The high, middle and low forest, swamp zones, savannas and pastures are just a few of the environments wich allow the existence of a surprising variety of fauna. Samples have so far been collected from more than 800 plant species including the so-called Ramón u ox (Brosimun Alicastrum), a plant that was highly important food source for the Mayans. We should also mention the Palo Mulato or Chaka' (Bursera simaruba) a noteworthy source of resin; the Copal or Pom (Protium Copal) used to perfum ancient rituals; the sapodilla or Chaky'a (Achras Zapota), a tree providing wood, fruit and chicle; Pato de Tinte or Campeachy wood, and the valuable mahogany or Punab (Swietenia macrophylla). As far as fauna is concerned, over 250 birds species have been identified, and together with amphibians, reptiles, insects, and spiders, more than a hundredtypes of mamals have also been registered. The reserve is inhabited by tapirs, jaguars, spiders and howler monkeys, deer, buzzards, pumas, ocelots, wild cats and jaguarundis.The 64 kilometers of road leading off of the Escárcega-Chetumal highway cross part of the reserve and allow us to catch a glimpse of this wonderful natural landscape. The archeological site is 318 kilometers from the state capital, covers an area of 70 square kilometers and has more than six thousand structures, most of wich are covered by jungle. Durig its apogee, Calakmul was the largest city of the Maya region and calculations suggest that it had approximately 37 percent more inhabitants than its rival, Tikal. The existence of the site was made known in 1931 by explorer Cyrus Longworth Lundell, an employee of the chicle firm, the Mexico Exploitation Company. He came across the city thanks to information provided by Manuel Osorno, a worker at the Company Buenfil plant and chicle worker foresman, Jesús García. Lundell called the site city of the Two Adjacent Mounds (from the Maya Ca, two; Lak, nearby; Mul, mound), a name clearly inspired by Structures I and II. These constructions are the higgest of their kind in the area and offer a striking spectacleas they emerge from the forest.
The first cycle of work took place in 1932 under the sponsorshipf the Carnegie Institute and was supervised by Sylvanus G. Morely. Subsequent excavation work has been done by Enrique Juan Palacios, karl Ruppert and John Denison, Tatiana Prouskouriakoff, Joyce Marcus, Peter Schmidt, William Folan and Ramón Carrasco.
Archeological research tells us that Calakmul was a great regional capital, populated during the mid Pre-classic period -900 to 300 BC-, as was its sister city, Mirador, in Guatemala. It would seem that Calakmul reached its apogee between 600 and 800 AD; the more than 100 stelae so far uncovered bear dates ranging from 431 to 790 AD.
If as suggested by recent research, Calakmul is really the Site of the Serpent Head Glyph, then one of its lords, Cu-ix, appears in certain inscriptions found at Yaxchilán against Tikal. As fas as the rivalry between Caracol and Naranjo was concerned, it seems that Cu-ix favored the former, and ordered the sacrifice of the governor or a noble from Naranjo, Guatemala. For a certain period of time, the Site of Serpent Head Glyph benefited from the alliance with Lord Kan II of Caracol, Belize. Nonetheless, its participation in the deadly game of sacrifice and war would later have dire consequences. There was a time when a governor of Calakmul known as Pata or Jaguar Claw was mentioned in inscriptions at different sites. His birth would seem to be registered on stele 9 at Calakmul and his rise to power depicted on the stele 30 at El Perú, Guatemala and on stele 13 at Dos Pilas, Guatemala. His eventual capture by governor Ah-Cacaw of Tikal is registered as a warrior saga on Temple I at Tikal.
It is clear that Calakmul wished to establish its domain over the entire Maya world. For example, in 599 and 611 AD, it attacked Palenque, one of its staunchest rivals; it also unleashed its fury upon Tikal in 657 AD. On August 5 of 695 AD, the two strongest jungle chieftaincies, Clakmul and Tikal, were involved in a bloody battle in wich lord Jaguar Claw was defeated. This event led to a certain decline of the city's power. Some of the structures at Calakmul show that different activities, especially those of a ritual nature, were performed there until the Post-classic period.
Visits to this site are restricted to a central nucleus built upon a great natural platform that was partially modified to allow the construction of base platforms, living quarters, pyramids, a ball court, a wall, various altars and numerous stelae. The eco-archeological concept applied to recent work has allowed the air of mistery and jungle beauty surrounding Calakmul to be maintained, a setting that its further enhanced by the song of tropical birds and innumerable butterflies.
The Great Square.
Oriented along a north-south axis, the Great Square is reached through an entrance situated next to Structure VIII. According to archeologist Ramón Carrasco, this was a magical space used for ceremonies and rituals, where the Mayas attempted to reproduce the sacred landscape embodied in the myth surrounding the creation of the world. This interpretation states that the surface of the square represents the primordial sea and the surrounding pyramid bases are the sacred mountains where the Maya ancestors and gods lived. Meanwhile, the so-called "stelae with the images of important people, situated at the food at the mountains, symbolize the trees of life, between wich the governor functioned as an axis mundi or unifying factor between the peoples of the world. The stairways winding down from the peaks of the mountains of creation served as roads between the world of human beings and the higher dimension. Acces to the latter was attained by entering places of power such as the great square and cosmic openings like the ball court".
Our visit begins at Structure VIII, a small quadrangular building characterized by certain architectural features wich suggest that it was once used for making astronomical measurements. The eastern side of the square is bordered by Structure IV, wich was possibly associated with administrative and palace matters. Divided into three sections, this building has 14 stelae that refer to a period ranging from 642 to 810 AD; the distribution of the stelae would seem to be related to the season of the year. Structure V divides the square into two sections and appears to serve as an altar for Structure II. Its northern stelae depict a royal couple and bear the date March 21, 623 AD. The frequent presence of feminine figures at this site suggest a certain degree of matriarchal dominance. This structure was used for ritual acts involving the legitimization of power; a representation of a noble sacrificed as part of a conquest ritual, was also found here.
The square is bordered to the south by the imposing Structure II, a building that rests upon a 140 meter square base as it rises up to a heigh of 55 meters; the four buildings situated on its summit form what might be described as a small acropolis. The stele bearing the earliest date -431 AD-, was discovered here. From the top of this building we can obtain a fine view of its counterpart, Structure I; this construction is 47 meters high and has yet to be restored. Calakmul takes its name from these two structures. The view from the top of these buildings is truly stunning: magnificent constructions emerge from the dense forest cover; these are the tallest structures in the state. Structure III or "The Palace" is hidden to the east of Structure II. This is a five-bodied construction with twelve rooms resting upon a pyramidal base. It is believed that the Calakmul elite lived in this building. In 1988, a burial site containing jade masks was found there.
The square is bordered to the west by Structure Iv. This is an astronomical complex related to the solstices and equinoxes ; its base also supports a further building wich looks onto the square and esplanade. Another royal couple is shown on stelae bearing the date March 26, 702 AD. Between Structures VI and VII -bordering the northern side of the square and where the first of the spectacular jade masks was found-, a Sacbé or Maya road leads off to the square of the Great Acropolis.
The great Acropolis.
This area is home to Structure XIII, a building that contains an image of a woman holding a ceremonial rod. Visitors may also catch a glimpse of Structure XV, where in 1994 female remains dating from the year 800 AD were uncovered. Likewise, it is woth visiting the Ball court, next to wich there is a stele bearing a representation of a player. The Ball game was of course imbued with great religious significance; transformed into living gods, the players represented night and day, east and west, red and black, life and death. To the south of the Ball Court, we come to the Sacrifice Stone, an in situ rock decorated with bound, naked men. To the north, the Acropolis is bordered by the remains of a seven meters high wall wich is almost two meters thick. There is also another structure measuring approximately 200 meters, wich may have served for defensive purposes or as symbol of social division. In the outskirts of Calakmul, we come to the structure known as Los Baños or The Baths, where a series of rooms with steam baths were distributed around the pool. Visiting hours: Every day, from 8:00 to 15:00
Services: Watchmen
Source: The State of Campeche Book
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