Ichkabal is a large ancient

Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...

city located in the jungle of

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 administrative divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into municipalities of ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

dating from the Middle Preclassic period of the Maya civilization around 400 BC, it developed as a monumental city until the Postclassic period.

Location

Ichkabal is located near

Lake Bacalar Lake Bacalar (or Laguna Bacalar) is a long, narrow freshwater lake in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico near Mexico's border with Belize. It is approximately 60km long measured from north to south, and 2km at its widest. It is the second largest ...

inside the tropical jungle of Quintana Roo in Mexico and near other Maya sites like

Dzibanche Dzibanche () (sometimes spelt Tz'ibanche),Martin and Grube 2000, p. 103. anciently called ''Kaanu'l'', is an extense archaeological site of the ancient Maya civilization located in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico.Martini 2010, p. 377. Dzibanche was ...

, Kohunlich, Pol Box, Dzibantunich among others.

Archaeology

Ichkabal is an extensive site conformed by six main architectural groups covering about 60 km with monumental buildings and pyramids over 40 to 46 meter tall that are visible above the jungle canopy., the main plaza has an extension of 300 meters, is considered one of the biggest sites from the

Maya Lowlands The Maya Lowlands are the largest cultural and geographic, first order subdivision of the Maya Region, located in eastern Mesoamerica. Extent The Maya Lowlands are restricted by the Gulf of Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the eas ...

. The site was connected to the city of

by a large

sacbe A sacbe, plural sacbeob (Yucatec Maya: singular ''sakbej'', plural ''sakbejo'ob''), or "white road", is a raised paved road built by the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Most connect temples, plazas, and groups of structures withi ...

of over 40 km long.

History

Ichakbal settlement started in the Middle Preclassic period of Mesoamerica, around the year 400 BC. During the Classic period, Ichkabal was related with the Kaan dynasty of Dzibanche, a major power of the Maya region. According to archaeological research the site was populated until the late Postclassic period around the year 1500, few years before the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Ichkabal remained hidden deep in the jungle of Quintana Roo until it was discovered by archaeologists in 1995.

References

{{Maya sites Maya sites Maya sites in Quintana Roo Maya sites in Mexico Maya Preclassic Period Maya Classic Period Maya sites that survived the end of the Classic Period Maya Postclassic Period Archaeological sites in Quintana Roo Former populated places in Mexico 4th-century BC establishments in the Maya civilization 1995 archaeological discoveries 16th-century disestablishments in the Maya civilization