Chacchoben (chak-CHO-ben;

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popu ...

for "the place of red corn") is a

ruin approximately 110 mi (177 km) south of

Tulum Tulum (, yua, Tulu'um) is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the ...

and 7 mi (11 km) from the village from which it derives its name.

History

Settlement by the Maya at the site is estimated at 200 BC, and the structures date from 700 AD. It is characterised by large temples and massive platform groups.

Modern discovery

In the 1940s a farm was established near the site by the Cohuo family. The site was reported visited by archeologist Loring Hewen and briefly described in a letter to ethnohistorian Ralph Roys in 1962. The principal pyramid was apparently then still used as a site for religious worship. The ruins were officially reported to the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

government in June 1972 by Dr. Peter Harrison, an American archaeologist who was working on a project for The Royal Ontario Museum, and who also made the first maps of Chacchoben. Harrison stumbled upon this site while flying a helicopter over Mexico and noticed numerous hills in predominantly flat lands. Harrison realized there were temples beneath these hills, which were naturally covered over a period of 2000 years.

Restoration

In 1994 the Mexican

National Institute of Anthropology and History National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

(INAH) excavated and restored the site, which was closed to the public until 2002. Today one temple is still overgrown with nature, and they were unable to restore it.

Chacchoben today

Visitors to the site today walk a circular path that includes three excavated and restored pyramids, as well as many walls and staircases. Excavation is continuing on several mounds which are known to contain further buildings. Some structures still bear traces of the red paint with which they were originally coated, and INAH has set up shaded areas to prevent further degradation of this pigment by the sun. Also notable at the base of the largest pyramid is a large stone slab called a stela with a Maya hieroglyphic inscription. Chacchoben is one of the more popular ruin sites in southern

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...

, with regular tourist trips from the port of

Costa Maya Costa Maya is a small tourist region in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, the only state bounded by the Caribbean Sea to its east. This municipality is close to Chetumal (capital of the state) on the border ...

. The surrounding jungle is characterized by abundant species of fauna, such as

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the ...

peccary A peccary (also javelina or skunk pig) is a medium-sized, pig-like hoofed mammal of the family Tayassuidae (New World pigs). They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of No ...

armadillo Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, al ...

gray fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener (biology), congener, the diminutive island fox ...

spider monkey Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus ''Ateles'', part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The ...

and

howler monkey Howler monkeys (genus ''Alouatta'', monotypic in subfamily Alouattinae) are the most widespread primate genus in the Neotropics and are among the largest of the platyrrhines along with the muriquis (''Brachyteles''), the spider monkeys (''Atel ...

. Deeper into the jungle, more dangerous animals like

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the thi ...

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southw ...

, puma and

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...

can be found.

Image gallery

File:Mayan Sun God's Temple.jpg, Mayan Temple in Chacchoben, February 2022 Image:Chacchoben 2.jpg, Temple Pyramid at Chacchoben, August, 2007 Image:Chacchoben.JPG, View of the ruins at Chacchoben from the air Image:Temple Pyramid at Chacchoben.JPG, Temple Pyramid at Chacchoben from tourist pathway File:Chacchoben Maya Ruins.JPG, Chacchoben Maya Ruins File:Ruins in jungles.JPG, Ruins in jungles, Chacchoben File:Chacchoben sign.jpg, Sign and Temple Pyramid File:Steps at Chacchoben.jpg, Along the path between the larger temples there is a small grouping of stone footings and stairs from some of the homes built on this site.

External links

Official INAH site. In Spanish.Chacchoben tourism site

References

{{reflist Maya sites in Quintana Roo Former populated places in Mexico Tourist attractions in Quintana Roo