Dzibilchaltún (, ) is a

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 ...

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...

in the

Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...

Yucatán Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida. ...

, approximately north of the state capital of Mérida. The original name for the site may have been Ch'iy Chan Ti'Ho.

Location

In the view of modern researchers, the ancient builders of Dzibilchaltún may have chosen the site of the city to be as close as possible to the coastal salt-producing region (about away), while still being located on a reasonably fertile and habitable terrain. The region between Dzibilchaltún and the sea coast is less suitable for human habitation, being either mangrove swamps or bare rock.

Overview

The site has been continuously occupied for thousands of years, although it has expanded into a mid-sized city and contracted back to a small town more than once in its long history. It is about 30 minutes north of Mérida, and about the same distance south of the location of the impact site of the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs in Chicxulub. While many of the stelae at the site are eroded, the site had at least one king who was memorialized on Stela 10; his name was K'alo'mte' Uk'uuw Chan Chaahk.

Architecture

The most famous structure is the ''Temple of the Seven Dolls'', so named because of seven small effigies found at the site when the temple was discovered under the ruins of a later temple pyramid by archaeologists in the 1950s. On the vernal

equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...

, the site is crowded by visitors observing the sunrise through the temple's doorways. However, there is no archaeological feature marking the observation spot, making any relationship between the orientation of the temple with the equinoxes highly unlikely. The temple is connected to the rest of the site by a ''

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 ...

'', or "white road," so-called because they were originally coated with white limestone, built over stone-and-rubble fill.

Surroundings

The other major feature of Dzibilchaltún is its

cenote A cenote ( or ; ) is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting when a collapse of limestone bedrock exposes groundwater. The term originated on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where the ancient Maya commonly used cenotes for water supplies, and ...

, Cenote Xlakah, located around the center of the city's ruins. It is thought that the availability of this source of clean drinking water influenced the builders' choice of the location. Archaeological findings retrieved from the cenote by divers indicate that it was the center of a religious cult. While traditionally the cenote was used as a swimming hole by local residents and tourists year round, it is currently closed, apparently for maintenance although there is evidence that it is now polluted by waste water from surrounding residential developments. Similar to

Chichen Itza Chichén Itzá , , often with the emphasis reversed in English to ; from () "at the mouth of the well of the Itza people, Itza people" (often spelled ''Chichen Itza'' in English and traditional Yucatec Maya) was a large Pre-Columbian era, ...

, a large number of archaeological pieces like carved bones and wooden objects, but mainly vases, have been found in the cenote. Valuable information about the ancient Mayans who lived near the cenote was found here. Dzibilchaltún also contains the ruin of a 16th-century Spanish church built at the site after the conquest. The Dzibilchaltun archeological site also includes a visitor center with maps, restrooms and gift shops. Backpacks and other similar items are to be left at lockers and are not permitted inside the site. Guides are on hand and can be hired for tours of the site. The renovated museum housing Mayan artifacts located at the site has re-opened. The museum is closed on Mondays.

National park

Dzibilchantún National Park was designated in 1987, and covers an area of 5.39 km². It is managed by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP).UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Dzibilchantún from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 14 April 2022. The natural vegetation of the area is

dry forest The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...

."Dzibilchantún". Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP), Government of Mexico. Accessed 14 April 2022

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References

External links

Dzibilchaltún Photo Essay
{{authority control Maya sites in Yucatán Maya sites that survived the end of the Classic Period Former populated places in Mexico Tourism in Mexico Mesoamerican sites Sinkholes of Mexico Tourist attractions in Yucatán Museums in Yucatán Archaeological museums in Mexico Landforms of Yucatán 1950s archaeological discoveries Underwater diving sites in Mexico National parks of Mexico