Xlapak (or Xlapac) is a small

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 ...

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

in the Yucatan Peninsula of southeastern

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. It is located in the heart of the

Puuc Puuc is the name of either a region in the Mexican state of Yucatán or a Maya architectural style prevalent in that region. The word ''puuc'' is derived from the Maya term for "hill". Since the Yucatán is relatively flat, this term was ext ...

region, about from the archaeological site of Labná and a similar distance from

Sayil Sayil is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatán, in the southwest of the state, south of Uxmal. It was incorporated together with Uxmal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Sayil flourished principally, albeit bri ...

, lying directly between the two sites. It consists of three main groups in a valley of the Puuc Hills in Yucatán State,Toscano Hernández & Huchim Herrera 2004, p.84. a region of karst

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

forming the only major

topographical Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary scie ...

feature of the peninsula. The closest town is Oxkutzcab, about to the northeast. The site dates from the Late to Terminal Classic periods and was sited in an area suitable for

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...

. Restoration at Xlapak, and other nearby archaeological sites, was carried out in the first half of the 20th century by the Mexican '' Instituto de Antropologia e Historia'' (Institute of Anthropology and History). Further archaeological investigation was carried out in 1965 under the direction of César A. Sáenz.

The site

The site core is located in the flat valley bottom, while in the surrounding hills the remains of perishable structures have been found. The main feature of Group 1 is the Palace, which consists of nine rooms with decorated facades. Another palace is located in Group 2, it is decorated with columns. The architecture is an example of the ostentatious style of the Classic or Fluorescent Puuc, in common with the nearby sites of Sayil, Labna, Kabah, and

Uxmal Uxmal ( Yucatec Maya: ''Óoxmáal'' ) is an ancient Maya city of the classical period located in present-day Mexico. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with Palenque, Chichen Itza and Calakmul ...

. Typical of this style are the highly decorated upper portions of the buildings that extend above the ceiling height.Lorenzo Vidal & Muñoz Cosme 1997, p.365. The decorations at Xlapak are well preserved and include masks of the Yucatec Maya rain god

Chaac Chaac (also spelled Chac or, in Classic Mayan, Chaahk ) is the name of the Maya god of rain, thunder, and lighting. With his lightning axe, Chaac strikes the clouds, causing them to produce thunder and rain. Chaac corresponds to Tlaloc among ...

Notes

References

* * * * * * {{coord, 20, 10, 25, N, 89, 36, 30, W, region:MX_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Maya sites in Yucatán Maya Classic Period