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Mayapán
(mah-yah-PAHN), located in the Yucatan in Southeastern Mexico, approximately 24 mi/39 km SSE of Merida; GPS, 20°28'N 89°11'W!
Founded, according to Maya
lore, by the man-god Kukulkán (Quetzalcoatl in central Mexico) in about A.D.
1007, Mayapán ranked in importance with Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. It covered at least 4 sq. km (2 1/2 sq. miles). For
more than two centuries it was the capital of a Maya confederation of city-states that included Chichén
and Uxmal. Near the 12th century, the rulers of
Mayapán ended the confederation by attacking and conquering Chichén
and forcing the rulers of Uxmal to live as vassals in Mayapán. Much later, a successful revolt by the other cities brought down Mayapán,
which was abandoned during the mid-1400s.
In the last few years,
archaeologists have been busy excavating and rebuilding the city, and work continues. Several
buildings bordering the principal plaza have been reconstructed, including one that is similar to El Castillo in Chichén Itzá. The
scientists have discovered murals and stucco figures that provide more grist for the mill of conjecture: atlantes,
skeletal soldiers, macaws, entwined snakes, and a stucco jaguar. Note: The site is open daily from 8am to 5pm.
Mayapán: Mayan ruins in
Yucatan, Mexico:
This archeological site
is located 47 Km. southeast of Merida, Mexico.
Mayapan ("Banner of the
Mayas") is considered the last great Maya capital, dating back to the beginning of the common Era and reaching
its golden age in the Postclassic period. It is believed that this city once had a population
of 12,000 inhabitants. Kukulkan II of Chichen Itza founded Mayapan between 1263 and 1283 AD. After his death
an aggressive family Cocoom seized power and used Mayapan as a base to subjugate northern Yucatan. They
succeeded through wars using Tabascan mercenaries and intermarrying with other powerful families. The
Cocoom ruled for 250 years until 1441-1461 AD when an upsart Uxmal based family named Xiu rebelled and slaughtered the Cocoom.
Mayapan's ancient grandeur
is still evident in its great buildings. There is a strong influence played
by Chichen Itza, as seen in its main building, a smaller replica of the Castillo of Kukulcan. The
main square was bordered by government, administrative and religious buildings, as well as the homes of the ruling class.
These constructions were built over foundations of rows of columns, with temples and oratories,
an altar at the back and benches along the sides. Also found are the round buildings known
as "Observatories" and small sanctuaries representative of the ancient cities.
The painted murals which
are still visible are the style used in the codices of the post classic period. The
murals show scenes of war and events related to the death cult, evidence of the cultural links with races from the high plains
of central Mexico.
Although
it is believed that Mayapan together with Uxmal and Chichen Itza formed a triple alliance, recent archaeological
excavations indicate that these two last cities actually flourished well before Mayapan. What does appear true is that the city had a centralized form of government similar to that of Chichen
Itza. Mayapan continued to prosper between 1250 and 1450.
The mid 1400's marked the end of the city when a rebellion overthrew Mayapan
and nearly destroyed the city. In the mid-XV century, Mayapan
was destroyed, burned and abandoned. As more research and investigations are carried out in this
area it is becoming increasingly clear that this city was even more important than had been thought previously. The Mayapan archeological site is located 47km southeast of Merida.
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