Our exploration of Mayan Pyramids has begun! The Yucatan peninsula is full of
archeological sites; some unearthed and reconstructed, and many more still to
be explored. In this flat landscape,
anywhere you see a large hill, it’s a pretty safe bet there is a Mayan ruin to
be found under the brush. It’s really
quite impressive!
We began our exploration in Mayapan, which is from the
post-classical Mayan period. Mayapan is
believed to have been occupied between roughly 1000 and 1400 AD. It is thought to have been one of the most
important Mayan cities during its time; a hub of Mayan culture and government.
Mayapan has two main pyramids and an observatory. It was amazing that we had free reign around this
site. We could climb up all pyramids and
walk through the arched tops. It was
almost like a 1000-year old playground to the kids.
We had the good fortune of being able to (still) see the shadow of the snake back that plays off the wall of the pyramid at certain times of the year. In this case, it is from the winter solstice; a special and unexpected treat!
In addition to climbing up and down the stone
structures, we found some really well-maintained stone carved masks in honor of
Mayan gods. Mayapan also still has several
well-preserved Mayan fresco paintings and stucco relief images. It is truly amazing to think about how old
these art pieces are, and the tools and technology available for making them at
the time. I ask myself, how many of our
structures and integrated art pieces will still be around in 1000 years…
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