Xlapak

Xlapak (also Xlabpak; German = ' old walls ' ) is an archaeological site of the Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula in the same state of Mexico.

Location

Xlapak located in the center of the Puuc region, approximately 37 km ( driving distance ) southeast of Uxmal. Along with the neighboring archaeological sites of Kabáh, Labná, Sayil and Chacmultún it forms a group of small and rarely visited Mayan sites in the Yucatan Peninsula.

History

At the time it was built (ca. 600-800 AD) Xlapak was surrounded by corn fields ( milpas ). In addition, playing with the security keeping of domestic animals (dogs, turkeys) as well as hunting in the adjacent bush forests play an important role for the protein supply of the population. Beginning of the 20th century, the site was discovered and excavated from the archaeological research; towards the middle of the century the main building has been partially restored or reconstructed.

Attractions

Architecture

Only three palace buildings are in Xlapak of importance - all the buildings are built in the so-called ' Puuc style ', whose essential feature is a division of the exterior facades. The lower parts of the outer walls remain completely undecorated, whereas in the slightly protruding upper part rich stone mosaics that are likely to remain unrendered and were painted with paint that Bauzier account.

The five-door building I heard - despite its partial destruction - the most impressive buildings of the Maya architecture of Yucatan; its occupied with corner columns outer walls are decorated in the upper part with impressive stack application and with several rows of teeth provided Chaac masks, which geometric- edged phenomenon points to the close iconographic relationship of the rain god of the Maya Tlaloc, the rain god of the cultures of the central Mexican highlands. Between the huge Chaac masks, geometric- abstract decorative motifs found.

The buildings II and III are largely destroyed; some preserved elements of Bauzier point out that it has also formerly traded to imposing building.

How mature are the stone mosaics of Xlapak, strange as the lack of a large temple pyramid and a ball court must seem. Whether this - as some researchers have suggested - to a lessening of identity of religious conviction at the end of the classic period of Maya architecture (see in this context also Edzná ) is due today can no longer be resolved.

Others

Among the finds in Xlapak includes an approximately 1.20 m high stone phallus and a number about 40 cm high stone humanoid heads, rules over the function or the original arrangement drawing, the mounting location uncertainty. The heads rest today on architectural elements, which are the knots of wood rods ( or the internodes of reed grasses) replicated and there are frequent on the buildings of the Puuc region. The typical of the Maya lowlands of the classical period - provided with figures and / or glyphs - stelae or altars are found in the Puuc region rarely.

831297
de