The Hidden Coastal Culture of the Ancient Maya
November 7, 2018 8:04 AM Subscribe
For thousands of years, ancient Maya kings ruled a vast inland empire in Mexico and Belize. But just how inland was it, really?
Vista Alegre, a ruin of a town near the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, was once a bustling outpost. Dozens of canoes crowded the harbor, loaded down with dyes from the west, jade from the south, and obsidian from mountains hundreds of kilometers away. The sound of trumpeting conch shells periodically sliced the air—an alert from sentries scanning the horizon from platforms attached to stone structures. The call signaled an incoming boat—to trade or, perhaps, to plunder.
Vista Alegre, a ruin of a town near the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, was once a bustling outpost. Dozens of canoes crowded the harbor, loaded down with dyes from the west, jade from the south, and obsidian from mountains hundreds of kilometers away. The sound of trumpeting conch shells periodically sliced the air—an alert from sentries scanning the horizon from platforms attached to stone structures. The call signaled an incoming boat—to trade or, perhaps, to plunder.
There was an excellent museum show on this several years back: Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea. The book is still available.
posted by Miko at 10:00 AM on November 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Miko at 10:00 AM on November 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
Tulum is fantastic and beach below the settlement is gorgeous
posted by supermedusa at 11:09 AM on November 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by supermedusa at 11:09 AM on November 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah Tulum playa is effing amazing, as is the Biosfera to the south. Always curious about to what extent the Maya used the cenotes for travel.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2018
posted by aspersioncast at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2018
I've been following the developments in the field, as the depiction of the Maya has moved away from an exotic notion of "Isolated temple complexes in the jungle" to a vibrant, active empire encased in farming and trade. This is very important in decolonializing the narrative of the Maya.
posted by happyroach at 4:16 PM on November 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by happyroach at 4:16 PM on November 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
When I visited back in the early 2000s the guide mentioned that Tulum was the only Mayan ruin right on the ocean. I immediately thought "no way in hell." And I was right!
posted by lstanley at 10:34 AM on November 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lstanley at 10:34 AM on November 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
« Older All modern fashion is athleisure | James McClean. Footballer and his refusal to wear... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
This is a stunning place on the peninsula and was crowded with visitors when we were there. It is near Coba, another stunning ruin. My favorite was Uxmal, though it's not as popular as Chichen Itza.
BTW, great post.
posted by Mental Wimp at 9:35 AM on November 7, 2018 [2 favorites]