Ajijic's brilliantly colorful street murals, Part 1

Mural of a pregnant tree goddess. It is located on the wall of a private home located on Calle Lázaro Cardenas, just east of Calle Encarnación Rosas. The mural is signed "L. Matiz y Wins, 08/03/2024". Mexico has a long tradition of wall murals, dating back at least to the Classic Era of the pre-hispanic period. Artists in Ajijic, the pueblo where I live, have continued this tradition with an extraordinary number of brilliantly colorful murals. Some of them were publicly funded, while others were commissioned by local businesses or private homeowners. 

This posting is the first of a multi-part series which will show a few of the many murals that have been created by our local artists. In Part 1, I'll focus on five different art works located in the area between our home and Ajijic's main plaza. When a mural is large, I will include photos of various parts of it so you can appreciate the details. When the artist has legibly signed and dated the mural, I will include those, along with a link to further information.

Mural highlighting the fiestas of Ajijic

Long mural celebrating Ajijic's various fiesta traditions. It is located on Calle Felipe Angeles at the corner of Calle Castellanos and decorates the side wall of Go Bistro, a popular local restaurant. The names of two artists appear on a corner of the mural: Mario Ramirez and Itzel Montion, however there was no date. The six photos that follow will show different sections of the mural.

The Sayacas of Carnaval (Mardi Gras). Sayacas are men who dress up in women's clothing, often using large balloons to simulate breasts. The Sayacas are just guys being playful and a little crazy. Carnaval parade spectators are often pelted by handfuls of flour while being pursued by Sayacas. It's all part of the explosion of fun that occurs just before the sober period of Lent. While today's Sayacas are connected to the Christian Lent, the tradition is believed to date back to pre-hispanic times. 

Four men carry a statue of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. This fiesta is held every December 12, in honor of the most important Catholic saint in Mexico. The Virgin of Guadalupe is not only a religious figure, but an important political symbol. She first appeared in 1531 to a Christianized Aztec man. Legend has it that he encountered her in a ruined pagan temple. She was brown-skinned and spoke the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. These features made her immensely attractive to indigenous people in Nueva España. Later, Mexican insurgents displayed her image on their flags during the Independence War. 

This figure embodies several important traditions. Skulls and skeletons abound during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), held every November 2. This fiesta's roots stretch far back into pre-hispanic times. It celebrates the annual return of the deceased to commune with their living relatives. The fiesta includes parades, family altars, and lots of great fun. 

Another tradition is the charro outfit worn by the skeleton figure. This is the clothing favored by the men (and women) who display their dazzling riding and roping skills at charreadas (Mexican rodeos). Those skills are closely associated with Jalisco's colonial-era haciendas. The instrument he plays is central to mariachi bands, who also favor charro outfits. Mariachis are another tradition which originated in Jalisco. 

Man whoops it up with a vivacious catrina. They dance to the music of the charro-clad skeleton. The man above may be the portrait of an actual person. The artist, Manuel Ramirez, often includes images of his friends and acquaintances in his art works. Although these skeleton figures often appear at Day of the Dead fiestas, they were not originally part of that tradition, but grew out of 19th century politics.

Catrins (the male figures) and catrinas (the females) were created by a 19th century political cartoonist named Guadalupe Posada.  He used them to lampoon the pretensions of Mexico's upper class during the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. His cartoons sometimes got him into trouble and eventually forced him to flee his hometown of Aguascalientes. However, catrins and catrinas have been wildly popular in Mexico since the beginning of the 20th century and eventually became associated with the Day of the Dead.

Another masked and artificially buxom Sayaca flourishes her skirt.  A small dog sits next to her, alertly watching the action. While some of Ajijic's murals are in heavily traveled areas, others seem randomly placed. This makes for interesting surprises as I round a corner and am suddenly confronted by a scene like this. The most important factor in their placement is probably the availability of large, flat open spaces on walls.

A couple of mounted charros occupy the far end of the mural. One carries the Mexican flag, while his partner clutches an open can of beer. Charros on horseback participate in many of Ajijic's fiestas, particularly those celebrating the War of Independence and the Mexican Revolution. In fact, I have probably photographed both of these men at one fiesta or another. I was particularly amused by the charro with the beer. I have seen similar charros ride up to a local store, summon the proprietor to sell him a beer, then finish it without ever dismounting. 

Images of the Lake

Birds, fish and plant life of Lago de Chapala. I found this mural and the next one at the corner of Ajijic's Carretera (main street) and Calle Castellanos. Each of its two sides is a mirror image of the other. The animals include White Pelicans, Great White Egrets, and various kinds of fish. I was a bit mystified, at first, by the two large brown objects on either end of the mural. They look a little like candle holders. I finally decided that they are images of the small containers that pre-hispanic people once threw into the water with offerings for the god and goddess of the Lake. I could find no signature by the artist or date.

A fisherman pulls his catch from the water while nets dry in the background. This beautifully captured scene is similar to many I have observed and photographed in the past. The feeling of quiet serenity expressed in the mural was juxtaposed with the bumper-to-bumper traffic passing just a few feet away on the Carretera. However, just a few blocks to the south, a walk along the shore of Lago de Chapala can still yield the feeling I got from this mural. 

Frida in her garden

Portrait of Frida Kahlo communing with nature in a lush garden. This mural is on the wall of a condominium on Calle Encarnación Rosas between Calle Emiliano Zapata and Ajijic's Carretera. The date on the mural is 2022, but the signature is unclear. It  may be Juanjo Bagnar, but I could find no information about an artist of that name.

Frida Kahlo was one of Mexico's most famous artists. Her paintings focused on popular culture and folk art, as well as self-portraits. She was married to Diego Rivera, one of Mexico's greatest 20th century muralists. Their stormy marriage included a brief affair between Frida and Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, as well as a fling by Diego with Frida's sister. 

Painted on the stone wall under the mural of Frida are two dogs and a cat. The dogs' leashes are painted so that they appear to be attached to a nearby pole. Interestingly, the middle dog and the cat both have halos over their heads. I interpret this to mean that they have both passed over to Critter Heaven and that their former owner, who commissioned the mural, still cares for them. The leashes indicate that the owner is a  likely a foreigner. Although many dogs run loose on the streets here, that doesn't mean they don't have a home. Many Mexicans don't leash their pets or keep them penned up in yards.

Street scenes 

Local folks gather to watch a sparking, flaming castillo. Many of Ajijic's fiestas feature this dramatic form of fireworks as the climax of the event. A castillo ("castle"), is a tall, rather flimsy structure of sticks tied together. Attached to it are various fireworks, including rockets on pinwheels that shoot sparks and spin wildly. A large castillo, set alight after dark, is an impressive spectacle,. However, they would probably give U.S. or Canadian fire marshals heart palpitations. 

The artist of this mural and the two that follow is Jesus Lopez Vega, a friend of mine for many years. In fact, he guided me to the abandoned gold mill that was the inspiration for my blog postings called La Rusa's Gold Mine. Jesus has a gallery/studio in west Ajijic where he works and displays many of this paintings. He is also one of Ajijic's most prolific muralists. In a future posting of this series, I will show some of his work, including the spectacular stairwell murals of Ajijic's Cultural Center.

Street scene showing the church on Calle Parroquia and Marcos Castellanos school. The mural decorates the front of a private home. While it shows the lake and mountains in the background, they are actually to the south (right). Also, there is a large mural painted on the school facade which is not shown here. I guess this is what "artistic license" means. Many of Jesus' paintings include one or more dogs, one of which can be seen in the foreground, peering back at the viewer. Notice the horseman talking to the woman in front of the school. This detail tells a small story in itself.

Fill 'er up, please! Remember the mural of the mounted charro carrying a beer? In this mural detail, a vaquero (cowboy) leans down with his mug so that the woman can fill it from her pitcher. The white liquid it contains is probably pulque, a mildly alcoholic beverage made from the heart of the agave plant. Pulque has been enjoyed by Mexicans for centuries and by their pre-hispanic ancestors for millennia before that. People in the rural areas still drink it, although it has been largely displaced by beer in the more urbanized areas. 

The completes Part 1 of my series on Ajijic's murals. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

Cobá Part 9 of 9: Grupo Macanxoc's temples and stelae

 

This long arcade forms one side of Temple A5's courtyard. The seven columns may have once supported a vaulted roof over the arcade. This structure, known as A4, forms the west side of a courtyard that surrounds an important temple called A5. Stela #6 stands to the right, out of sight. There will be more on Stela #6 later in this posting.

Part 9 is the last of my Cobá series. In it, I will cover Grupo Macanxoc's  temples and four of its stelae of that I didn't show in Part 8. Three of Part 9's stelae are carved with images of male rulers who either preceded or succeeded K'awill Ajaw, the warrior queen who was Cobá's greatest monarch.  The fourth stela is so worn that no images or glyphs remain.  

Temples of Grupo Macanxoc

Base of a small, un-named temple platform. A small altar stands about 1m (3.2ft) in front of the three-step staircase. I have had considerable difficulty identifying some of Grupo Macanxoc's structures, including this one. For one thing, many of them lacked signs. In addition, the various archeological reports I have researched often assign conflicting labels to the same structure and others are left un-named entirely. Google Street View can be useful, but the Street View camera person who visited Cobá spent little time in Grupo Macanxoc. I was only able to use that method to identify three structures.

Adding to all this is the haphazard layout of Grupo Macanxoc. Most Maya cities have core areas that are carefully arranged according to the Four Cardinal Directions. As you can see from Part 8's site map, many of Grupo Macanxoc's structures are not arranged that way. I therefore ask blog readers to excuse any mis-identifications. I always take great pains to be accurate in my blog postings, but errors can happen. If anyone has corrections, please leave them in the Comments section and I will make adjustments if your identifications are superior to mine.

This structure is one of the largest temples in the Macanxoc Group. I have been unable to determine the correct name or designation of this one too. It is multi-level and contains rooms of various sizes, one of which you can see above.. All the archeological reports that I have reviewed refer to the structures in this part of Cobá as exclusively for ceremonial or religious purposes and as a place to erect self-aggrandizing stelae. Archeologists believe Grupo Macanxoc had no residential functions. The lack of sleeping platforms and firepits seem to confirm this.

View from the top of the large temple. This may be the structure called A7. Another large structure, called A5, can be seen in the distance. Its broad staircase contains a palm-frond palapa, which protects Stela #7. The stairs of A5 lead up to a large platform which contains another temple that can be seen through the trees. Structure A5 and Stela #7 will be shown later in this posting.

Stela #3

Stela #3 is set into the west side of Structure A6. This small temple has a three-level platform. Behind the third level is a small square room. The room was probably a place for secret rituals not meant for the eyes of commoners or other unauthorized persons. 

View of A6 from the left rear. Here you can see the small square room in the rear of the temple. The door you can see above is on the north side. There are a total of four doors, one on each side. I have often been puzzled by the amount of time and energy the Maya must have spent to build structures which have extremely small rooms. However, some rituals and ceremonies may have been carried out on other parts of A6's three-level platform.

In front of Stela 3 is a small circular altar, surrounded by a ring of stones. The altar is enclosed on three sides by a low "U"-shaped wall. I could find no mention in the archeological reports about artifacts or offerings discovered under or near the altar. Of course, this doesn't mean some won't be found in the future (see Stela 11 in Part 2). Stela #3 is sizeable, standing 2.53m (8.3ft) tall and 1.27m (4ft) wide. Only the front side contains carvings. 

Drawing of Stela #3. Most of its many glyphs are unreadable. The ruler wears the knee-length kilt which identifies him as a man. Among the few readable glyphs is the stela's dedication date of 633 AD. Archeologists believe the image is that of Sihyaj Chan K'awiil, who ruled 610-632 AD. The stela was erected a year after his death by Xaman K'awiil, his son and successor, who ruled 632-640. Sihyaj Chan K'awiil may also have been the father of K'awiil Ajaw. Some archeologists speculate that the image on the stela might be of Xamen K'awiil himself. Given the time frame, it must be either the father or the son.

Note that the figure on the stela has only one captive at his feet and the ruler is not standing on him. Stelae dated later show multiple captives, often directly under the feet of the ruler. This expresses a greater level of domination. As time went on, during the 7th century, Cobá's rulers became progressively more aggressive and militaristic. K'awiil Ajaw (ruled 640-682) became kaloomté after the death of her brother, Xamen K'awiil. Her stelae display more captives, either beside or under her feet, than any other ruler of Cobá. It is probably no coincidence that the city's domain reached its greatest extent during her rule.

Stela #6

Stela #6 is a stand-alone monument. It sits atop a small platform, surrounded on three sides by a low wall. In the background you can see the wall and columns of Structure A4, shown in the first photo of this posting. Stela #6 was found in 1926, during the 3rd expedition of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW). When it was discovered, it lay in nine fragments near the wall of Structure A4 and had to be re-constructed. (Photo from Maya Ruins Website)

Drawing of Stela #6.  Among the handful of readable glyphs are two dates: May 7, 613 and March 16, 623. This stela is the oldest of the eight at Grupo Macanxoc and its dates place it within the reign of Sihyaj Chan K'awiil. Consequently, he is almost certainly the figure portrayed. Among the glyphs are some that make an intriguing reference to a previous kaloomté whom the glyphs identify as his grandfather. The title is clear but the name is indistinct and there are no related dates. However, the readable glyphs contain a flaming torch and the symbol for a house, leading archeologists to nickname him "Torch House". 

Sihyaj Chan K'awill has one captive kneeling by his feet. The prisoner is thought to be from the city of Oxkintok. This strongly suggests an adversarial relationship  between the two cities during Sihyaj Chan K'awiil's reign. Cobá's power and territory was expanding during the early 7th century, so conflict with neighboring powers would be expected. Even though Oxkintok is 230km (143mi) across the Yucatan Peninsula from Cobá, they may have fought over territory where their realms overlapped or for control of important trade routes.

Stela #7

Stela # 7 is embedded in the steps of the staircase of Structure A5. This temple and its stela can also been seen in the 4th photo of this posting. One of my best sources for information about ancient Maya sites is the Maya Ruins Website, which describes A5 as 

"...the main structure of a small complex located on the east side of a plaza. The complex is entered through a passageway between two separate chambers, each divided by three pilasters. The passageway opens into a small courtyard. The main structure exhibits a broad, west-facing stairway that leads up about 8 feet/2.4 meters to a partially restored corbel vaulted temple. Imbedded within the stairway is Stela 7. The east and north sides of the structure also display a stairway. The sides of the structure form nicely slanted walls with the temple superstructure exhibiting an upper medial molding."

Stela #7 stands on the third step of the west-facing stairway. The stela is so eroded that nothing remains of any images or glyphs. One archeologist has suggested that it may have always been blank, as is the case of some in other Maya cities. However, there are no other deliberately blank stelae in Grupo Macanox and very few in Cobá itself. It is more likely that the poor quality of the limestone in this area resulted in the complete loss of the stela's carvings. However, since the dates on all the other stelae in this part of Cobá fall within the 7th century, it is likely that this one was erected in the same time frame.

Another of my prime sources has been the website of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. It provides photos, drawings and physical descriptions of Cobá's Stelae #1 through #23 and has been an invaluable aid in my research. However, Stela #7 is the only one missing in that list of 23. This is probably due to its lack of images or glyphs. However, information about its dimensions and how and when it was found would have been helpful. 

Stela #8

Another of the stand-alone stelae is #8. It stands about 40m (131ft) southeast of Stela #1, near where Sacbe 9 enters Grupo Macanxoc (see Part 8 site map). The stela is badly eroded and the only remaining images are at the bottom. The Stela #8 stands in a three-sided enclosure built on a low platform and is only 1.61m (5.3ft) tall. It appears to have been truncated at some point and the top part is still missing. However, missing pieces of Cobá's stelae and inscriptions have tended to turn up over time (see Part 2 and Part 7). The missing part of Stela #8 may yet be found, hopefully with some readable glyphs.

Drawing of Stela #8. Most of the glyphs and images have flaked off the upper part of the limestone surface. However, four captives are still visible. Two are kneeling, one on either side of the ruler's sandaled feet. Two others crouch under his feet, butt-to-butt. As noted earlier, archeologists believe that the number of captives and their positions relative to the feet of the ruler are significant. 

Prior to the rule of Kaloomté K'awiil Ajaw, Grupo Macanxoc's stelae show only one captive kneeling beside the rulers' feet. Beginning with K'awiil Ajaw, the stelae show from two to four captives, with some crouching under the ruler's feet. Since Stela #8 is in this latter category, it must be from the period when Coba's aggression was at its peak. This may place it during the reign of Chan Yopaat, the son of K'awiil Ajaw. He ruled from 682 to 692. An inscription at Edzna mentions "he of Cobá", an important person who was captured and sacrificed in 692. This matches the date of Chan Yopaat's death. 

This completes Part 9 of my Cobá series and also the series itself. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. If you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

Cobá Part 8 of 9: The stelae of Grupo Macanxoc that celebrate Cobá's greatest ruler

 

The author, standing in front of Stela #2 of the Grupo Macanxoc. This is one of four stelae at Cobá that display images of Kaloomté K'awiil Ajaw, a woman who was Cobá's most powerful monarch during the Classic era (500-800 AD). Her reign lasted for 42 years, a period that was the city's Golden Age. The stela stands 3m (9.9ft) tall and is the largest in Grupo Macanxoc. It is also one of the largest in Cobá itself. The stela is set into the bottom step on the staircase of a large and complex platform shown later in this posting. The stelae at Cobá are numbered according to when they were discovered, rather than their age.

This, along with my next posting, will focus on Grupo Macanxoc. The Maya created this group of structures solely for ceremonial and religious purposes. Part 8 will be devoted to the four of the eight stelae (1,2,4, and 5). These contain a total of six images of rulers. Five of these images have been identified as K'awiil Ajaw and the sixth is believed to be her husband. In Part 9, I'll show you Stelae 3, 6,7, and 8, the four remaining stelae. These display male rulers, including K'awiil Ajaw's predecessors and successors. Also included will be some of the temples that are scattered around Grupo Macanxoc.

Overview

Site map of Grupo Macanxoc. This group of structures is reached by way of Sacbe 9, one of Cobá's famous stucco-surfaced "White Roads" (see Part 1). On the map, the sacbe enters Grupo Macanxoc from the upper left. Stela #2 is part of the cluster of numbered stelae at the opposite end of the map from where the sacbe enters. To see how Grupo Macanxoc fits into Cobá's overall layout, see Part 4. That map shows this group of structures as somewhat isolated from the other three groups, which may have been intentional. It can only be reached by Sacbe 9, while the other groups are tied together by multiple sacbeob.

Grupo Macanxoc is a collection of structures built on a platform that is 200m (656ft) long and stands about 4m (13ft) above the surrounding swampy terrain. Maya architects nearly always oriented their structures with the Four Cardinal Directions in mind. However, on this platform, the structures are scattered about with very little reference to the Cardinal Directions. There are eight stelae, some of which are incorporated into ritual platforms while others stand independently. All of the stelae are believed to have originally been placed elsewhere in Cobá, but were moved to their present positions in the Post Classic period.

 

This wall is part of the many un-excavated structures at Coba. I spotted it while walking along Sacbe 9 on the way to the Grupo Macanxoc. More than 6,500 structures have been identified at Cobá, but only about 10% of them have been been excavated. Until recently, archeologists focused on the temples, pyramids, palaces, ball courts, stelae, and sacbeob in the core area of the city used by the elite. In recent years, their attention has been drawn to the areas where ordinary people lived and worked, as they worked to understand daily life.

Sacbe 9 is only a few hundred meters in length, fairly short for a Cobá sacbeob. However, it is 6.7m (22ft) wide, making the city's broadest. Clearly, it was meant for grand ceremonial processions. The path is narrower today and hemmed in by the encroaching jungle. Still, we occasionally caught glimpses of semi-buried structures like the one above. As we walked along, people on bicycles and tricycle carriages whizzed passed in either direction. Both forms of transportation can be rented near Cobá's main entrance. However, Carole and I preferred to stroll along and enjoy the sights and sounds of the jungle around us. 

Stela #1

Stela #1 is the first structure encountered upon entering Grupo Macanxoc. The stela sits on top of a platform called A9. There are staircases on all four sides of A9. A small altar stands a couple of meters in front of the main stairs. Stela #1 contains images and glyphs on both sides. Its 313 glyphs are the Maya world's longest known hieroglyphic text. Included are dates that reach back to the mythical Maya creation date of 3114 BC. They also extend forward to the calendar date of December 21, 2012. This covers an astounding 5,127 years, the full length of one of the five Maya ritual eras. Together, these eras total 25,685 years!

The images on both sides of the stela are of Kaloomté K'awiil Ajaw. However, she did not erect this stela, her son and heir Chan Yopaat did. This occurred following her death in 682 and Chan Yopaat's accession to the throne that same year. The new kaloomté put up Stela #1 both to memorialize his mother's 42-year reign and to legitimize his own rule. Archeologists have known of Stela #1's existence since the late 19th century. However, the Maya hieroglyphic code was not broken until the 1970s. It was not until the first decade of the 21st century that the readable portion of Stela #1 began to be accurately deciphered. 

K'awiil Ajaw is shown on both sides of Stela #1 and is surrounded by 313 glyphs. Archeologists have determined the image to be that of a woman because she wears a huipil (dress) down to her ankles. Maya men are never portrayed wearing huipiles. Aside from the dress, she is portrayed in a manner similar to images of Cobá's male rulers. Her body faces forward with her head turned to the right and she carries the long scepter office across her chest. Dangling from her neck, almost to her ankles, is a horizontal bar with three tubular beads on each end. Rulers wore this emblem when they intended to take captives in war.

The two sides of the stela contain a total of eight bound captives. Each side shows K'awiil Ajaw standing directly on top of two of them, while another kneels on either side of her feet. Every one of K'awiil Ajaw's stelae at Grupo Macanxoc shows her standing next to at least one captive. This remarkable total of fourteen captives is greater than those shown on the stelae of any other Cobá ruler. It is also greater than almost any other Classic-era monarch in the Maya world. This was apparently a woman who meant business.

Stela #2

Stela #2 is set at the bottom of the staircase of a large and complex platform. This staircase is the only one on the platform. A large square altar stands about 3m (10ft) in front of the large stela. While Stela #1 was erected by K'awiil Ajaw's son after her death in 682, Stela #2 was the first one that she put up herself near the beginning of her long reign. According to the glyphs on a different stela, she became Cobá's kaloomté in 640 AD. Two years later, in 642, the she erected and dedicated this one.  

Ix Ch'ak Ch'een (see Part 7) was the first of Cobá's female rulers. Later, in 569 she was elevated to kaloomté ("Supreme Warrior"), making her the first of the city's rulers to become a regional overlord. She died in 573 was succeeded by another queen, Ix Che'enal, who ruled for only about a year before abdicating in favor of her husband, K'ahk Bahlam (ruled 574-610). He was succeeded by his son Sihyal Chan K'awiil (ruled 610-632) who, in turn, was followed by his son Xaman K'awiil (ruled 632-640). Xaman K'awiil was probably K'awiil Ajaw's brother, although there is some speculation that he may have been her father.

Stela #2 has been eroded by the weather for over a millennia.  Due to the poor quality of the limestone, only the outlines of K'awiil Ajaw's image and of the glyphs surrounding her can be seen. The only clear part is the captive on whose back she stands and the lower part of another to the right of her feet. The only readable glyphs are along the stela's side edges. Given the immense hieroglyphic record at Cobá, it must be intensely frustrating to epigraphers (the people who decipher hieroglyphs) that so few glyphs are readable.  

In fact, we don't even know the actual name of this powerful queen. While the title kaloomté is readable, her name is not. The closest that epigraphers could come was K'awiil ("God of Lightning") and Ajaw ("Lord"). K'awiil and Ajaw are believed to be honorific titles attached to her still unreadable name. However, new discoveries of readable glyphs at Cobá are made fairly regularly (see Parts 2 & 7), so stay tuned. 

A long room with several pillars lines the left side of Stela #2's large platform. The presence of this and other rooms makes the stela's platform one of the more complex structures of Grupo Macanxoc. While the stela was dedicated in 642, the platform may have been constructed much later, with the stela having been brought from elsewhere to adorn it.

We know from Grupo Macanxoc's various stelae that K'awiil Ajaw was probably born in 617 as the daughter of Kaloomté Sihyaj Chan K'awiil. Following her father's death in 632, her brother Xaman K'awiil took over and reigned until his death in 640. So, at the age of 23, K'awiil Ajaw became Cobá's third female Kaloomté. Thus began her 42-year reign as the overlord of Cobá's northeastern Yucatan realm. She was the city-state's greatest ruler at the time when the Maya Classic world was reaching its political, economic, and social peak. 

View of the rear of Stela #2's platform. By ascending the throne at this time, K'awiil Ajaw became an important player in the complex inter-relationships among the various Maya city-states. Her reign roughly paralleled that of Yuknoom Ch'een (ruled 636-686). He was the Kaan (Snake) dynasty ruler who was the kaloomté of Calakmul, the Maya world's greatest power at that time. Although Cobá and Calakmul are separated by 260km (162mi) of rugged jungle, K'awiil Ajaw and Yuknoom Ch'een undoubtedly knew of and communicated with each other.

The Kaan Dynasty had long maintained a relationship with Cobá. In the fifth century, the Kaan were still based in Dzibanche. In 494, they helped Juunpiktook (the Cobá dynasty's founder) to become ruler. Kaan strategy was to build power through a broad network of allies. They also sent their royal daughters to marry the rulers of other city-states. For example, K'awiil Ajaw's grandmother, Ix Che'enal (Cobá's second female kaloomté) may have have been the daughter of a Kaan ruler. Through these alliances they assembled the power to defeat Tikal, the other great city-state of the Classic world. 

Stela #4

Stela #4 stands inside an enclosure embedded into a broad staircase. The impressive staircase leads to the top of a largely un-excavated temple/pyramid (known to archeologists as A1). You can see trees and other vegetation still growing at the top. It is the highest structure in Grupo Macanxoc and stands about 12m (39ft) tall. Structure A1 and its stela are located about 40m (131ft) to the southwest of Stela #1 (see site map above). The fact that the staircase and stela enclosure are the only parts excavated so far shows how much work still needed to be done at Cobá when we visted.  

Stela #4, inside its enclosure. The space in which the stela stands is about the size of a telephone booth (for those of us old enough to remember them). The enclosure was built by the ancient architects, rather than by modern archeologists, in order to protect the stela and possibly to conceal it from unauthorized eyes. 

Stela #4 is 2.5m (8.2ft) tall and a 1.04m (3.4ft) wide, making it one of the larger of Cobá's stelae. It contains the image of a female ruler, along with glyphs containing her accession date of 640 and the stela's dedication date of 652. Although K'awiil Ajaw's name is again not decipherable, her title of kaloomté is. This, along with the dress and the dates, confirms that she is the person in the image. Stela #4 was erected a decade after Stela #1 and is the second that was put up during her reign.

Although most of the glyphs on Stela #4 are unreadable, K'awiil Ajaw's image is clear. So are the images of the three captives at her feet. She stands with each sandaled foot on the back of a crouching captive. A third captive kneels next to her right foot with his bound hands raised. All are naked, except for loincloths and simple head-dresses. Note that, on Stela #2--her first--there were two captives. One this one, there are three. Her conquests seem to be expanding. The ceremonial bar she holds is the symbol of a kaloomté. The face of a divine figure emerges from the lower end of the ceremonial bar. 

Kaloomté K'awiil Ajaw ruled a city-state that was expansionist and militaristic, as attested by the numerous captives displayed on her various stelae. She pushed her realm's boundaries to the west, as well as north and south. Almost certainly, Cobá controlled the Caribbean coastal seaports like Tulum that were so important to Cobá's trade. At this point, Cobá had "arrived" and was no longer subordinate to Calakmul. There is even some evidence of military conflict between those two city-states, as well as with Edzna to the southwest and Oxkintok to the west. Control over trade routes and subordinate towns were the usual causes.

Stela #5

Stela #5 is a stand-alone stelae, not incorporated into a platform or temple. This is the only stela with an image of K'awiil Ajaw on one side and a male image on the other. Epigraphers came to the conclusion that the male must must be her husband, since husband-and-wife stelae have been found in other Maya cities. Also, since he only appears on one side of one of the four stelae showing K'awiil Ajaw, it is believed that he is clearly the junior partner in the relationship. Although his image is on the "front" side, we should remember that this is probably not the original place or orientation of Stela #5. 

K'awiil Ajaw lived up to her "Sacred Warrior" title. She actively used her military to expand her realm. While Yaxuná probably fell under the sway of Cobá during the rule of an earlier kaloomté, she consolidated control and encouraged inter-city trade. She was also a builder and a patron of the arts and science. Many of Cobá's 50+ sacbeob were built under her direction, possibly including the 100km (62mi) sacbe to Yaxuná. During her long reign, scribes at Cobá were very active and the city became a center of calendric studies. People of the Post Classic period, hundreds of years later, viewed her reign as a golden age.

The  two sides of Stela #5 display K'awiil Ajaw and her husband. Glyphs on the stela indicate that it was dedicated in 662, at the mid-point between her accession as kaloomté and her death. Since no male figure appears on Stelae #2 or #4, she may not have been married when those stelae were dedicated. The fact that the glyphs don't refer to the male figure as a kaloomté indicates his lesser status. In addition, he did not become kaloomté when K'awiil Ajaw died. The regional overlord position went to her son, Chan Yopaat. This suggests that either the husband was already dead or was simply not in the line of succession.

In the drawings of Stela #5 above, the male figure appears on the left and K'awiil Ajaw is on the right, He is dressed in a man's the knee-length kilt. She wears the standard ankle-length women's huipil. Oddly, he has two captives at his feet, while she has only one. The meaning of this disparity is unknown. Perhaps Kaloomté K'awiil Ajaw, at the height of her power, simply wanted to boost the image of her husband a bit and saw no need to increase her own fame.

This completes Part 8 of my Cobá series. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question in the Comments, please be sure to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

P.S. For those who would like to dive deeper into the things I cover in Parts 8 & 9, here are the main sources I relied upon:

Harvard Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology

The Queen of Cobá, a Reanalysis of the Maccanxoc Stelae

A Preliminary Ruling Sequence of Cobá, Quintana Roo

Notes on the Accession Dates in the Inscriptions of Cobá

The Maya Ruins Website: Cobá

Wikipedia: Maya Monarchs

Cobá Part 7 of 9: The great Ixmoja pyramid of Grupo Nohoch Mul

The Ixmoja pyramid is the tallest Maya structure in northern Yucatan. The height of the structure is 40m (131.2ft). In addition, Ixmoja stands on a small rise of about 6m (19.6ft), which gives it an extra bit of altitude. The tiny figures of tourists that you can see on the main staircase provide a sense of scale. Ixmoja is part of the Grupo Nohoch Mul, which includes several other structures. Built in stages during the Late Classic and Early Post Classic eras, Ixmoja was lost in the jungle for a thousand years until archeologists visited Cobá in the 19th century. 

In this posting, I'll show you the pyramid and tell you about an important discovery in 2024. Near Ixmoja, an archeologist stumbled--almost literally--across the Foundation Rock, a huge stone covered with hieroglyphs. While they have not been completely deciphered, some of the glyphs yielded fascinating new information about Cobá's Classic-era dynasty. They revealed a previously unknown female monarch named Ix Ch'ak Ch'een. She was  very powerful and established Cobá as a major player in the Maya world. (Photo from Travel Wonders)

Overview

Site map showing Grupo Nohoch Mul and the Ixmoja pyramid. The Nohoch Mul group is in the upper right. The pyramid is at the end of the purple trail and is marked Nohoch Mul, which means "Big Mound". Although the Ixmoja pyramid is sometimes called by that name, Nohoch Mul is actually the name for a whole group of structures. 

In addition to Ixmoja, the group includes a huge platform northeast of the pyramid called C-7. The platform is 17m (56ft) high, 125m (410ft) wide, and 115m (377ft) deep. When we visited, the platform was obscured by the thick jungle, so I didn't photograph it or even know it was there. West of the pyramid are Structures 10 and 12, supporting Stelae 20 and 21, respectively. These structures and their stelae were covered in Part 6.

The Foundation Rock. This large stone plaque was discovered inadvertently in November of 2024 by archeologist Ana Calderón while she was touring Grupo Nochoh Mul. The Foundation Rock is located about 152m (500ft) behind the Ixmoja pyramid, under a stairwell and beside a natural waterhole. While walking by, Calderón noticed a large stone that was literally covered with hieroglyphs, many of which seemed readable. This last was very important. Although Cobá probably has more hieroglyphs than any other site in Yucatan, they were carved into limestone of poor quality and have mostly become indecipherable. 

The stone monument measures 4.2m x 3.4m (14ft x 11ft) and contains 123 glyphs. Archeologists named it the Foundation Rock because it is, in effect, the founding document of a powerful, Early Classic era dynasty in northeast Yucatan. The dynasty had originally been established at Cobá in 494 AD by a ruler named Juunpiktook. He had gained his throne with the aid of the Kaan (Snake) Dynasty, a foreign power based in Dzibanche in southern Yucatan. Because of this, Cobá at first functioned as a vassal of the Kaan and the authority Juunpiktook and his early successors didn't extend much beyond the city itself. 

The only known image of Ix Ch'ak Ch'een appears on Stela 30. This stela is located inside of a small temple part way up the west side of Ixmoja's main staircase (see below). Her name is mentioned in its glyphs. Ix is a female prefix, roughly meaning "Lady". Ch'ak Ch'een means "Red Rainbow". The image on Stela 30 differs from most of the others at Cobá. The figure faces left, rather than right, doesn't hold the long scepter of office, and has no captives at its feet. The sex of the image was determined by the ankle-length huipil (dress), a garment that Maya men never wore. Ix Ch'ak Ch'een was the first woman to rule Cobá, not as the consort of a male ruler but as a monarch in her own right.

She became Cobá's queen on an unknown date in the middle of the 6th century AD, about 60 years after Juunpiktook took the throne. There were probably 2-3 successors between his death and when she became the ruler. However, their names and the dates of their rule are uncertain. What the Foundation Rock tells us is that Ix Ch'ak Ch'een became Cobá's first Kaloomté in 569 AD. Kaloomté  ("Supreme Warrior") was the Maya world's highest rank. It was reserved for rulers of a whole region, not just a city. So, Ix Ch'ak Ch'een was both the first female ruler of Cobá and later became the city's first kaloomté. 

The pyramid's west and east sides 

View of the west side of the Ixmoja pyramid. Beside the main staircase stands a smaller one, with a palapa-covered stela at its base. The stela was created during the Classic era, but was moved from elsewhere in Cobá and re-erected here during the Post Classic. No clear images, glyphs, or dates are visible on the stela's broken pieces. 

There are at least 17 steps on the west-side staircase and the first four are broader than the rest. This fact, along with the sheered-off appearance of the staircase's west side suggest a collapse at some time in the past. At the top of this staircase are the remains of the small temple which contains Stela 30.

One of the documented accomplishments of Ix Ch'ak Ch'een was the construction of Ball Court 2 in Grupo D. The significance of this is hard to overstate, because the ball game was central to Maya religious, political, and social life. Hieroglyphic inscriptions on the ball court's Panel 7 state that she dedicated the court in 573 AD. Another woman, Ix Che'enal, became kaloomté in 573, so Ix Ch'a Ch'een must have died sometime that same year.

A small ruined temple occupies a platform at the top of the west-side staircase. This photo was taken from the main staircase. The temple's single room was once covered by a vaulted stone roof. The entrance was between the two pillars. Stela 30 rests against the wall at the rear of the temple and is protected by a small palapa. The stela is broken and the side facing out shows the lower part of a standing female figure. The side facing the wall contains the surviving glyphs, one of which is the name Ix Ch'ak Ch'een Yopaat. This is one of several variations of the queen's name that have been found on different monuments.

Artifacts were found in and around the temple. These included stone trays called metates, used for grinding maiz. Also present were charred bone fragments from deer and wild boar called jabali. These items indicate that the temple was used for ceremonial activity related to fertility because Maya codices (hieroglyphs on paper) show fertility offerings of venison on metates. Found under the floor, near the base of Stela 30, were beads of jade, coral, and shell pectorals. Ceramic fragments within the temple were from the Puuc area (northwest Yucatan). This indicates they were left during the Post Classic period. 

The east side of Ixmoja also contains structures, but in a more ruined condition. At the base, a three-step staircase leads up to a temple with a single room. It once had a vaulted roof, supported by two pillars. Along the rear wall of the temple is a long bench. Similar to the temple on the west side, ceramic fragments of offerings from the Puuc region were found. These included a slate-ware plate fragment containing the date 810 AD. This is one of the latest dates ever found at Cobá. It places the offering during the transition between the Late Classic and the Early Post Classic periods.

Ancient Maya rulers gained legitimacy not just with military power, but through their association with the gods. The glyphic inscriptions on the Foundation Rock closely connect Ix Ch'ak Ch'een with the deities who protected Cobá. One variation of her name includes the title K'awiil. This was a deity related to lightning, the serpent witz (associated with water), and royal lineage. The Foundation Rock's glyphs also connect her with Bolon Tz'akab Ajaw ("Lord of Innumerable Generations"). One of the key roles of a Maya monarch was to act as an intermediary between the gods and the people.

 The Main Staircase

The main staircase rises steeply. without landings. It is daunting enough to climb this seemingly unending set of stairs, but the return is especially precarious. Some people choose to come down on their butts, while clinging to a rope. I'm not particularly afraid of heights, but this staircase is in a class of its own. In 2019, the staircase was closed to tourists and in 2021 work was begun on a wooden staircase constructed up the middle. Finally, in 2025, the new staircase was opened to the public. I suppose it was necessary for safety, but I'm glad I got to climb Ixmoja the old fashioned way.

Like many other temples and pyramids throughout Mesoamerica, Ixmoja was built in stages. In 2016 archeologists discovered an earlier pyramid inside it that is about 10m (32.8ft) tall. They were able to detect this earlier structure with a non-invasive technology called tri-dimensional electric resistivity tomography. This, along with other new technologies, have revolutionized archeology. One of these, called Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), can quickly scan huge areas of jungle from the air, revealing otherwise invisible structures. At Cobá, Lidar has been used to detect structures along the sacbeob.

Nearing the top, some people scramble up while others sidestep or crawl down. The first mention of Cobá' was made in a mid-19th century report by John Stephens and Frederick Catherwood. They heard about the city but couldn't reach it because of its remoteness. The first non-Maya to actually visit was Juan Peón Contreras Elizalde, director of the Yucatan Museum. He made the arduous journey through the jungle in 1882. Nine years later, in 1891, an Austrian explorer named Teobert Maler stopped for two days, but left quickly because of the Caste War. Thirty-five years passed before an American, Thomas Gann, visited in 1926. 

Gann's visit triggered a series of eight expeditions by the Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW). Between 1926 and 1932, the CIW thoroughly explored and mapped the site. Over the next 40 years, other archeologists briefly stopped and reported their observations about the sacbeob and stelae they found. In 1972, the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Antropologia y Historia (INAH) began an intensive program of investigation and restoration. During this same period, the first modern road was built to the site. Even 144 years after the first visit, new discoveries continue to be made, the most recent being the Foundation Rock in 2024.

Temple of the Diving God

The Temple of the Diving God stands on the platform at the top of Ixmoja. The temple bears a strong resemblance to temples at Tulum and other Caribbean coastal sites of the Post Classic era. There is one room, entered through a single door. Unfortunately a barrier prevented me from accessing the interior. There were originally three niches across the top level, but the one on the far left appears to have broken off with a section of the roof. Each of the remaining niches contains a stucco statue of Ah Muzen Cab, a deity that archeologists call the Diving (or Descending) God because of how he is always portrayed. 

In addition to building Ball Court 2, Ix Ch'ak Ch'een was also responsible for construction of some of Cobá's 50+ sacbeob ("White Roads"). These not only tied the disparate parts of the city into a coherent whole, but they also connected Cobá with outlying areas. This road network was crucial in the development of the city as an economic, political, and military powerhouse. It was the extension of her power over a whole region that allowed Ix Ch'ak Ch'een to become the first of Cobá's rulers to achieve the title of kaloomté.

Ah Muzen Cab is always shown in an upside-down posture. His head is at the bottom and his legs and feet point upward. The stucco is too worn to see much of his arms. A similar statue occupies the other niche. This depiction led archeologists to dub him the "Diving God". Ah Muzen Cab is the protector of bees and beekeepers. One of Cobá's specialties was the production of honey for domestic use and for export. Hives of the Melipona becheii and Melipona yucatanica species of stingless bees were kept for these purposes. Ah Muzen Cab was revered, not only at Cobá, but also at Tulum and the other coastal cities. 

By becoming the kaloomté, Cobá's first female ruler elevated herself from the role of vassal or subordinate ally. This gave her greater importance in the eyes the rulers of other powerful cities like Calakmul and Tikal. During the Classic era, their military and political resources probably still exceeded that of Cobá. However, Ix Ch'ak Ch'een had established herself and her dynastic successors as a force that had to be reckoned with. The Foundation Rock also mentions an important, but undefined, relationship she had with Sky Witness, the powerful ruler of Dzibanche who decisively defeated Tikal in 562 AD.

The perilous climb down

Visitors to the top of Ixmoja gingerly pick their way down. I stood on the platform for a while, both to enjoy the view and to steel myself for the climb down. Each step must be chosen carefully. Over the years, there have been numerous falls on Mexico's pyramids, including this one. These have sometimes resulted in injuries or even death. The ancient steps are smooth and can be slippery. Those who climb in the mountains know that the most dangerous part is always coming down. You are tired, eager to get to the bottom, and gravity works against you. Once you start to fall, your momentum can make recovery impossible.

This completes Part 7 of my Cobá series. I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely fashion.

Hasta luego, Jim