The Murals of Ajijic Part 3: The Artists' Alley & Calle Parroquia

A pair of cheerful-looking skeletons sail the Lake on a paper boat. A red sun glows in the background, while small red globes float nearby. Between the male and female skeletons is a bouquet of maravillas (marigolds). Skeletons and marigolds are both elements of the annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Skeletons symbolize deceased relatives or friends. Paths of marigolds leading to family altars help guide the dead back for a visit. The scene, painted by the artist Aldo Varela, is another example of the lighthearted Mexican view of death. 

This scene forms the left end of a mural which stretches along the south side of the andador (walking street) known as Artists' Alley. The andador leads from Calle Castellanos to Plaza de Ajijic. More murals decorate the north side of Artists' Alley. I am not including those because some of them have appeared in my previous postings, while others were obstructed by vendors' booths, so I couldn't photograph them. In addition to Artists' Alley, this posting will also show the murals along Calle Parroquia. This street leads from the Parroquia  (Parish) church one block to Calle Colon, along the south side of the Plaza.

The rest of Sr. Valela's mural contains this unusual pair. On the right is a seated woman wearing gold jewelry and a jaguar head dress. The jaguar is an animal with deep symbolic meaning in Mexico. The big cats were revered in pre-hispanic times because of their power and their tendency to hunt at night. To the ancient people, this suggested that the creature could travel between the worlds of the living and the dead. In many ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, jaguars became the totems of warrior societies and of royalty. 

The woman's closed eyes and hand gestures suggest that she is praying. Meanwhile, a school of fish swims demurely by.  In front of her, a rooster stands on a reddish globe, similar to the other globes shown floating in the Lake. The skeletal figure wears jewelry similar to that of the woman. The head dress of the skeletal figure is made from the skull of a large bird of prey. With his right hand, he brandishes a staff or wand, while his left had makes a gesture that that seems to invite the viewer to approach. 

A mariachi band composed of roosters entertains a small audience of the same species. The  tiny plaza above resembles Seis Esquinas (Six Corners), located in the western part of Ajijic. My wife and I lived near there during our first year in Mexico. In pueblos like Ajijic, the crowing of roosters, along with church bells and barking dogs, are part of life's background music. Mariachis are another ubiquitous fact of life here. The pueblo of Cocula, about an hour's drive from Ajijic, claimes to be the birthplace of mariachi music. Cocula is proud of its Mariachi Museum, which contains photos, instruments, and mariachi costumes.

Murals along Calle Parroquia

A mural covers the entire front (north side) of a local elementary school. Escuela Primaria Marcos Castellanos stands on the corner of Calles Parroquia and Marcos  Castellanos. In my last posting, I showed you the Mural de los Muertos (Wall of the Dead), which covers the east side of this school. Both the mural above and the Wall of the Dead were the creations of Efrén González, one of the most prominent artists in Ajijic. Since the mural is huge and very complex, so I will show it section by section, in the following seven photographs.

The Goddess of the Lake. On the far left end of the mural is Teomichihuali. Her Nahuatl name is pronounced tay-o-meechee-wallee. She is the goddess who protects the Lake and everything living along its shore. Teomichihuali was seen as a benevolent deity by the pre-hispanic Coca people who inhabited the area when the Spanish arrived. Above, she blows a gentle breeze across the Lake, while holding a lit candle in her outstretched hand, Below her, three women lounge on the lakeshore. One of them holds up an infant to suckle at the goddess' breast. 

Several nymphs perch in a tree while pouring jugs of water onto the ground. Three turtles, sacred in pre-hispanic times, climb the roots of the tree toward the nymphs. The feeling of this scene is very peaceful and sensual. I am often startled at the murals that appear on local elementary school walls. They often contain nudity and sometimes images that are quite violent. All this would probably cause a considerable uproar among parents at U.S. schools, but it doesn't seem to faze Mexican parents or their kids.

Another image of the Lake Goddess appears over the main door of the school. This image is particularly complex. A Great White Heron flies to the left of the goddess and a large parrot soars on the right. Surrounding her neck are a pair of large hands, from which a torrent of fish spills into the Lake.  One of her extended arms holds a large rattlesnake, which seems to symbolize natural wildness. In her right hand, she grasps a lever connected to a large industrial complex, symbolizing modern industrial civilization. Some of the other images below her will be shown in succeeding photos. 

A snake, a waterspout, and daily life. From the open mouth of the rattlesnake, a huge trumbo (waterspout) emerges. A similar trumbo occurred in 2007, during our first year here. It hit the lakeshore, resulting in catastrophic landslides down the mountain arroyos. To the left a large búho (owl) spreads its wings, while on the right, a bat glides over the water.  Along the lakeshore a man carries a large basket of sandías  (watermelons) toward a boat partially filled with the fruit. He supports his load with a tumpline, an extremely ancient method transporting goods. Under a palm frond, a woman sits, while eating sandía.

Another of the mural's complex scenes. In a bubble, a campesino (farmworker) tends his crops, which include maiz (corn) and sandía. Below the bubble, a fire rages while a bare-chested young man carrying a staff looks on. In the foreground is a jumble of pre-hispanic clay pots called ollitas. These small pots were used for offerings to Teomichihuali. The Cocas put drops of blood, tears or sacred objects inside, after which the little containers were thrown into the Lake. In modern times, when the water level has dropped, hundreds of ancient ollitas have been found near the shore.

A group of young men cavort under a tree growing on a tiny island. There is much going on here. One youth pulls up a fish as several large schools swarm below the water. Another prepares to fire an arrow at a bird. A third man reaches for one of the fruits hanging off the tree, while his friend pounds the drum in his lap. This scene appears to be a counterpart to the group of young women located on the other side of the main door. No one in either group appears to take notice of the other.

A Sun God exhales light, heat, and a flock of white birds. The Coca people primarily worshipped Teomichihuali, so it is not clear who this god is. However, the Mexica (Aztec) deity Huitzilopochtli was god of the sun, so this may be a reference to him. Below the Sun God, people in a fishing camp, carry out various acts of daily life. While one man eats from a plate, one woman waters a plant while another plays with her baby. A second man heads toward the Lake to collect water in a couple of pots. A large fishing net dries in the background. This scene forms the far right end of the mural.

Other murals along the Parroquia

A mound of fruit, framed by maguay plants, adorns the wall across from the school. In the scene, a man loads his boat while others look on. This mural is almost directly opposite the front door of the Marcos Castellanos school. There is no signature, but the style is almost certainly that of Efrán Gonzalez. This work seems to celebrate the extraordinary fertility of the land around Lake Chapala. Most of these fruits can be found growing on the lakeshore. There is a window in the wall to the left of the mural where freshly squeezed fruit juice can be purchased.

A skeleton and a friendly-looking pooch guard this door. This mural is a few meters to the right (west) of the school mural. Part of it extends over the top of the entrance of the Plazapato shoe store to the mural's right. The composition is a direct reference to Dia de los Muertos. There is the skeleton, of course, but also the profusion of marigolds and ten lit candles. I previously mentioned the significance of skeletons and marigolds, but the candles are also important. They light the way for deceased relatives who seek to reunite with their living counterparts for a brief visit.

A beautiful portrait of a much-loved pet. This is so detailed and lifelike that it probably represents a dog belonging to the artist or the person who commissioned the mural. The name "Honey" is on the dog's heart-shaped tag. Given the mural's context, it is very likely that this is a memorial to dog who has passed over to the next world. The bereaved owner may be hoping for a visit from the former pet on the Day of the Dead. The artist is Abril Durán her mural is dated 2025. She titled her work El guardian fisico y espiritual ("The physical and spiritual guardian").

A young girl joyfully kicks over a basket of flowers. The various flowers and plants above would be recognized by anyone who regularly walks the streets of this pueblo. I have always liked this mural's energy and vivid colors. It is actually one of the older murals in the area. An accompanying sign says "Lake Chapala Garden Club, 40 years on Lakeside, 1977-2017".  The dates suggest that it was completed in 2017, but there is no artist's signture. The mural was painted on an extension above the sidewalk near the intersection with Calle Colon.

This concludes Part 3 of my series on Ajijic's mural art. 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 be sure to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely fashion.

Hasta luego, Jim

 

Ajijic's colorful murals Part 2: Calle Castellanos

This mural accurately captures the image of a Green Iguana. It is located on Calle Castellanos, on the wall by the entrance to the Artists' Walk that leads into Ajijic Plaza. Just to the mural's right is the Ajijic T-Shirt shop. The artist is Bruno Mariscal, who has painted numerous murals around Ajijic. He is also the owner of the Ajijic T-Shirt shop. Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) are common in southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, as well as Central America. 

In Part 2 of my series on Ajijic's Murals, I will focus on those decorating the area of Calle Castellanos south of the Carretera (Ajijic's "main drag"). This street runs north-to-south from the base of the mountains down to the Lake and passes in front of Ajijic's main church called the Parroquia. The eleven different murals shown in Part 2 are wildly different in their styles and themes but all demonstrate the skill and creativity of Ajijic's many artists.

I nicknamed this mural "Celestial Woman". It extends across the front of Galeria Amigrante, one of Ajijic's many art galleries. According to the young woman who was running the gallery, the name is a combination of amigo and inmigrante. Galeria Amigrante is located on the east side of Castellanos across from the iguana mural seen in the first photo. The artist is Aldo Varela, who also painted one of the large murals along the Artists' Walk that leads into the Plaza. I will show that mural in a subsequent posting.

A group of hollow-eyed old vaqueros stares out from Galeria Amigrante's mural. This section of the mural is on the other side of the Galeria's doorway from the Celestial Woman. The skeleton figure on the left is actually part of her mural. The three old vaqueros (cowboys) are the work of Bruno Mariscal, who painted the colorful iguana in the first photo. I have often encountered guys like this (except for the skeleton) in my travels around Mexico. They often have wonderful stories to tell about the old days in Mexico. 

Fishermen raise their net to capture a school of fish near the lakeshore. This mural is located on the west side of Castellanos, just to the left of the entrance to the Artist's Walk. The artist is Jesus Lopez Vega, a prolific muralist whose work appears all over Ajijic. I encountered him several times while he was at work on this mural during September of 2025. I meant to photograph the mural as a work in progress, but never got around to it. According to Jesus, the mural was based on a photograph of four local fishermen named (left to right) Domingo Chavez, Amador Torres, Aristeo Grajeda, and Felipe Padilla.

El Muro de los Muertos is a wall of skulls along the side wall of a local school. Most murals I will show are paintings, but this one is sculptural. The artist is Efren González, many of whose murals you will see in this series. He drew his inspiration from the pre-hispanic tzompantli platforms on which the heads of sacrificial victims were once displayed. The individual skulls are made in molds from red clay. The wall of skulls is along the side of Escuela Primeria (Primary School) Marcos Castellanos. The school is located on the corner of Calles Parroquia and Castellanos. I wonder if it gives the kids nightmares.

Detail from El Mural de los Muertos. Each skull contains the first name of a deceased person who once lived in the pueblo of Ajijic. The last name can be found near the bottom of each skull plaque. Although most names are in Spanish, some belong to people from Ajijic's large foreign community. For example, the top left skull was created for Peter Simons. The four skulls along the top include candleholders for votive candles. As a result, these skulls are slightly blackened. In fact, each of the skull plaques contains a small hole below the lower jaw where a holder with a votive candle can be inserted.

Mural in the stairwell of Café Concepción. The Café is located on the  east side of Castellanos, just south of the Parroquia church and across the street from the skull wall. The young artist, Alan Pantoja, began painting the mural in 2025 and it is still a work in progress. He based it on "The Birth of Venus", a 15th century Renaissance painting by Sandro Botticelli. Alan works full-time at a local notario's office, but hopes to one day support himself with his art. He can be reached on Instagram at alanpantojap. 

A young family and their dog, out for a hike in the mountains. The subject of death is often treated humorously in Mexican art. As a hiker myself, I have seen young families just like this, hiking through flower-dotted meadows in the mountains overlooking Lake Chapala. However, I don't recall seeing any that were skeletons. Maybe I wasn't there on the right day? This and the following three photos are all part of the same large mural on the wall of El Camaléon, a bar located on the corner of Calles Constitución and Castellanos. The mural is by Aldo Varela who also painted the one on Galería Amigrante.

Skeletal camaléon browses among the flowers. Camaléones (chameleons) are not native to Mexico. However there are Mexican lizards that mimic the true chameleon's ability to change its coloration to match its surroundings. Just about every living creature has been portrayed as a skeleton in Mexican art. The city of Aguascalientes contains the unique Museo Nacional de la Muerte (National Museum of Death) where you can see many examples of this bizarrely humorous view of death, some of them dating back millennia.

A tipsy wolf staggers along, while a black dog gallops overhead. The wolf-man wears a yellow vest, bluejeans, and pointy-toed cowboy boots. A golden crown floats over his head. Could this be a regular customer of the bar? After all, the entrance is behind him, just around the corner. Makes sense, to me at least. As to the black dog, they are often featured in Mexican folk art. In pre-hispanic times such dogs were called Xoloitzcuintli.  They were thought to be spiritual guides and able to transition between the worlds of the living and the dead.

A cheerful-looking green camaléon announces the bar's name in a speech balloon. Below him a smiling bird wearing another gold crown spreads its wings. The bird is possibly a quetzal, found in the jungles of southern Mexico and Central America. Quetzals were highly prized in pre-hispanic times. Their long, beautiful feathers were used to make penachos (head dresses) for the nobility and rulers. One of the most important pre-hispanic gods was Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent), who was portrayed as a snake adorned with quetzal feathers.

Even lamp posts can sometimes be adorned with murals. Above, you can see Monarch butterflies and calla lillies, two forms of life that are common motifs in Mexican art and culture. The Monarchs (mariposas in Spanish) conduct some of the longest migrations in the insect world. Millions of them nest and breed in the State of Michoacan, then die. Their offspring make their way all the way up to Canada, then migrate back to Michaocan to nest, breed and die in a repeating cycle. Calla lillies symbolize both purity and death. They are sometimes featured in the fiesta called the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Pre-hispanic themes abound in this mural. Everything is there, from pyramids, to the sun god, to a snarling jaguar (known as a tigre), to a woman wearing a penacho made with green quetzal feathers. The mural is located on the wall of a small private home on the southwest corner of Constitución and Castellanos. The house is diagonally across the street from the Bar de Camaléon. 

More mariposas and brilliant flowers. This mural is on Castellanos, sharing a corner with the Aztec-themed work. It is quite similar to the lamp post mural and was almost certainly done by the same artist. Although it adjoins the Aztec painting around the corner, the style is very different, so it was probably not painted by the same artist. This mural is unsigned and undated. If anyone can positively identify this muralist, or the painters of any of the other unsigned works, please leave that information in the Comments section below or email me directly.

A huge blue bird launches itself into the air. The house is located on the side of a small private home on the southeast corner of Castellanos and Constitución. The bird's species is uncertain, but it may be a Great Blue Heron. These can sometimes be observed standing in the shallows along Lake Chapala's shore. Notice how the artist has created the illusion of three-dimensionality by including the bird's shadow. The bird mural was created by a young man named Orlando Solano Álvarez, (@orlandoantrax95) who has painted a number of different murals around Ajijic.

Detail of the blue bird mural. At first, I didn't notice that the bird has two passengers. One clutches the reins, while his partner swivels about with a motion picture camera. The mural was created to advertise the Chapala Indie Film Festival. There have been three of these festivals, the most recent of which was held in November of 2025 at the Centro Cultural Chapala.

This completes Part 2 of my series on Ajijic's murals. There are many more murals in Ajijic than I will show in this series. I'm only attempting to give you a taste. I hope you have enjoyed the series so far. 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.

Saludo, Jim

 

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