In this posting, I will focus on some of the temples that were built on the six levels of the Acropolis. I'll also show you some of the many hieroglyphs discovered at Ek Balam in the 1990s and 2000s. Translations of some of these hieroglyphs have provided valuable information about Ek Balam's history between 770 AD and 870 AD. This period, known as the Late Classic era, was when the Acropolis was constructed, along with other major structures like the Oval Palace, the Twin Temples, and the Ball Court. For directions to Ek Balam from Valladolid, see Part 1 of this series.
Overview
The layout of the Acropolis. This drawing was made during excavations between 1998 and 2002 by two Mexican archeologists, Leticia Vargas de la Peña and Victor Castillo Borges. Before Vargas and Castillo began their work, little had been done beyond the mapping of Ek Balam. The discoveries they made astonished the archeological world and greatly elevated Ek Balam's importance.
As you can see above, the excavated/reconstructed parts of the Acropolis include the areas around the Central Staircase, the Plaza Oeste (West Plaza), and the ten rooms along the south side of the base platform. The areas that are still un-excavated are Plaza Este (East Plaza) on the east end of the platform and the area to the north of the top of the Central Staircase. There have probably been more excavations and more discoveries since this map was created.
On the back wall of this temple, you can see blocks of stone-carved glyphs. The shot is a detail of the temple seen in the first photo. Unfortunately, a barrier prevented me from getting closer. The large number of temples on the Acropolis, as well as the high social status of priests, suggests that some of them must have lived in the Acropolis' 60+ rooms. Ukit Kan Lek Tok' ("Father of the Four Flint Faces") was the founder of the Talol dynasty and the greatest ruler of Ek Balam. While his mother was of royal lineage, his father, Ukit Ahkan, may have been a priest. Ukit Kan Lek Tok' ruled from 770 AD to 802 AD.
View from the Central Staircase toward the west end of the 2nd level. There are a total of 9 rooms of various lengths along this level, each with one door and no windows. Due to the use of corbel arches, all the rooms are of approximately the same width. The doorways are surprisingly low, even considering the ancient peoples' short heights. The thatched palapas are to protect the glyphs from the elements. Directly below the terrace are the five ground-level rooms on the west wing which were shown in the previous posting.
The entrance of the temple behind the Hieroglyphic Serpent also contains glyphs. This temple matches the one on the other side of the base of the Central Stairway. The two temples, along with the Serpent monuments in front of them, were constructed after the Acropolis was remodeled. This project included the Central Stairway and the row of ten rooms along the south side's ground level. As stated previously, this temple, along with its twin, may be related to Xibalba (the underworld) because serpents are important symbols of that realm.
Large sections of glyphs can be found in many places on the Acropolis. The earliest texts found anywhere in the Maya world are from the 3rd century BC. The latest were written in the 16th century, during the Spanish conquest. However, Maya scribes may have continued using the ancient texts until the fall of the last independent Maya city-state of Tayasal. It was not conquered by the Spanish until 1697. Very few paper texts survived the Conquest because Spanish Bishop Diego de Landa burned the vast Maya libraries in 1562. Most of the surviving 5000 texts had been carved in stone and often found in remote locations.
Detail from the previous photo of hieroglyphs.. I found this particular glyph in two places in the photo, as well as in my photos of other texts. A series of ten dots surround three sides of the glyph. The Maya used three numerical symbols. A dot represented 1, a horizontal bar represented 5, and a shell shape represented 0. However, I am not certain these dots are numerical, because the ancient people generally arranged the dots and bars horizontally. Only the top four dots are horizontal in the glyph above.
A temple with a broad staircase stands on the north side of Plaza Oeste. This plaza is located on the western end of the Acropolis platform's second level. A similar, un-excavated plaza called Plaza Este stands on the eastern end. In the right corner of the photo is a broad staircase that descends from one of the upper levels of the Acropolis into Plaza Oeste. I took this photo, as well as the following two, from the fourth level of the Acropolis. However, lack of time prevented me from exploring this area. The Acropolis is huge and I confess that I only scratched the surface.
A line of dwellings stretches along the western edge of the plaza. These may appear to be on the ground level, but are actually located along the top of the massive west-end wall (Part 5). According to the site map drawn by archeologists Leticia Vargas and Victor Castillo, there are five dwellings in this line of structures. These were likely the homes of members of the extended royal family or possibly of nobles, priests, or high-status functionaries. In the middle of this rather over-grown plaza, you can see a large, stone-lined pit.
This is the large pit seen in the previous photo. It is shaped like an inverted cone, and lined with cut stones. I couldn't see the bottom of it from my perch on the fourth level, but it appeared quite deep. I estimate it to be about 10m (30ft) across. The pit's size and prominent location in the center of the plaza suggest a significant function in the ceremonies conducted here. As I have mentioned before, the Maya didn't do things randomly when it came to the placement of their public structures. It is not clear whether a similar pit exists in Plaza Este, but given the overall symmetry of the Acropolis, I would not be surprised.
Temples of the Acropolis
Ukit Kan Lek Tok' probably came from the Rio Bec region of southern Yucatan. Ek Balam was only a modest settlement at that time. Many of the great architectural monuments we see today were built during his rule. A smaller building once stood where the Acropolis is now, but it was half as tall and only two thirds as wide. Ukit Kan Lek Tok' launched an extensive building campaign, during which the Acropolis was constructed over top of the smaller building. He also built the Oval Palace and several other major structures. However, the Ball Court was not completed until 841 AD, 39 years after the dynasty's founder died.
All of Ukit Kan Lek Tok's dynastic successors left glyphic texts or images that referred to him, often reverently. One text dated, January 8, 814 AD, referred to Ukit Kan Lek Tok' as a "foreign king" who had arrived at Ek Balam forty-four years earlier (770 AD, the year he took the throne). Another successor, named Kihnich Junpik Tok' K'uh, erected a stela on January 18, 840 AD to commemorate his own accession to the throne. The stela pictures him, but also includes a smaller image of a figure seated on a celestial throne. Text next to the figure says "This is the image of the sacred Kalo'mte' (High King) Ukit Kan Lok Tek'."
Another small temple is located next to the Central Staircase on the west wing. This one is also on the 3rd level. It appears to be the twin of the temple shown in the first photo of this posting. This one lacks only the thatched palapa. I didn't photograph the inside wall, so I don't know if this one also has carved stone hieroglyphic texts, but I wouldn't be surprised. Both the temples have steps that are very steep and narrow. However, there aren't many, so the staircase would probably not be difficult to climb.
The priests associated with these temples were either the offspring of priests or the second sons of nobles. The priesthood was therefore an hereditary position. Novices were trained in reading and writing Maya script and in understanding the Maya calendar. A key part of that calendar related to the proper times to plant or harvest crops. They also learned how to conduct public and private rituals, including sacrifices related to festival days. However, those priests who carried out human sacrifices held a relatively low status. A more influential role was that of chilam (oracular priest), who made prophesies.
A selection of the Acropolis' hieroglyphs
Hieroglyphic Serpent on the west side of the Central Staircase. I showed you the Hieroglyphic Serpent on the east side of the Staircase in the previous posting. The two Serpents are almost identical. However, the head of this snake is worn and somewhat indistinct, while the east side version is still relatively sharp. By contrast, the twelve glyphs on the tongue of the east side Serpent are worn, while the ones above are still mostly readable.
In the Maya Classic era, there was not a distinct line between a ruler and the priesthood. Maya rulers had many priestly functions and viewed the kingship as a sacred institution. They sometimes served in temples, fasted, prayed, made burnt offerings, and presided at major religious festivals. The legitimacy of rulers was based on their claimed descent from the gods and their ability to act as intermediaries with the divine universe. The capstone over the entrance of Ukit Kan Lek Tok's tomb portrays him as the Maiz God. This was the god of the all-important maiz crop, but also of resurrection and rebirth and the cycle of life.
The Hieroglyphic Serpent's tongue. (drawing by Alfonso Lacadena Garcia-Gallo). The glyphs on the tongue have been partially transcribed to say "It is...the sculpture of the Win Uh, which is the name of the stairway of Kalo'mte' Ukit Kan Kek Tok', sacred king of Talol". The king's name is spelled out in the glyphs on the second from the bottom set. The left glyph on the bottom row is the Emblem Glyph for Ek Balam. Emblem glyphs are symbols identifying royalty, in this case the Talol dynasty, for whom Ek Balam was the capital city.
The priests considered Itzamna their chief deity. He was the highest-level god within the Maya cosmos. Other deities that were important to priests included the Howler Monkey Gods and the Maiz God. These appear in the myth of the Hero Twins covered in Part 3 of this series. An important part of the Hero Twins story was the creation of human beings and the gift of maiz to them. The Maya understood that the world moves in celestial, seasonal, and life cycles. Understanding and interpreting these cycles were important jobs for the priesthood.
About 5,000 texts have been discovered throughout the Maya world. Most were written on stone monuments or ceramic vessels during the Classic period (200 AD-900 AD). About 500 hieroglyphic symbols were widely used, with another 500 used only at a given period of time or in a given location. The Maya texts were not deciphered until the last half of the 20th century. This decipherment revolutionized our understanding of Maya history and culture. Until then, the Maya were believed to be peaceful star-gazers. It turned out that they were just as inclined to warfare and human sacrifice as any of the other Mesoamerican cultures.
Some hieroglyphs painted on stone have been discovered at Ek Balam. Almost all of these were found in the Acropolis' temples and in the tomb of Ukit Kan Kek Tok'. One of temples on the Acropolis' east side has an extraordinary series of 96 glyphs set in three parallel horizontal rows. They survived the ravages of time and weather because they were deliberately covered over by the ancient Maya. Archeologists were astonished to find the texts when the rooms were excavated. I didn't have an opportunity to photograph the painted texts, but you can view them here.
The Acropolis' Plaza Oeste
This completes Part 6 of my Ek Balam series. The 7th, and final, part will focus on the tomb of Ukit Kan Lek Tok', and its amazingly well-preserved statues and glyphs. I hope you have enjoyed Part 6. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.
Hasta luego, Jim
