Cobá Part 4: The Temple of Frescos and the altars and stelae of Grupo D

 

Templo de los Frescos is the centerpiece of the Paintings Group within Grupo D. The pyramid on which the Temple of the Frescos sits is called D-1. The temple's name comes from murals on the lintel above its main door and on the walls inside. The D-1 pyramid is the largest and most important structure within the Paintings Group. A broad staircase leads up from the plaza to the temple. In the plaza in front of the pyramid is a double row of columns and 13 altars. The palapa that shields the temple protects the murals. To protect the pyramid itself, tourists are prohibited from climbing the staircase.

In this posting, I will show more of the pyramid and its temple, as well as the other structures in the Painting Group. I will also show Structure D-6, a possible residential building. It stands to the right (north) of D-1. Other structures in the Paintings Group include D-4 and D-5, to which stelae 26 and 28 are attached. In addition to the photos, I'll describe some of the history of the Paintings Group and the discoveries archeologists have made here. For directions to the Cobá Archeological Zone, see Part 1 of this series.

Overview

Site map showing Grupo D and some of its structures. Grupo D stands at the intersection between the three other groups at Cobá. These include Grupo Cobá (seen in Parts 1-3), Grupo Nohoch Mul to the north, and Grupo Macanxoc, to the east. Although each group is located at some distance from the others, all are connected by sacbeob (plural of sacbe, meaning "white road"). These are the stucco-covered limestone roads for which Cobá is famous. Some of the sacbeob extend to sites far outside the city. For example, Sacbe 1 (see above) extends 100km (62mi), almost to Chichen Itza. 

The 50+ sacbeob that the city's rulers built gave Cobá a considerable economic advantage over ancient rivals like Oxkintok and Edzna. The city is also notable for its several lakes, including Lago Cobá and Lago Macanxoc. Due to its proximity to these lakes, Cobá did not suffer the water shortages experienced by many other ancient cities in northern Yucatan. Another important advantage was the short distance between Cobá and the Caribbean ports of Tulum, Xcaret, and Muyil. They provided access to seaborne trade routes along the Caribbean coast all the way down to Honduras and possibly to South America.

One way of getting around at Cobá. In addition to walking, visitors can rent individual bicycles or hire one of these tricycles, with a guy who will do all the pedaling. The distances between the Grupos can run to hundreds of yards and the hot-season weather can be uncomfortable for walkers. The tricycles are also a benefit to those with disabilities. The tricycles shown above are following Sacbe 4, a broad, smooth walkway. In places the stucco paving can still be seen, although it was laid down more than 1,500 years ago.

Archeologists believe that celestial sightings were used to align some of the longer sacbeob, particularly those which begin near the Ixmoja pyramid in Grupp Nohoch Mul. One of these is Sacbe 6, which aligns with the rise of Sirius. It was the brightest star in the sky in the period between 500-1000 AD, when the sacbeob were built. After doing their sightings, the Maya engineers set up a line of poles to ensure the straightness of the path. Then, using corvée (conscripted) labor or slaves, a wide swath was cut through the jungle. The sacbeob  were then built in sections. Maya living near each section would be assigned to maintain it.

While walking along the sacbe, we passed this unidentified stela. The upright monument had no discernible images or glyphs. It may be that these wore off over the centuries. However, it is known that some stelae were erected with no carvings on their limestone surfaces. Although the purpose of this stela is unclear, it is known that the Maya engineers set up stelae along the sacbeob as road markers, similar to those that have been found along ancient Roman roads.

To build one of these white roads, retaining walls were first erected along either side, using large stones. Then, more large stones were placed at the bottom and covered over by layers of increasingly smaller stones up to a gravel layer at the top. The gravel was then covered by a layer of sascab, a naturally occurring powdered limestone. Finally, the road was finished with limestone stucco, giving the surface its brilliant white color. The Maya engineers built ramps to overcome obstacles and there were culverts in some places to allow water to flow under a sacbe. The road's surface sloped down to either side so rainwater could run off. 

Site map of some key structures in the Paintings Group. At the top is the D-1 pyramid with its Temple of the Frescos. The drawing shows that the temple has an entrance on its front (west) side, divided by a column. There are also entrances on the north and south sides. At the base of the pyramid's staircase is Structure D-2. Stretching out in front of D-2 on the left (north) side is a long, double row of circular columns that once supported a perishable roof. To the right (south) of the columns is a collection of 13 individual altars. Structure D-6 is not shown on this site map but it is located to the right (south) of the pyramid.

Structure D-5 is at the bottom of the site map. It consists of a rectangular temple on its left (north) end, with a long narrow structure extending to the right (south). The D-5 temple has a broad staircase on its west (bottom) side, which leads up to a line of square columns along the top. There is also a set of columns along the temple's north side. The long narrow extension has three-step staircases along each side. About half way along the upper (east) side of this structure in an inset, containing Stela 28. The small structure between the D-1 pyramid and the D-5 monument is Structure D4, to which Stela 26 is attached.

Templo de los Frescos

Structure D-6, with the Temple of the Frescos (D-1) in the background. D-6 is a multi-room structure with four rectangular columns on its north end and two more in the middle. Three steps on its west side lead up to what may have been a long patio. I could find very little information about this building or its purpose. However, my best guess is that it served either a residential or an administrative function, or possibly both. Its proximity to the religious/ceremonial structures of the Paintings Group suggests that it might have been used by the priests associated with the temples, altars, and other monuments of the group. 

The structures of the Paintings Group were built during the Post-Classic period (900-1450 AD). After the end of the Classic era, Cobá lost its political and military supremacy in northern Yucatan and its population began a precipitous decline. Also lost was access to important trade routes to the south and east. Cobá became increasingly dependent on trade coming through the Peninsula's Caribbean ports and was, in turn, heavily influenced by their architectural styles. 

As a result of this changed focus, new construction at Cobá was no longer built in the Petén style of southern Yucatan and northern Guatemala. The D-1 pyramid, and particularly its Temple of the Frescos, closely resemble the Post-Classic structures found in Tulum and other Caribbean port cities. The only Classic era structures in this part of Cobá are Stelae 26, 27, and 28. These were originally located elsewhere in the city, but were moved during the Post-Classic era to the Paintings Group where they were re-erected. 

The D-1 pyramid is topped by the Temple of the Frescos. The pyramid is square and has six levels with rounded corners. It's height is 8m (26ft) and each side of the base on each is about 80m (262ft). A broad, four-stage staircase leads up the west side to the platform on which the temple stands. There are two small altars in front of the temple. On one of these, a fragmented censer (incense burner) was found. Under the floor of the temple, archeologists discovered an intact anthropomorphic red censer dating to the Post-Classic period. The red censer represented the Diving God and contained jade and shell beads. 

The temple has a single rectangular room with a doorway facing west, divided by a single column. Above the door is a lintel that contains painted murals. The temple's north and south sides have single, undivided doorways. The interior has a small altar adjoining the back wall. The walls were covered by four layers of stucco, colored yellow, blue, red, and black. The outer-most layer was red, with black lines. The design of this temple resembles those found at Tulum. 

Structure D-2, also called the Oratorio. D-2 sits at the base of the pyramid's staircase and has one entrance door. It was once covered by a vaulted roof. Inside, stone benches line the back and side walls. Stela 27 was found inside the Oratorio in a fragmented state, but with the image of a high-status individual still visible. This figure stands on the back of a single, non-Maya captive. Glyphs on the stela show a partially legible date from the Late Classic era, sometime between the 7th and 9th centuries. When D-2 was built in the Post-Classic period, Stela 27 was moved here from its original location. 

Also inside D-2, near Stela 27, is a small circular altar. Next to the altar is a phallus and sphere, both carved from stone. The sphere probably represents the gonads of the phallus. Together, they are thought to represent fertility. Dark stains on the walls of the Oratorio are the result of smoke from innumerable burnt offerings. When D-2 was excavated, the walls were covered with layers of stucco decorated with complex murals similar to those found at the Caribbean ports. One mural depicted Ek Chuah, the deity of Maya merchants. In order to protect and preserve the murals, they have been removed to a museum.

Ruined structures directly in front of the Temple of the Frescos. This shot was taken from the small platform on which D-2 stands. On the left are some of the thirteen altars that stretch out toward the west. Thirteen was an important number in the ancient Maya world. It relates to the thirteen levels of heaven, each associated with a different god. To the right is a row of circular columns that once supported a roof made of perishable materials. In the distance, you can see the palapa that protects Stela 26, which is attached to Structure D-4. 

One of the altars was found to contain the lower part of a stucco figure seated on a stool. This figure was similar to another found at Tulum. Its destroyed condition is thought to be the work of 16th century Franciscan friars, who were seeking to overthrow what they considered "devil worship". Not far away, archeologists also found a Post-Classic tripod cup containing jade beads and a small copper bell. Just west of the altars, they uncovered a crypt containing the partial remains of an adolescent and two skulls.

View from the west end of the columns. This structure has similar columns to those found on buildings at the ruins of Tulum. Archeologists believe this building functioned as a kind of dormitory for young men who were being instructed in the religious and social practices of Cobá's Post-Classical society. These included calendric arts, methods of divination and prophesies, cures for diseases. Other subjects included as reading, writing, drawing, and hieroglyphics.The priests who instructed them may have lived in Structure D-6. 

The priesthood to which the young men aspired was called ah kin mai ("he of the sun"). The chief priest was called ahau can mai and he examined and appointed new priests. His name referred to a sacred snake associated with Kukulkan, the "Feathered Serpent God", known elsewhere as Quetzalcoatl. Veneration of Kulkulkan in Yucatan began in the Late Classic era and his importance grew dramatically during the Post-Classic.

The altars to the right of the columned structure vary in their sizes and shapes. Given that there are thirteen of them, it is possible that each was used for rituals and sacrifices devoted to one of the gods that inhabited each of heaven's thirteen levels. Those gods included: 

1) Itzamna, the Supreme Ruler of the Cosmos 

2) Ix Chel, the Moon Goddess and Itzamna's wife

3) Kinich Ahau, the Sun God

4) Chaac, the Rain God

5) Yumil Kaxob, the God of Plants and son of Chaac

6) Yum Cimil, the God of Death

7) Yum Kaax, the God of the Forests

8) Hun Hunahpu, the God of Maiz (corn) and father of the Hero Twins

9) Huracan, the God of Storms and Chaos

10) Ix Tab, the Goddess of Suicide

11) Acan, the God of Intoxication

12) Ek Chua, the God of Merchants

13) Kukulcan, the Feathered Serpent and God of Knowledge

 

Structure D-5 and Stela 28

South end of Structure D-5. Most of this structure consists of a low, narrow, three-level platform, laid out on a north to south axis. In the upper right is the palapa that shields Stela 28 from the elements. Beyond the stela is the temple that forms the north end of D-5. This long platform may once have been used by the ah kin mai to conduct ritual processions that originated at the temple.

The ah kin mai were supported by Cobá's nobles, whom they served as advisors and whose sons they educated. From the nobles, the priests received payment in the form of red shells and green stone beads, cotton cloth, cacao, poultry, maiz and other necessities of life. The heavily tattooed ah kin mai wore their hair unkempt and smeared with sacrificial blood. Their long, white, sleeveless robes were made of bark cloth. In addition to this they wore feathered cloaks and shirts ornamented with snail-shells.

Stela 28 stands in a niche on the east side of the D-5 platform. This stela is another that was erected in the Classic period, but moved here sometime during the Post-Classic. Stela 28 is about 2m (6.5ft) tall and 0.75m (2.5ft) wide. The limestone is worn, but it contains the important Maya Long Count date of 9.10.0.0. This Maya calendar date designated the completion of the 10th katun of 9th baktun cycle. To the Maya, the end of a cycle was a significant event. 

These ancient people were expert mathematicians and astronomers. They had long observed the many cycles in the world around them, including seasons, animal and plant life-cycles, and the movement of the celestial bodies. Their "Long Count" calendar was based on a series of cycles. The longest was the baktun (144,000 days), followed by the katun (7,200 days). The tun cycle was 360 days and the uinal was 20. Individual days were called k'in. The stela's date of 9.10.0.0.0 corresponds to January 24, 633 AD, which marked the completion of the 10th katun of the 9th baktun cycle. 

The surface of Stela 28 is fairly worn, but an image can stil be discerned. The long cylindrical object the figure holds across his chest indicates that he is probably a ruler. My photo only shows him down to the knees, so there may or may not be bound captives kneeling next to his feet or under them. However, nearly all the stelae that I have photographed at Cobá have displayed captives in such positions. 

The presence of the captives on Cobá's stelae shows the strong link between the city and the Petén region of southern Yucatan and northern Guatemala. Much of this region was dominated by the Kaan ("Snake") Dynasty, often referred to as the Kaanul. They had an early and long-standing relationship with the ruling dynasty of Cobá. During the Classic era, the Kaanul established a wide network of client states and allies, including Cobá. When Juunpiktook founded Cobá's Classical-era dynasty in 494 AD, he did so with the assistance of the Kaanul.

The D-5 platform ends at a three-level temple. The stumps of four columns stand along the south wall of the temple. The outer two are rectangular, while the inner two are circular. The room once had a roof of perishable materials. It is unlikely that D-5 had a residential function. The entire structure appears to be ceremonial in nature, with a temple on one end and a raised walkway for processions extending to the south. The Post-Classic inhabitants of Cobá sanctified their D-5 monument by incorporating the Classic-era Stela 28 into its structure.

The Paintings Group structures were constructed hundreds of years after the Classic era ended. By that time, the inscriptions were probably incomprehensible to Cobá's population. The Long Count calendar had gone out of use centuries before. The hieroglyphs, if legible at all, would have been as unreadable as ancient Greek would be to most modern people. So, why did the residents of Post-Classical Cobá go to all the trouble of preserving the stelae? During a period of decline and decay, the ancient images and mysterious hieroglyphs on the stelae probably helped connect the Post-Classic people to the greatness of a mystical past. 

View of the temple that forms the north end of D-5. Unlike many of the Post-Classic structures that incorporated Classic-era stelae, D-5 is a substantial building, impressive in its own right. The west side of the temple has a broad staircase that leads up to the top. Eight large rectangular columns line the front of the temple's top level, which has several rooms. The columns once supported a roof of perishable materials. While the interior of the structure is made of rough stones, the staircase and outer walls were made with carefully cut stones. 

Structure D-4 & Stela 26

Structure D-4 and Stela 26. These are located about 50m (164ft) west of the Temple of the Frescos. D-4 is a three level structure with what appears to be an altar on the top. Rituals here would have been conducted by the ah kin mai. The stela is surrounded on three sides by a low U-shaped structure and faces south on the open fourth side. The surface of the stela contains the image of a standing ruler with captives at his feet. Like other stelae in the area, Stela 26 is yet another Classic-era monument that was moved here during the Post-Classic period. In front of the stela is a small oval-shaped stone that was probably an altar.

The ah kin mai were a powerful and conservative part of Maya society who participated in all the important ceremonies. These included rituals associated with puberty, weddings, farming and hunting, sacrifices, burials, and warfare. Another important religious group were the chilamob (plural of chilam), who interpreted messages from the gods. The chilamob received their prophesies in the inner sanctums of temples and then interpreted them to the priests. The most famous of these, Chilam Balam, is said to have predicted the Conquest, prior to the arrival of the Spanish.

Structure D-4 from the rear, showing its three-level construction. An ah kin mai may have stood on the second level and offered sacrifices on the top of the structure. These might have included burnt offerings or blood acquired through auto-sacrifice. This procedure involved piercing one's own tongue, ear, or genitals with a sharp spine from the tip of a henequen leaf or the tail of a manta ray. Blood was considered the essence of life and thus a suitable gift for the gods. In addition, the pain from the act could sometimes result in visions from which prophesies could be made.

This completes Part 4 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, please include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim