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