Mayapán

Mayapán 

a Mayan city-state in the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Probably founded in the tenth century, it was the peninsula’s leading city in the 12th to the mid-15th century. The Cocom dynasty, which ruled in Mayapán, was Toltec in origin. In the mid-15th century the city was destroyed by the troops and allies of the city of Maní.

The principal archaeological excavations in Mayapán were conducted in the 1950’s by an American expedition sponsored by the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The site, with an area of approximately 4 sq km, was enclosed by a stone wall with six main gateways. Within were more than 3,500 buildings, including the Castillo temple, numerous colonnades, dance platforms, a circular temple, and dwellings. The architecture and sculpture reflect the influence of the Toltecs.

REFERENCE

Kinzhalov, R. V. Kul’tura drevnikh maiia. Leningrad, 1971.