El Palmar (Maya site)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wak Piit | |
 Ceramic vessel with a palace scene from the royal court of El Palmar | |
 Interactive map of El Palmar | |
| Location |  Mexico |
|---|---|
| Region | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve |
| Type | Ancient Maya city |
| Area | 94 km² |
| History | |
| Builder | Wak Piit dynasty |
| Founded | 300 BC - 880 AD |
| Abandoned | 900 AD |
| Periods | Preclassic - Late Classic |
| Cultures | Maya civilization |
| Site notes | |
| Discovered | 1936 |
| Public access | closed |
El Palmar, originally called Wak Piit (Six Palanquins), is an archaeological site and ancient city of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization located within the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in southeast Campeche, Mexico. It was a large Maya city with an occupation established since the late Preclassic period around 300 BC, it flourished during the early Classic period under the rule of a powerful dynasty that held several royal titles and had a royal court of high-level priests, officials, and scribes, which gave the city a great relevance in regional geopolitics. It reached its peak in the Late Classic period, during which the city developed an intense political activity, maintaining a vast network of alliances with distant sites, which made it one of the strongest political entities in southern Campeche.[1]
El Palmar is one of the largest archaeological sites in the region and extends over a vast area of 94 km², it consists of several archaeological complexes of monumental architecture with more than 10,000 identified structures, including plazas with large pyramidal bases, temples, palaces, 15 ball courts and numerous residential and ceremonial buildings. Each architectural complex had a specific function within the city, like ceremonial, agricultural or residential groups and also for lithic production. The main ceremonial center was designed to represent the sacred geography of Maya mythology, while other complexes functioned as high-ranking residences, such as the Guzmán Group, which was the residence of an important elite group from El Palmar known for having the title of Lakam (standard-bearers) who made diplomatic functions representing El Palmar throughout the Maya region, acting as emissaries in the political and military alliances of the city's rulers with other political entities.[2]
Some of the most important findings at El Palmar are a large number of high-quality monuments, including a large stairway with hieroglyphic inscriptions, altars, and more than 60 stelae such as Stela 46 from the Late Preclassic period, which contains the Mesoamerican Long Count date of 8.7.0.0.0, corresponding to September 5, 179 AD, the earliest Long Count date recorded by the Maya culture and also the earliest date recorded in the Maya Lowlands.[3]
The ancient Maya city of El Palmar was discovered and documented for the first time in 1936 by archaeologist Eric S. Thompson during an archaeological expedition in southern Campeche. Most of the archaeological site is buried beneath the thick jungle of the region within the ejido of Kiché las Pailas in the Calakmul municipality.
