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While Egyptian pyramids hold familiar mysteries, the enigmatic Maya pyramids conceal their own secrets. Most remain unaware of what lies within. Let's explore the hidden treasures of these ancient structures.
Ancient Maya erected hundreds of pyramids across Mesoamerica from around 1000 BCE to 1500 CE, placing numerous artifacts within.
But what exactly did they place inside?
Palenque, situated on the western edge of Chiapas, Mexico, is an archaeological site featuring Maya sculptures and ancient architecture. The structures at Palenque, dating from 600 - 800 CE, include unique temple pyramids with captivating architectural features that draw in tourists for exploration and discovery. The carvings and murals at Palenque add to the fascination for visitors.
It turns out, similar to the ancient Egyptian pyramids, those constructed by the Maya house treasures and burial items. What distinguishes them from the Egyptian pyramids is the presence of smaller pyramids within.
Exploring 'El Castillo' Pyramid: A Marvel at Chichén Itzá
Standing at 24 meters tall and dating back to the 9th century, the pyramid is a testament to the advanced astronomical knowledge of the Maya. During the equinoxes, sunlight on the pyramid creates the image of a serpent slithering down the main staircase. The pyramid has a total of 365 steps, symbolizing the length of a Maya calendar year.
Andrés Tejero-Andrade, a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), notes that ancient inhabitants of the Yucatán Peninsula, upon discovering abandoned sites, did not destroy existing structures. Instead, they constructed new architecture covering the pre-existing ones.
This construction style is not unique to El Castillo. Denisse Lorenia Argote Espino, a researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH), reveals that building one pyramid on top of another was a common practice in the pre-Spanish period, and main structures in ancient settlements often underwent similar construction phases.
Jaguar Throne inside the 'Templo de Kukulkán' pyramid, a stepped pyramid in Mesoamerica located at the heart of Chichén Itzá. Built by the pre-Spanish Maya civilization between the mid-9th and 12th centuries CE, this pyramid was constructed as a temple dedicated to the god Kukulkan, a feathered serpent deity closely related to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl.
However, such pyramid mounds are not the most common findings in Maya pyramids. Maya pyramids served as temples, ceremonial sites, or tombs for rulers and other prominent individuals.
Within these ancient Maya pyramids lie buried treasures, such as jade masks for the departed, jade beads, obsidian blades, and stingray spines...
Calakmul, concealed within the tropical rainforest of Campeche, Mexico, boasts a towering pyramid standing 55 meters tall, making it the widest among ancient sites. Exploring Calakmul, visitors will be truly fascinated by the grand history and unique cultural richness of the ancient Maya empire.
Karl Taube, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Riverside, wrote in a 2005 article published in the journal Ancient Mesoamerica: 'Classic Maya highly valued jade not only for its rarity and beauty but also as a symbol of nobility. For instance, the Maya associated jade with maize, rulership, and the wind. Jade was a crucial element in burial rituals and ceremonies honoring deities and ancestors.'
Maya pyramids house various noteworthy artifacts. For example, a pyramid at the San Bartolo site, northern Guatemala, contains a fragment of the earliest discovered Maya calendar, dating back over 2,200 years.
A pyramid in Copan, Honduras, features a large inscription with over 2,000 carved Maya glyphs on its staircase. According to a 2006 report from the Getty Conservation Institute, the inscription narrates the history of Copan rulers. The Maya employed a writing system sometimes referred to as the 'pictorial script of the Maya,' with characters representing sounds that scholars could read and translate.
