Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche
Type
Mixed
Criteria
i, ii, iii, iv, ix, x
Designated
2002 (26th session)
Reference no.
1061
Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Calakmul (/ˌkɑːlɑːkˈmuːl/; also Kalakmul and other less frequent variants) is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region. It is 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the Guatemalan border. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities ever uncovered in the Maya lowlands.
Calakmul was a major Maya power within the northern Petén Basin region of the Yucatán Peninsula of southern Mexico. Calakmul administered a large domain marked by the extensive distribution of their emblem glyph of the snake head sign, to be read "Kaan". Calakmul was the seat of what has been dubbed the Kingdom of the Snake[1] or Snake Kingdom. This Snake Kingdom reigned during most of the Classic period. Calakmul itself is estimated to have had a population of 50,000 people and had governance, at times, over places as far away as 150 kilometers (93 mi). There are 6,750 ancient structures identified at Calakmul, the largest of which is the great pyramid at the site. Structure 2 is over 45 metres (148 ft) high, making it one of the tallest of the Maya pyramids.
Four tombs have been located within the pyramid. Like many temples or pyramids within Mesoamerica the pyramid at Calakmul increased in size by building upon the existing temple to reach its current size. The size of the central monumental architecture is approximately 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) and the whole of the site, mostly covered with dense residential structures, is about 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi).
Throughout the Classic Period, Calakmul maintained an intense rivalry with the major city of Tikal to the south, and the political maneuverings of these two cities have been likened to a struggle between two Maya superpowers.
Rediscovered from the air by biologist Cyrus L. Lundell of the Mexican Exploitation Chicle Company on December 29, 1931, the find was reported to Sylvanus G. Morley of the Carnegie Institute at Chichen Itza in March 1932.
^1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann 2005
Calakmul (/ˌkɑːlɑːkˈmuːl/; also Kalakmul and other less frequent variants) is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the...
Calakmul is a municipality in the Mexican state of Campeche, situated in the central part of the Yucatán Peninsula. The municipality was created on 31...
The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (Spanish: Reserva de la Biósfera de Calakmul) is located at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, in Calakmul Municipality...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
period, the Maya and Zapotec civilizations developed complex centers at Calakmul and Monte Albán, respectively. During this period the first true Mesoamerican...
southeast of its great Classic Period rival, Calakmul, and 85 kilometers (53 mi) northwest of Calakmul's ally Caracol, now in Belize. The city has been...
from Calakmul invaded and sacked Palenque, a military feat without known precedents. These events took place in 599. A second victory by Calakmul occurred...
In AD 648 Dos Pilas broke away from Tikal and became a vassal state of Calakmul, although the first two kings of Dos Pilas continued to use the same emblem...
the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, the Laguna de Términos Reserve, Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, and the Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve. The Calakmul Reserve...
the city's rebellion during the Third Tikal-Calakmul War. The Mayan city state of Tikal defeats Calakmul in what is now Guatemala, ending a centuries-long...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
the modern department of El Petén, Guatemala. It is part of the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin of northern Guatemala. Some of the Mirador basin was surveyed...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
Ruler Y was a Maya king of Calakmul. He is also known as Ruler 8 and Bolon K'awiil I. He reigned around the year 736. His monuments are stelae 25, 26,...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
an ally of the Byzantines. May 5 – After a victory by Calakmul during the First Tikal-Calakmul War, Aj Wosal Chan K'inich is installed as the new ruler...
monuments were reused in the Postclassic (c. 900–1521). The major city of Calakmul in Mexico raised the greatest number of stelae known from any Maya city...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
city-state into a thriving empire. Under Yikʼin Chan Kʼawiil, Tikal conquered Calakmul and the other cities around Tikal, forming what could be referred to as...
Ayyubid Aztec Benin Bornu Bruneian Bulgarian First Second Burmese First Calakmul Caliphate Rashidun Umayyad Abbasid Fatimid Chalukya Western Eastern Chinese...
686 CE) Tikal–Calakmul wars (537–838 CE) Second Tikal–Calakmul War (650–695 CE) Defeat of Calakmul (695 CE) Star wars (562–781 CE) Tikal–Calakmul star war...
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