MAJOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: PreClassic to PostClassic

TULÚM  (circa A.D. 1450-1520)

Following the abandonment of Chichén Itzá, a new Maya capital was founded 65 miles to the west at Mayapán in 1283. The city thrived under the domination of the Itzá until political dissent led to its own destruction around 1450. Subsequently, the Maya were divided into rival political factions of at least sixteen independent kingdoms. Tulúm, located on the peninsula's east coast, is one of the most remarkable of the Late PostClassic trading centers. Ritual life focused on the Castillo, clearly a local version of buildings known by the same name at both Chichén and Mayapán, and both were dedicated to Kulkulcan - the Maya name for Toltec's Quetzalcoatl.

Tulúm is perched atop the edge of a forty-foot limestone cliff overlooking the ocean. Adjacent coves provided excellent landing areas for the brisk ocean-going canoe traffic that regularly visited the site. Most of the buildings at the site are known to have been painted blue. Murals revealing a combination of Classic Maya and PostClassic Mixteca-Puebla styles are preserved within several buildings. Click on Image for more detail.

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