Postclassic Societies and its Architecture: El Rey, Quintana Roo
Sebastiaan Roeling

Postclassic Society Reconstructed by its Architecture

The Postclassic period is too often believed to be a period of decline in which Mayan culture was only a poor reflection of the greatness of the Classic Mayans. However, research of architectural styles at small Postclassic settlements like El Rey suggests that social structures were more developed then ever.

The reason why the Postclassic period is assumed to be a period of decline is because the Maya culture stopped building their great temples and palaces. The structures that they did build during the Postclassic were constructed of roughly worked blocks joined with plaster. These structures were covered with thick layers of stucco that hid the angular cuts and imperfections of the stone. The few great buildings that appeared would have been built under influence of other cultures like the Toltecs.

The early Postclassic period had certainly known a period of political instability, which caused a downgrade in the production of structures and the manufacture of art. It would however, be wrong to label the entire Postclassic as a period of decline, especially the lowlands of Yucatán that experienced a period of growth and prosperity.

In the heydays of the Classic period, effective farming led to a surplus of social energy. In a relatively small period of time, farmers could produce enough food to sustain their family and to pay the fixed amount of tribute to the royalty. Some of the remaining days were used for religious ceremonies, but most days were claimed by the king for his imposing building projects.

Because social structures were less hierarchical in the Postclassic period, there was no longer any necessity to depict the divine descendant of the kings in their great temples and palaces. Now that the social energy was no longer needed for large building projects, time could be invested in personal economical progress. Time was used for the production of goods which could be sold with a profit. Every layer in the society had the prospect of a better existence, which caused the social layers to fade.

In this 'New Economy' the Postclassic architectural styles (especially the Eastern Coast style) should not be judged as a step back with regard to the Classic temples and palaces, but must be seen as the product of a more efficient and individual economy that contributed to the development of the individual person.

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