Kohunlich history: Kohunlich is located on a hill with corozos (palms), a species very characteristic of the southern of yucatan peninsula and the belizean and guatemalan petén. The site's name comes precisely from this geographic feature, for the name kohunlich comes from the english word cohoon ridge (hill with corozos).
Kohunlich is not a simply a mixture of various influences, but shows a unique style, both in architecture and iconography, and the production of ceramics. The site florished from 300 to 1200 A.D. is the most studied archeological in southern Quintana Roo and is the site that has the largest amount of open areas and enabled for the visit; however there are still remain about 200 structures and mounds coveredby the junglewaiting to be explored.
The main interest lies in the variety of ceremonial and residential structures, some of wich may have functioned as a family neighborhoods or clusters of high social status and give an idea of the various activities being carried out by its inhabitants.
Currently, the site tour start in the residential complex associated with the acropolis and great basament is particularly interesting for the succession of stages presented by the building construction, one can also note the interisting group of residential buildings equipped with benches, niches and various elements associated eith everyday life.
For its size, the plaza of the state around wich were erected four buildings of civil and religious nature (stelae palace, the bleachers and the temple of the king) into wich may be carriedout public or administrative activities.
Behind this plaza is located as we might call most important symbolic and ritual building that is the Temple of the Mask, wich was built in V century and is named after its anthropomorphic masks adorned with nose rings, earrings, etc. wich appear to be a allegory of the cosmos and at the same time represent the power of the ruling caste with their rulers invested with attibutes of gods. It also has become one of the most characteristic images of the current state of Quintana Roo.
Lower-ranking but not less intersting is the buildings of the Plaza Merwin, StrucTures perhaps of an admistrative function where we find excellent examples of the architectural style of the site. Even simpler are the platforms or "tracks" of the residential complex located west of the Plaza Merwin, large-sized amount of waste recovered during the excavation of these buildings suggests that is inhabitants were craftsman dedicated to marking flint tools.
Were also excavated a number of residential buildings that may have been occupied by the ruling elite of the site, the most important are those corresponding to the sets know as the 27 Steps an Pixa'an the last of which is still in process exploration. In both sets of buildings has been excavated a complex of palaces and residential structures within various personages of high rank were buried.
Here we end the tour at the archeological site of Kohunlich which undoubtedly proves to be a visit to an entire city that gives us the opportunity to observe variouos architectural styles, building stages marked in buildings such as the Petén style Temple of the Masks The Columns in the walls that resemble those of neighboring Rio Bec region and can be seen ini a number of buildings, as well as a complex system of channeling rainwater into the artificial cosntruct of apparent Aguada, also the uniqueness structures such as the Acropolis with its various construcction phases, and the finished masonry techniques of the palaces, all these distinctive features of Konhunlich complement the architectural count can be done here.
The archaeological area of Kohunlich is in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, the most southern in the state of Quintana Roo.
in the environment of the place some forest species can be recognized as mahogany, cedar, and jabin that subsist jointly with trees like pepper, copal, sapota, chacá, chechén, ramón and others. However, the agricultural activity and the immoderate pruning that characterize to this region have produced big huamil areas, secondary vegetation of very recent origin, as well as of fernery, to the interior of which some endemic varieties have been recognized
Inside this varied lush environment , and being welcomed to the protection that you/they are offered inside you limit them of the place, he/she inhabits an enormous variety of animals and insects, among those that can be mentioned to the cereque, deer, tapir (or danta), tigrillo, raccoon, coati, tiacuache, tepezcuincle, armadillo, squirrel, mount dog, fox, zaraguato, parakeet, sparrow hawk, aguililla, toucan, bird carpenter, guardabarranco, owl, bat and several types of snakes. Most of these animals stays in the areas enmontadas and, to exception of the birds, difficultly he/she can turns them I jag of the visit area.
The name Kohunlich comes from English "cohoon ridge" which was the name of an old lumber camp located in the area around 1920-30.
Highlights of the site include the Temple of the Masks, a large structure ornamented originally with eight large stucco masks (of which five are only conserved) and considered one of the most complete samples of Mayan iconography of it's time (500-600 AD). The symbolic message of these masks is very complex and there are numerous interpretations -- see it yourself and come to your own conclusions.
|
