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KOHUNLICH
About the place and its
name: The site is located in lomerío of cobrush
(palms), species very characteristic of the south of the Yucatan
Peninsula and the Petén beliceño and Guatemalan.
It must his name indeed to this geographic characteristic,
because Kohunlich comes from the English Cohoonridge (corozal
or lomerío of cobrush), that was the name of an old
located lumber camping in the zone towards years twenty or
thirty of the present century. When Raymond Merwin was visited
for the first time in 1912 by the North American archaeologist,
Clarksville was called to him, in reference to the name of
another camping that worked in the environs of the site.
Direction and routes of
access: It is located 69 kilometers to the west of the
city of Chetumal, State Capital. It is acceded to the site
through federal highway 186 Chetumal - Escárcega; when
arriving at the kilometer 60, that Villa corresponds to the
town of Francisco, the deviation must be taken from 9 kilometers
that leads directly to the site.
Brief history of the site:
The pre-Hispanic city is located in Mayan low territories
of the south, in a zone in which it is possible to recognize
the presence of certain bonds with other regions of the Mayan
world, particularly of the Guatemalan Petén and Bec
River, in Logwood. But Kohunlich does not suppose the mixture
of diverse influences simply, but that shows an own style,
as much in the architecture as in the iconography and the
production of ceramics. The site would have been based towards
200 a.n.e., when some rubblework platforms were constructed
in the area of the Yáaxná set, oldest of the
establishment. Later, and until the last part of the classic
one early (approx 500 - 600 d.c.), time which the site seems
to have turned a city of certain importance, is constructed
to the Temple of the Large masks, structure ornamented originally
with eight stucco large masks (of which five are only conserved),
considered as one of the finished samples more of the Mayan
iconography of that time. The symbolic message of these large
masks is very complex and has given foot to numerous interpretations,
having itself turned, also, in one of the images most characteristic
of the present one. During this period they are constructed,
also, the three main temples of the Yáaxná Set.
In classic the delayed one (600 - 900 d.c.) when Kohunlich
becomes an enormous establishment and when most of the structures
is constructed that today can be seen, like those of the Seat
of the Wakes, considered the center of the site during this
time, as well as the 27 steps and the Set Are above, two residential
complexes of elite. The growth of the city continues towards
the classic terminal (approx 900 - 1000 d.c.) and still in
the early posclásico (1000-1200 d.c.); nevertheless,
after 1200 d.c. stops the productive activity and the population
seems to disperse in the surroundings of the site, reusing
like house some of the old ritual buildings, already in ruins,
as well as the central areas of the old seats. The presence
of these settlers has only been able to document itself through
offerings deposited on the landslide of some buildings.
After the Spanish conquest,
the region was vacated almost totally, only being occupied
by some fugitives of the colonial dominion. Centuries later,
towards end of century XIX and principles of the XX, began
to settle down diverse lumber and chicleros campings, between
which he was the one that Merwin visited principle of the
century.
Main structures: The
site is conformed by a series of architectonic sets of ceremonial
and residential character, some of which could have worked
like districts or familiar groups of high level. At the moment,
the route begins in the Residential Complex associate to the
Acropolis, where it can be observed an interesting set of
equipped residential buildings with sidewalks, niches and
diverse elements associated to the daily life. Although the
recent findings made in the Yáaxná Set have
modified the idea that until recently time was had on the
early occupation of Kohunlich, must be said that the building
of greater ritual symbolic importance and is, of course, the
Temple of the Large masks, of which it was spoken above; within
the group of the structures of high rank, also they must be
included to those of the Seat of the Wakes (the Palace of
the Wakes, the Gradería and the King), to the interior
of which public or administrative activities were possibly
carried out. The Acropolis, another one of the great sets
of the site, also belongs to the residential buildings of
high level. Of smaller rank, although of smaller interest
not to be perhaps of administrative function, they are the
buildings of the Merwin Seat, where some excellent examples
of the own architectonic style of the site can be appraised.
Still more simple they are the platforms or "routes"
of the located residential set to the west of the Merwin Seat;
the great recovered amount of undone of stature during the
excavation of these buildings, allows to suppose that their
inhabitants were dedicated craftsmen to make pedernal tools.
In Kohunlich also a series of residential buildings has been
excavated, that would have been occupied by the governing
elite of the site; most important they are the corresponding
ones to the sets known like 27 Escalones and Pixáan,
the last one of which still one is in exploration process.
In both one has excavated a complex system of palaces and
residential structures, to the interior of which diverse personages
of high rank were buried. Throughout the route, that visits
the site will be able, therefore, to know a city complete,
in which also it is possible to observe a complex system of
canalization of the rainwater towards the watered down one,
of apparent artificial construction. The visit to the diverse
structures allows, also, to recognize the development of the
architectonic styles of the site, from the "moldings
in apron" Petén type of the Temple of the Large
masks, to the columns absorbed in the walls that remember
to those of the neighboring region Bec River and which they
can be appraised in a good number of buildings. The unique
character of structures like the Acropolis, with its diverse
constructive stages, and rubblework the technical finished
one of the palaces, distinguishing characteristics of Kohunlich,
complement the architectonic count that can here become.
General performances:
The visit to Kohunlich is from enormous didactic interest
due to the enormous variety of buildings that are conserved
within the area opened to the visit. One has become, at the
same time, a refuge of an important amount of birds, reptiles
and mammals that have found protection within the limits of
the site. The quota of $20,00 access is of and the schedule
of visit from 08:00 to 17:00 hours of Monday to Sunday.
Services that are offered:
The site counts on a unit of services with parking, toilets
and an area for the ticket expedition. In the city of Chetumal
the services of certified guides can be contracted, who offer
their services during the hours of visit.
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