Calakmul is the name of both a municipality and a major archeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, in the central part of the Yucatán Peninsula. The United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos or Mexico) comprises 31 states (estados) and one federal district (Distrito Federal), which contains the capital, Mexico City. ... For the state in Mexico, see State of Campeche. ... The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ...

Municipality

The municipality (municipio) of Calakmul was created on 31 December 1996. It borders to the east with Quintana Roo and Belize, to the south with Guatemala, and to the north and west with other municipalities in the state. It covers 13,839 km², accounting for 24.34% of the state's total surface area. A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Other Mexican States Capital Chetumal Other major cities Cancún Cozumel list of municipalities Area 50,212 km² Ranked 19th Population (2000 census) 873,800 Ranked 29th Governor of Quintana Roo (2005-2011) Félix González Cantú (PRI) Federal Deputies (2) PRI = 2 Federal Senators PRI = 2 PAN = 1...

The municipal seat is the city of Xpujil, a small settlement of some 1000 inhabitants located on Federal Highway 186 as it crosses the base of the peninsula from Escárcega, Campeche, to Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Toll roads are named after the parallel free road, with the letter D added; for example, Mexican Federal Highway 1D parallels Mexican Federal Highway 1. ...

Archeological site

Calakmul (also Kalakmul and other less frequent variants) is also the name given to site of one of the largest ancient Mayan cities ever uncovered. It is located in the 1,800,000 acre Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, deep in the jungles of the Petén, 30 km from the Guatemalan border. The word Maya or maya can refer to: The Maya – a Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America the modern Maya people the pre-Columbian Maya civilization the Maya language Maya – a concept in Hindu/Vedic philosophy a state of misperception of reality the inherent force of...

First discovered 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. According to Lundell, who named the site, "In Maya, 'ca' means 'two', 'lak' means 'adjacent', and 'mul' signifies any artificial mound or pyramid, so 'Calakmul' is the 'City of the Two Adjacent Pyramids'." December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW) is a foundation established by Andrew Carnegie in 1902 to support scientific research. ... Temple of the Warriors Chichen Itza is the largest of the Pre-Columbian archaeological sites in Yucat n, Mexico. ... For alternative meanings, see March (disambiguation). ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ...

Calakmul was the major seat of power of the Kaan or "Kingdom of the Snake", which first arose further north but built Calakmul into a Late Classic Era superpower ally of Caracol and rival to Tikal. A series of 11 painted vessels, dubbed Dynastic Vases, describe the ascensions of the Kaan rulers, including ancestral and legendary figures. Caracol or El Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya site located in the Cayo District of the nation of Belize. ... Tikal is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. ...

Calakmul probably supported a population of over 50,000, and so far more than 6,250 structures have been discovered in an area of up to 70 square kilometers with a substantial northern wall and a series of water management features (Calakmul's reservoirs include the largest in the Mayan world) delineating a dense core of 22 square kilometers. Calakmul's 45 meter pyramid "Structure 2" is the largest Classic Era Mayan temple platform known. Many of the city's monuments and structures are constructed of chalky local limestone, which has made interpretation of the site difficult. The word Maya or maya can refer to: The Maya – a Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America the modern Maya people the pre-Columbian Maya civilization the Maya language Maya – a concept in Hindu/Vedic philosophy a state of misperception of reality the inherent force of... The word Maya or maya can refer to: The Maya – a Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America the modern Maya people the pre-Columbian Maya civilization the Maya language Maya – a concept in Hindu/Vedic philosophy a state of misperception of reality the inherent force of...

After a long period of inactivity following Morely's 1932 expedition, the city was explored by William Folan between 1984 and 1994, and is now the subject of a large-scale project of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) under Ramón Carrasco. The Mexican Institute Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History known as INAH for its Spanish abbreviation) is the federal government bureau established in 1939 to guarantee the research, preservation, protection, and promotion of the prehistoric, archaeological, anthropological, historical, and paleontological heritage of Mexico. ...

Known rulers of Calakmul

(Note that this list is not continuous, as the archaeological record is incomplete)

• Unknown: Yuknoom Ch'een I
• c.520–546: Tuun K'ab' Hix
• c.561–572: Sky Witness
• 572–579: First Axewielder
• 579–c.611: Scroll Serpent
• c.619: Yuknoon Chan
• 622–630: Tajoom Uk'ab' K'ak'
• 630–636: Yuknoom Head
• 636–686: Yuknoom the Great
• 686–c.695: Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ak'
• c695: Split Earth
• c.702–c.731: Yuknoom Took' K'awil
• c.736: Wamaw K'awil
• c.741: Ruler Y
• c.751: Ruler Z
• c.771–c.789: B'olon K'awil
• c.849: Chan Pet
• c.909: Aj Took'

External links

• Calakmul municipal government (http://www.calakmul.gob.mx/wb2/)
• Calakmul (http://www.mayanroutes.com/calakmul.html) (from The State of Campeche Book)
• Friends of Calakmul (http://http://www.calakmul.org/)
• Commercial Stock Photos of Calakmul (http://www.anthroarcheart.org/calakmul.htm)
• The Nature Conservancy's Calakmul Biosphere Reserve page (http://nature.org/wherewework/fieldguide/projectprofiles/cbr.html)
• Virtual Walking Tour of Calakmul (http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~dhixson/calakmul/map.html)
• Kaan Emblem Principal Glyphs: A (http://www.famsi.org/mayawriting/dictionary/montgomery/ch/t764_chan_kan_a.htm), B (http://www.famsi.org/mayawriting/dictionary/montgomery/ch/t764_chan_kan_b.htm)