 Map of Northwest Yucatan, showing major ecological zones and archaeological sites related to Chunchucmil Chunchucmil was a large, sprawling pre-Columbian Maya city located in the western part of what is now the state of Yucatán, Mexico. The site center is located ca. 27 km (16.8 mi) inland from the Gulf of Mexico and approximately half-way between the coast and the next largest archaeological site of Oxkintok. It was named in the late 1970s after the nearest modern settlement (the Hacienda and Village of Chunchucmil), although the archaeological site is so large that at least five modern communities could claim portions of it. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (649x800, 93 KB) Regional Map of Northwest Yucatan, highlighting major ecological zones and archaeological sites related to Chunchucmil. ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (649x800, 93 KB) Regional Map of Northwest Yucatan, highlighting major ecological zones and archaeological sites related to Chunchucmil. ...
The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ...
The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as its spectacular art, monumental architecture, and sophisticated mathematical and astronomical systems. ...
The city of Chicago, as seen from the sky A city is an urban area that is differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. ...
Yucatán is the name of one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. ...
km redirects here. ...
A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ...
Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ...
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been investigated using the discipline of archaeology. ...
Chronology Ceramic data indicate that Chunchucmil is largely an Early Classic site that declined during the Late Classic. Puuc architecture and ceramics common during the Terminal Classic in the northern Maya lowlands are present at the site, but in a very limited degree. Middle Preclassic through Postclassic contexts have been encountered as well (Ardren 2000; Stanton 2000; Dahlin & Mazeau 2002, 2004, Hutson et al. 2005, 2006). In archaeology, a sherd is a fragment of pottery or other ceramic. ...
Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been investigated using the discipline of archaeology. ...
Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
Puuc building at Chunhuhub, Campeche, as drawn by Frederick Catherwood, 1841 Puuc is a style of Pre-Columbian architecture of the Maya civilization. ...
Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
Site characteristics
 Hypothetical Reconstruction of a small portion of Chunchucmil The site center of Chunchucmil is dominated by over a dozen pyramids (ranging from 8 to 18 meters tall). Each pyramid faces the interior of a quadrangular plaza. These "quadrangle groups" likely housed the various elites of ancient Chunchucmil, with the temple pyramids acting as focal points for lineage-based ritual. Each major quadrangle group is connected to the others through a network of sacbeob (stone causeways). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x800, 178 KB) Hypothetical reconstruction showing a small section of the ancient Maya city of Chunchucmil, Yucatan. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x800, 178 KB) Hypothetical reconstruction showing a small section of the ancient Maya city of Chunchucmil, Yucatan. ...
Sacbe, plural Sacbeob, or white ways are raised paved roads built by the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
Residential architecture at Chunchucmil often follows the same pattern as the large quadrangle groups, with structures arranged on four sides of a small plaza. Many such residential quadrangles even had a small temple or shrine (similar to the placement of the temple pyramids of their larger counterparts). One such residential shrine has been excavated and consolidated, revealing its form to be "talud-tablero". This style of architecture is most famous at sites in Central Mexico, such as at the contemporaneous city of Teotihuacan. Beneath the stair of this shrine was a vessel that also replicated the pottery of that Central Mexican city. While this should not be used as evidence of direct Teotihuacan influence, it does suggest Chunchucmil's participation in the greater Mesoamerican communication sphere at the time of Teotihuacan's dominance. Mesoamerican architecture is the set of architectural traditions produced by pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations of Mesoamerica, traditions which are best known in the form of public, ceremonial and urban monumental buildings and structures. ...
Teotihuacan was the largest Pre-Columbian known city in the Americas, and the name Teotihuacan is used to refer to the civilization this city dominated, which at its greatest extent included most of Mesoamerica. ...
One of the distinguishing characteristics of this Classic Maya city is its network of stone-lined paths. In the center of the city, each house lot is surrounded by a stone wall (called an "albarrada") that, when taken together, give the site a "honeycomb" appearance. The space between adjacent albarradas form avenues or paths for foot traffic (called "callejuelas") that radiate outward from the site center and into Chunchucmil's dense residential zone. By mapping these formations, researchers have been able to better understand the flow of traffic in and out of the site center, and to estimate the ancient population of this Maya city. The word Maya or maya can refer to: // The Maya, Native American peoples of southern Mexico and northern Central America Maya peoples, the contemporary indigenous peoples Maya civilization, their historical pre-Columbian civilization Mayan languages, the family of languages spoken by the Maya Maya people, an Australian Aboriginal tribe Maya...
The site of Chunchucmil is also notable for the likely presence of a marketplace. Geochemical soil tests combined with careful excavations of an open area in the site center have revealed a likely market for distributing comestibles and other goods. Additionally, the distribution of obsidian (which Chunchucmil acquired mostly from sources in Guatemala, specifically the El Chayal source) among a variety of sociocultural contexts may also indicate the presence of a market system, which is relatively rare among Early Classic Maya economies. Obsidian from Lake County, Oregon Counterclockwise from top: obsidian, pumice and rhyolite (light color) Obsidian is a type of naturally occurring glass, produced by volcanoes (igneous origin) when a felsic lava cools rapidly and freezes without sufficient time for crystal growth (see glass transition temperature). ...
Obsidian was an important part of the material culture of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
The exact size of Chunchucmil is currently being studied by the Pakbeh Regional Economy Project, headed by Dr. Bruce Dahlin. Estimates range from over 20 square kilometers (for the more compact settlement) to around 64 square kilometers (for the city and its adjoining suburbs and farmsteads). In either case, this places the urban site of Chunchucmil among some of the largest ancient Maya polities. Polity is a general term that refers to political organization of a group. ...
Although John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood travelled within a few kilometers of Chunchucmil during their journey across the Yucatán Peninsula (they even met with the owner of the Hacienda Chunchucmil), the archaeological site was long ignored in Maya studies due to the fact that virtually no monuments (stelae) or other grand sculptures have been found there. This, combined with other archaeological data, may indicate that Chunchucmil was not a city ruled by a single divine ruler, as most other Maya polities. Instead, it may have been a commercial center focused upon funnelling goods between regions -- such as the trade between the Gulf of Mexico and the interior of the Yucatán Peninsula. John Lloyd Stephens (November 28, 1805–October 13, 1852) was a American explorer, writer, and diplomat. ...
Frederick Catherwood (February 27, 1799 - September 20, 1854) was an English artist and architect, best remembered for his explorations of ruins of the Maya civilization. ...
The Yucatán peninsula as seen from space The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ...
Ancient Egyptian funerary stela A stela (or stele) is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerary or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased inscribed, carved in relief or painted onto the slab. ...
The word Maya or maya can refer to: // The Maya, Native American peoples of southern Mexico and northern Central America Maya peoples, the contemporary indigenous peoples Maya civilization, their historical pre-Columbian civilization Mayan languages, the family of languages spoken by the Maya Maya people, an Australian Aboriginal tribe Maya...
Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ...
The Yucatán peninsula as seen from space The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ...
References
Research Reports Ardren, Traci (editor) (2000) The Chunchucmil Regional Economy Project: Report of the 1999 Field Season. Department of Anthropology, Florida State University, Tallahassee
Dahlin, Bruce H., and Daniel E. Mazeau (editors) (2002) The Pakbeh Regional Economy Program: Report of the 2001 Field Season. Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Howard University, Washington D.C.
Dahlin, Bruce H., and Daniel E. Mazeau (editors) (2004) The Pakbeh Regional Economy Program: Report of the 2002 Field Season. Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Howard University, Washington D.C.
Hutson, Scott R., David R. Hixson, and Bruce H. Dahlin (editors) (2005) The Pakbeh Regional Economy Program: Report of the 2004 Field Season.
Hutson, Scott R., David R. Hixson, and Bruce H. Dahlin (editors) (2006) The Pakbeh Regional Economy Program: Report of the 2004 Field Season.
Stanton, Travis W. (editor) (2000) The Pakbeh Regional Economy Program: Report of the 2000 Field Season. Social Science and Business Division, Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY
Published Journal Articles Beach, Tim (1998) Soil Constraints on Northwest Yucatan: Pedoarchaeology and Subsistence at Chunchucmil. Geoarchaeology 13(8):759-791.
Dahlin, Bruce H. (2000) The Barricade and Abandonment of Chunchucmil: Implications for Northern Maya Warfare. Latin American Antiquity 11(3):283-298.
Dahlin, Bruce H. (2003) Chunchucmil: A Complex Economy in NW Yucatan. Mexicon XXV:129-138.
Dahlin, Bruce H., Anthony P. Andrews, Tim Beach, Clara Bezanilla, Patrice Farrell, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Valerie McCormick (1998) Punta Canbalam in Context: A Peripatetic Coastal Site in Northwest Campeche, Mexico. Ancient Mesoamerica 9(1):1-16.
Farrell, P., T. Beach, and B. Dahlin (1996) Under the Roots of the Chukum Tree: A Preliminary Soil Analysis of the Chunchucmil Region, Yucatan/Campeche, Mexico. Yearbook, Conference of Latin American Geographers 22:41-50.
Hutson, Scot R., Aline Magnoni and Travis Stanton (2004) House Rules?: the Practice of Social Organization in Classic Period Chunchucmil, Yucatan, Mexico. Ancient Mesoamerica 15:74-92
Kurjack, Edward B. and E. Wyllys Andrews V (1976) Early Boundary Maintenance in Northwest Yucatan, Mexico. American Antiquity 41:318-3325.
Vlcek, D. T. (1978) Muros de Delimitacion Residencial en Chunchucmil. Boletin de la Escuela de Ciencias, Antropologicas de la Universidad de Yucatan 28:55-64.
Published Books or Book Chapters Dahlin, B. H. and T. Ardren (2002) Modes of Exchange and Their Effects On Regional and Urban Patterns at Chunchucmil, Yucatan, Mexico. In Ancient Maya Political Economies, edited by M. A. Masson and D. Freidel, pp. 249-284. Altamira Press, Walnut Creek CA.
Dahlin, B. H., T. Gallareta, L. Marin, E. Perry and K. O. Pope (1987) Environment and Cultural Volatility at Chunchucmil, II Mesa Redonda, " Los Mayas del Norte de Yucatan", Sociedad Espanola de Estudios Mayas, Granada, Spain.
Dahlin, B. H., B. Leyden, M. Brenner, J. Curtis, D. Piperno, T. Whitmore (1996) A Record of Long and Short-Term Climatic Variation from Northwest Yucatan: Cenote San Jose Chulchaca. In The Managed Mosaic: Ancient Maya Agriculture and Resource Use, edited by S.. Fedick. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City.
Garza Tarazona de Gonzalez, Silvia and Edward B. Kurjack (1980) Atlas Arqueoiogico del Estado de Yucatan. 2 vols. Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, Gentro Regional del Sureste. Mexico D.F.
Hutson, S. R., A. Magnoni, D. Mazeau and T. Stanton (2006) The Archaeology of Urban Houselots at Chunchucmil, Yucatan, Mexico. In Lifeways in the Northern Lowlands: New Approaches to Maya Archaeology, edited by J. P. Mathews and B. A. Morrison pp. 77-92. University of Arizona Press., Tucson.
Magnoni, Aline, Scott Hutson, Eugenia Mansell, and Travis Stanton (2004) La Vida Doméstica Durante el Periodo Clásico en Chunchucmil, Yucatán. In XVII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2003, edited by J. P. Laporte, H. Escobedo, and B. Arroyo, pp. 991-1006. Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala.
Magnoni, Aline, Traci Ardren, and Bruce H. Dahlin (2005) Estudios Arquitectónicos de Chunchucmil Prehispánico. In Memorias del Congreso Internacional de Cultura Maya, edited by R. Gubler and A. Barrera Rubio, Mérida, Yucatán, México, in press.
Vlcek, David T., Silvia Garza de Gonzalez, and Edward B. Kurjack (1978) Contemporary Farming and Ancient Maya Settlements: Some Disconcerting Evidence. In Pre-Hispanic Maya Agriculture, edited by P. D. Harrison and B. L. Turner II, pp. 211-223. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.
See Also Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
Obsidian was an important part of the material culture of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. ...
The pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica left a great number of archaeological sites in what are now the nations of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. ...
External Links |
Feeds |
Contact