Dzibilnocac
Archeological site
Dzibilnocac
The legacy of the past grandeur of this site is an expansive plaza and splendid buildings, some decorated with carved masks. Remains of paintings have also been found, showing hieroglyphs and gods of the Maya pantheon.
The ancient inhabitants built Dzibilnocac on an extensive plain, and so the city has an urban layout consisting of a set of interconnected patios and plazas. The most voluminous structures are found predominantly in the central Chenes region, meaning that the settlement’s territorial expanse has particular construction characteristics, while the urban growth radiates out from the center, simulating circles, with diminishing volumes and architectural quality until reaching the rural areas. The earliest signs of human inhabitation are dated to approximately between 500 and 50 BC. The fertile ground made the area suitable for an agricultural and sedentary society. The central part of the site was inhabited by the lords or governors, as well as by nobles, priests and other members of the high-ranking classes. Dzibilnocac was a regional capital, and in common with many other cities, which also controlled the goods and resources of their territories, it would have received tributes from the areas it had subjugated. The site’s decline has been dated to around the year 1000 AD.
- Dirección del Centro INAHAdriana Velazquez Morletadriana_velazquezm@inah.gob.mx+52 (981) 816 9111Operación de Zonas Arqueológicas del Centro INAHCandelaria del Carmen Duarte Patzarqueologicas.camp@inah.gob.mx+52 (981) 816 9111, ext.138016
Edificio A1
It is of one level with several rooms in parallel form, with three towers on a great platform with stairway. Its lower facade is divided with corner columns and with entrances to the chambers in each one. On the other hand, the upper façade is smooth and inclined, with a thin lower molding.
Edificio A1
It is of one level with several rooms in parallel form, with three towers on a great platform with stairway. Its lower facade is divided with corner columns and with entrances to the chambers in each one. On the other hand, the upper façade is smooth and inclined, with a thin lower molding. The towers were crowned with a temple and the one in the center resembles a pyramid. The upper sanctuaries were profusely decorated with masks. The complex has been dated between 600 and 800 AD.
Estructura circular
A circular structure has recently been restored in the plaza, in front of the main façade of structure A1. It is 8 m in diameter and its height must have been 1.50 m. It was originally stuccoed and possibly even painted. It has a straight façade and was topped with a sloping upper molding.
Estructura circular
A circular structure has recently been restored in the plaza, in front of the main façade of structure A1. It is 8 m in diameter and its height must have been 1.50 m. It was originally stuccoed and possibly even painted. It has a straight façade and was topped with a sloping upper molding. This interesting construction, with a stairway on its west side, may have been loaded with symbolism, perhaps associated with a god of the Mayan pantheon. Its construction dates from the Late Classic period (600 to 900). In some archaeological sites of the Mayan world some structures of circular plants of varied sizes have been explored and restored. Some examples are Structure 52 of Uxmal, the Round House of Chichen Itzá, the Circular Structure of Edzná, the Circular Altar of Becán; several others like in Dzehkabtún and even one in Nohná, Belize.
