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In the
walled city of Calakmul stands the tallest Maya
Pyramid rising 55 meters
from a base covering two hectares (five acres). This
site is beautiful, large and difficult to get to. It
is deep in the jungle of the Peten Basin in the state
of Campeche, Mexico and not far from Guatemala, on a
one- lane paved road, that is deeply rutted and
running though the forest. A population peaking 50,000
has been estimated at this site in its day.
 Calakmul
has many structures (6,750 uncovered so far) including
some very weathered and unreadable stelae. Magnificent
jade masks have been found at Calakmul.
Calakmul
is not far from the well-known ruin site of Tikal in
Guatemala. Although they are close in proximity, they
were at some point in history very far apart, when it
came to living in harmony with each other.
Hieroglyphics support the theory that for a lengthy
time during the 7th century the Maya world was divided
into two super powers and their specific group, one
under the control of Tikal and the other Calakmul.
These competing Maya superpowers were in almost
constant warfare competing for local resources.
Calakmul
is not for the everyday tourist. It is just too hard
to get to. In 1981, 16 feet of rain fell nearby, so if
you go there, do so during the dry season.
In the
Calakmul Biosphere Reserve surrounding the ruin lives
several species of cat native to Mexico: puma, ocelot,
and jaguar to name a few. There are many species of
birds, including some on the threatened species list.
There is an interesting abundance of flora and fauna
to be seen in this area. |
