The history of the Mayans in Mexico
As always, all good things must come to an end and unfortunately – long before the arrival of the conquistadors – warfare, widespread disease and natural disasters had already begun to ring the death knell for the Mayans. What was left of their once mighty empire was destroyed by the Spanish in 1524.
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Where are Mexico’s Mayan archeological sites?
Chichén Itzá
The 30m-high pyramid of El Castillo provides the centerpiece for the Mayan site of Chichén Itzá. Other notable buildings include the Grand Ball Court (the largest of its kind), the Temple of the Warriors and the crumbling El Caracol observatory. Situated 200km from Cancún and 120km southeast of Mérida, Chichén Itzá is easily accessible and this means it can get busy. Best advice is to visit from November to March before the heat and crowds of summer and spring break.Riviera Maya
Palenque
In the state of Chiapas, the walled citadel of Palenque has been partially recovered from the surrounding jungle to reveal an exciting series of step pyramids and skull-embossed tombs. Elaborately carved temples sit atop the pyramids either side of a palatial complex containing sculptures, courtyards and a four-storey observation tower. There are also the remains of a city wall, ball courts and an underground aqueduct; however, it's the hieroglyphs, inscriptions and bas relief carvings that often prove the most fascinating.Toniná is often visited in conjunction with Palenque. This Mayan site’s terraced acropolis is particularly impressive and depicts scenes of decapitation of local rivals from Palenque.
Uxmal
Uxmal is a quintessential example of the Mayan architectural style which was used throughout the Puuc (hill) region of the Yucatán Peninsula. Just 60km south of Mérida, Uxmal would have once been connected to other cities by elevated paved roads (sacbes), such as Chichén Itzá and Palenque. These days, it’s on the Ruta Puuc from Mérida, which connects with the smaller sites of Labna, Kabah, Sayil and Xlapak. The lengthy façade on the Governor's Palace and the Mayan folklore tales swirling around the Pyramid of the Magician, are just a couple of reasons why Uxmal is one of Mexico's most important archaeological sites.Our top Mexico Vacation
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The history of the Aztecs in Mexico
Occupying the highland valleys, lakes and plateau of central Mexico, the Aztecs made good use of the excellent farming conditions, which included the surrounding waterways. They built aqueducts, canals and water storage facilities, used for the irrigation of fields and terraced farmlands. Central to the Aztec world was the Valley of Mexico, a huge, high-elevation basin in the Sierra Madre Mountains. The most important city state of Tenochtitlán, and the smaller sister city of Tlatelolco, were founded in this region, on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco.
Aztec architecture was extremely innovative and rather than destroying a preexisting structure they tended to build over the top of it. Anything up to four of five layers was often added to temples. Craftsmanship and architectural skills were highly regarded and pyramids were thought to have been built to resemble the surrounding mountains of the Sierra Madre.
From 1519 to 1521, however, the Spanish attacked, massacred and finally conquered the Aztec Empire. Lake Texcoco, which provided water to the surrounding farms, was drained to prevent flooding and disease. Catholic churches were built over the top of ancient Aztec temples, and Tenochtitlán was renamed and gradually expanded into the most inhabited city in the Americas: Mexico City.