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Calakmul

File:Pirámides_de_Calakmul.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Calakmul (; also Kalakmul and other less frequent variants) is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region. It is from the Guatemalan border. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful Mayan cities.

Key facts

Ancient site.name
Calakmul
Ancient site.native_name
40px
Ancient site.alternate_name
Kalakmul
Ancient site.image
Pirámides de Calakmul.JPG
Ancient site.image_size
250px
Ancient site.caption
Temple I, Calakmul Biosphere
Ancient site.map_type
Mesoamerica#Mexico Campeche
Ancient site.map_caption
Location of the site
Ancient site.location
Campeche, Mexico
Ancient site.region
Petén Basin
Ancient site.epochs
Middle Preclassic to Late Classic
Ancient site.cultures
Maya civilization
Ancient site.designation1
WHS
Ancient site.designation1_offname
Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche
Ancient site.designation1_type
Mixed
Ancient site.designation1_criteria
i, ii, iii, iv, ix, x
Ancient site.designation1_date
2002 (26th session)
Ancient site.designation1_number
1061

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Country
Mexico
Area
331397
Image
In Calakmul, Mexico (8726963632).jpg
Show 4 more facts
Commons category
Calakmul
topic's main category
Category:Calakmul
located in protected area
Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~44 min read

Encyclopedic overview

30 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • Location
  • Population and extent
  • Known rulers
  • Emblem Glyph
  • History
  • Calakmul vs. Tikal
  • Preclassic
  • Early Classic
  • Late Classic
  • War with Palenque
  • Rebellion at Naranjo
  • Apogee
  • Calakmul and Dos Pilas
  • Later kings
  • Calakmul and Quiriguá
  • Collapse
  • Modern history
  • Site description
  • Water control
  • Causeways
  • Structures
  • Stelae, murals and ceramics
  • Royal burial
  • Transportation
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

Calakmul (; also Kalakmul and other less frequent variants) is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region. It is from the Guatemalan border. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful Mayan cities.

Calakmul was a major Maya power within the northern Petén Basin region of the Yucatán Peninsula of southern Mexico. Calakmul administered a large domain marked by the extensive distribution of their emblem glyph of the snake head sign, to be read "Kaan". Calakmul was the seat of what has been dubbed the Kingdom of the Snake or Snake Kingdom. This Snake Kingdom reigned during most of the Mesoamerican Classic period. Calakmul is estimated to have had a population of 50,000 people and had governance, at times, over places as far away as 150 kilometers (93 mi). There are 6,750 ancient structures identified at Calakmul, the largest of which is the great pyramid at the site. Structure 2 is over high, making it one of the tallest of the Mesoamerican pyramids.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Calakmul” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (42)

On the map

9 mapped locations