Chactún facts for kids
Chactún (say "Chak-toon") is an amazing ancient city built by the Maya civilization. It's located deep in the jungles of Mexico, in a place called the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche. The name Chactún means "Red Stone" in the Maya language. This huge site, about 54 acres big, was once a very important city for the Maya people.
How Chactún Was Found
For a long time, Chactún was hidden away in the thick jungle. In 2013, a team of archaeologists led by Ivan Sprajc discovered it. They used special aerial photographs to spot the hidden ruins from above. This was very helpful because the area is hard to reach. The team even had to clear an old, overgrown dirt road for four weeks just to get there!
The archaeologists named the site Chactún. This name came from an ancient carving they found. It said that a ruler named K'inich B'ahlam set up a "Great Red Stone" around the year 751 AD. The project was supported by the National Geographic Society and the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico. Chactún is one of many ancient sites found in this part of Mexico.
Scientists also used a technology called lidar scanning. This uses lasers from an airplane to create detailed maps of the ground, even through thick trees. Lidar showed that the Maya had changed the landscape a lot. They built homes and systems to manage water and grow crops.
Life in Ancient Chactún
Chactún was a very important city between 600 and 900 AD. It was likely a major center of government for a large area. The city has three main parts with huge buildings. The West Complex is the biggest, covering about half of the entire site.
You can find many pyramids at Chactún. The tallest one is about 23 meters high, which is like an eight-story building! There are also two ball courts where the Maya played a special game. Many large palace-like buildings surround open areas called plazas. There are also places where people lived.
The site has many carved stone monuments called stelae (say "stee-lee") and altars. Some of these stones have amazing carvings and hieroglyphic writing. These carvings tell us stories about the Maya rulers and their history. One unique stone still has parts of its original stucco (a type of plaster) carvings.
After the Maya civilization declined, it seems other groups might have lived at Chactún. Some monuments were even turned upside down, as if the new people didn't understand their meaning. However, there is also proof that these reused monuments were still respected much later. This is shown by pottery offerings found at the site. Many items from these later inhabitants were found near the ball courts.
See also
In Spanish: Chactún (yacimiento arqueológico) para niños
- List of Maya sites
