Dzibanche facts for kids
Dzibanche (pronounced "tsee-bahn-CHEH") is an ancient Maya city. It is an important archaeological site located in southern Quintana Roo, a state in southeastern Mexico. Dzibanche was once a very important Maya city. Experts now believe it was the first capital city of the powerful Kan dynasty. This dynasty later became very famous when they ruled from the huge city of Calakmul. Dzibanche is also special because it has the earliest known use of the Kan dynasty's special symbol, called an emblem glyph.
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What Does Dzibanche Mean and Where Is It?
The name Dzibanche means "writing on wood" in the Maya language. It got this name because of the beautiful carved wooden beams found in one of its temples, called the Temple of the Lintels.
Dzibanche is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of the city of Calakmul. The ancient city's ruins are in the southern part of Mexico's Quintana Roo state. They are also close to the Bacalar Lagoon. The city was built on a raised area. This area was surrounded by a large seasonal swampy land, known as a bajo. This land was very good for farming because its soil was very fertile.
The History of Dzibanche
During the Early Classic period (an important time in ancient Mesoamerica), Dzibanche was likely the home of the Kan, or "snake," dynasty. This powerful family later moved their main city to Calakmul. Dzibanche was probably the Kan capital city during the 400s and 500s AD.
A special stairway at Dzibanche has carvings with the earliest known use of the Kan dynasty's symbol. This carving dates back to the year 495 AD. Around 580 to 590 AD, the Kan dynasty seems to have moved their main city to Calakmul. Dzibanche was one of the last Maya cities to create a dated carving. This carving was made in 909 AD, near the end of the Classic period.
Exploring the Ancient City of Dzibanche
Dzibanche was a large city with buildings built in the Peten style, common in the Maya lowlands. Digs at the site have found a stairway with carvings showing captured people. These captives were taken by Yuknoom Ch'een I, a Kan dynasty king from Dzibanche. One of the captives was named Yax K'ahk' Jolo'm. Even though the text doesn't say where he was from, his name suggests he came from a city close to Dzibanche. At least two of these carved blocks might be from the 400s AD.
The most important buildings at Dzibanche include the Temple of the Captives, the Temple of the Lintels, and the Temple of the Owl. The K'inichna' Pyramid is a very large temple located outside the main part of the city. The Lamay Group is a smaller group of buildings that were also part of the city.
The Cormoranes Pyramid
The Cormoranes Pyramid is the biggest pyramid at Dzibanche. It was built in the 400s AD. It uses a special building style called talud-tablero, which was influenced by the city of Teotihuacan. This pyramid is decorated with beautiful carvings made from stucco (a type of plaster) and painted red. These carvings also show symbols similar to those found in Teotihuacan. This structure is the burial pyramid for Sky Witness, one of the kings of the Kan dynasty.
The K'inich Na' Pyramid
The K'inich Na' Pyramid means "House of the Sun God." It is a large pyramid located about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of the main city area. Two royal burials were found inside this pyramid. They included valuable jade offerings. The K'inich Na' Pyramid is surrounded by several smaller palace-like buildings. This group of buildings is connected to the main city by a causeway (an ancient raised road). This area was likely the home of an important family group. It was placed there to help the city control the northern parts of the surrounding bajo (swampy land).
See also
In Spanish: Dzibanché para niños
