Xpuhil facts for kids
Xpuhil (pronounced shpoo-HEEL) is an ancient Maya city. It is an archaeological site found in the Mexican state of Campeche. The modern town of Xpujil is nearby.
The area around Xpuhil is full of other amazing Maya sites. You can find places like Becan and Calakmul along Federal Highway 186. The name Xpuhil means "cat's tail." This name comes from a type of plant that grows in the area.
The entire Xpuhil site covers about 5 square kilometers. This area includes several smaller groups of buildings. Archaeologists have given some groups Roman numerals to help identify them. Other groups have special names, like Xpuhil Cuartel.
History of Xpuhil
People may have started living at Xpuhil very early in Maya history. Most of the buildings and objects found are from the end of the Classic period. Experts believe people lived here between 300 and 1200 AD. It is hard to give exact dates. This is because Xpuhil's buildings are a bit different from other nearby Maya sites.
Xpuhil was left empty for many centuries. Then, Karl Ruppert and John Denison found it again in 1938. After this, the site was shown to Tatiana Proskouriakoff. She was an archaeologist and an amazing artist. In 1943, she made a detailed drawing of Structure I. This drawing helped us see how the building once looked. Today, the buildings have worn down a lot. So, her drawings are very important.
Sadly, some parts of the site have been damaged over time.
Xpuhil Cuartel
One interesting part of Xpuhil is called Xpuhil Cuartel. It is about 2 kilometers south of Structure I. This area was found in January 1999. Work to rebuild parts of it happened later that year. The name "Xpuhil Cuartel" means "Xpuhil barracks." This is because it is next to a Mexican army camp.
Buildings at Xpuhil
Many groups of buildings have been found at Xpuhil. They mostly follow the Río Bec building style. This style was common in the late Classic period.
Structure I is the most famous building here. It is special because it has three towers. Most buildings of this style only have two. Structure I also has tall roof combs and steep stairs. It has doors that were not used for walking through. Some people think it was built to look like the big pyramid temples in Tikal.
A common feature at Xpuhil is "false" temples. These buildings were not used for living or for ceremonies. Their inside spaces are odd, and their stairs are too steep to climb. We do not know exactly why the ancient Maya built them this way.
Images for kids
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XpuhilJagByPhilKonstantin.jpg
A detailed look at the face on the rear of the middle tower of Structure I. Some people think this face looks like a jaguar.
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A drawing of Structure I by Tatiana Proskouriakoff. She drew it to show how it might have looked long ago.
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Xpuhil as it looked in the year 2000.
See also
In Spanish: Xpujil (zona arqueológica) para niños
