The parallel platforms flanking the main playing area are each ft long. The walls of these platforms stand 26 ft high; set high up in the center of each of these walls are rings carved with intertwined feathered serpents. At the base of the high interior walls are slanted benches with sculpted panels of teams of ball players. In one panel, one of the players has been decapitated; the wound spews streams of blood in the form of wriggling snakes.
This small masonry building has detailed bas relief carving on the inner walls, including a center figure that has carving under his chin that resembles facial hair. Built into the east wall are the Temples of the Jaguar. The Upper Temple of the Jaguar overlooks the ball court and has an entrance guarded by two, large columns carved in the familiar feathered serpent motif. At the entrance to the Lower Temple of the Jaguar, is another Jaguar throne, similar to the one in the inner temple of El Castillo.
Art History. Concept Version 3. Learning Objective Describe the characteristic style and functional elements of Maya architecture in the Classic and Postclassic periods. Key Points The Maya grouped large architectural structures at the center of major cities. Its key characteristics were multi-level elevated platforms, step pyramids, moldings of Mayan glyphs, and serpent marks on sculptures.
The buildings were mainly made from limestone, sandstone, or volcanic rock, and the cutting tools were made from stone.
These materials were readily available in the regions of Tikal, Palenque, and Copan. The pyramids were often built in jungle areas where the structures could soar high above the trees. There were usually shrines to the gods at the top. The pyramids were mainly used as temples and religious meeting places, but they also acted as the tombs of deceased patrons, rulers and victims of sacrifice. The Temple of the Inscriptions in the city of Palenque see 10 is a perfect example of Mayan temple art.
This structure has a steep staircase along a nine-chambered platform which represents the nine levels of Xibalba, or the underworld. It also has a secret way passage which reflects the 13 levels of heaven. The Pyramid of the Magician is another distinctive Maya structure. It is rounded at the corners, lending an almost oval shape to the pyramid. Tikal and Uxmal are other notable regions where much art and culture has been found.
The palaces built during the Maya era were on a grand scale and were often used as centers of administration. Wooden crosses were used to support these unbalanced vaults. The Nunnery Quadrangle building in Uxmal is one of the most significant pieces of architecture of this kind.
The Nunnery Quadrangle was built as a temple pyramid from a traditional pattern. The north building has 13 doorways, the south has nine, and the west has seven. These doorways represent the levels of heaven, Xibalba and earth respectively.
The palace at Palenque is also of the same category. This structure is a three-story monument with a unique design and attractive features such as beautiful carvings. Maya cities were rarely laid out in neat grids, and appear to have developed in an unplanned fashion, with temples and palaces torn down and rebuilt over and over through the centuries.
Because of this seemingly erratic pattern of settlement, the boundaries of Maya cities are often hard to determine. Some cities were surrounded by a moat, and some had defensive earthworks around them; however, this was unusual.
City walls are rare at Maya sites, with the exception of some recently discovered cities dating from the collapse of Maya civilization, when protective walls were suddenly thrown up around cities under siege from outside enemies.
According to Maya legend, the temple was created in the span of a single night by a child prodigy who became ruler of the land. In reality it may have taken as long as years to build what we see today, for it actually comprises five structures superimposed one on top of the other. Temple-pyramids were the most striking feature of a Classic Maya city. They were built from hand-cut limestone blocks and towered over all surrounding structures.
Although the temples themselves usually contained one or more rooms, the rooms were so narrow that they could only have been used on ceremonial occasions not meant for public consumption. The alignments of ceremonial structures could be significant.
Although the temples were the most imposing structures within a Maya city, the bulk of construction at a Maya site was composed of palaces: single-storey structures built like temple-pyramids but on much lower platforms and with as many as several dozen plastered rooms.
Like the city center, the homes tended to be bunched together in clusters: some researchers believe that extended families lived together in one area. Their modest homes are thought to be much like the homes of their descendants in the region today: simple structures constructed mostly of wooden poles and thatch.
The Maya tended to build up a mound or base and then build upon it: as the wood and thatch wore away or rotted they would tear it down and build again on the same foundation. Because the common Maya were often forced to build on lower ground than the palaces and temples in the city center, many of these mounds have been lost to flooding or encroaching wilderness. The Maya built great temples, palaces, and pyramids in their city centers.
These were often mighty stone structures, over which wooden buildings and thatched roofs were often built. The city center was the physical and spiritual heart of the city. Important rituals were done there, in the temples, palaces, and ball courts. Like many Maya buildings, Maya temples were built of stone, with platforms on the top where wooden and thatch structures could be built.
Temples tended to be pyramids, with steep stone steps leading to the top, where important ceremonies and sacrifices took place. Many temples are graced by elaborate stone carvings and glyphs. Temples were often built with astronomy in mind : certain temples are aligned to the movements of Venus, the sun or the moon.
In the Lost World Complex at Tikal, for example, there is a pyramid which faces three other temples. If you're standing on the pyramid, the other temples are aligned with the rising sun on equinoxes and solstices. Important rituals took place at these times. The Palaces were large, multi-storied buildings which were home to the king and royal family. They tended to be made of stone with wooden structures on top.
Roofs were made of thatch. Some Maya palaces are spacious, including courtyards, different structures that were possibly homes, patios, towers, etc. The palace at Palenque is a good example.
Some of the palaces are quite large, leading researchers to suspect that they also acted as a sort of administrative center, where Maya bureaucrats regulated tribute, trade, agriculture, etc.
This was also the place where the king and noblemen would interact not only with the common people but also with diplomatic visitors. Feasts, dances, and other community social events could also have taken place there.
The ceremonial ball game was an important part of Maya life.
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