by Michelle McDermott

photos Courtesy Traveler Publications

Throughout the land of the Maya, Tulum was the first city to witness the dawn. The ancient name ‘Zama’ meaning ‘Dawn’ was bestowed upon the city perhaps as a reference to its unique coastal location.

El Castillo, the tallest building on the site, was a prominent landmark for sailors and merchants. As trading routes developed, Tulum controlled maritime commerce from the state of Quintana Roo all the way to Honduras, highlighting its role as an important trading post with not only the remainder of the Yucatan but also with Central Mexico and Central America. From jade and obsidian and jaguar skins, to salt from the north coast of the Yucatan, the Maya traded in both exotic and basic supplies. As a result of this growth in trade, they were influential in the flow of ideas and innovation culminating in the flourishing of their society during the 14th century.

 A Brief History

 The Pre-Hispanic Maya were a sophisticated race of warriors, astronomers, mathematicians, architects and artists. They succeeded in developing one of the greatest cultures of Meso-America which culminated in the invention of two calendars: a 260 day calendar and a 365 day calendar, which when combined, produced a period of 52 years. They used the glyph system of writing on stone and conveyed the workings of their daily life through murals and pottery carvings.

 The first mention of the city of Tulum was in “Itinerario de L’Armata” when Juan de Grijalva’s expedition of 1518 set sail from Cuba along the coast of the Yucatan. Juan Díaz, Grijalva’s chaplain, upon seeing Tulum for the first time, described it as “a town or village so large, that Seville could not be better or larger.” He went on to describe ‘el Castillo’ as a very tall tower painted in the colors of red, white and blue with a fire on top of the temple. From this tiny slither of information, we can deduce that Tulum was indeed inhabited up until the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

 The month of July, 1562, proved to be a catastrophic time for the Maya. Bishop Diego de Landa, who was in charge of bringing Catholicism to the Yucatan, learned that the converted natives had reverted to their original beliefs. He subsequently ordered an inquisition, followed by an ‘acto de fe’ – the burning of all Mayan books. As a result of his actions, much of the evidence of their history, literature and traditions were destroyed. Today, there are in existence only three Pre-Columbian texts and a fragment of a 4th, the most famous being the Dresden Codex.

 There are no further references to the ruins until the visit by John L. Stephens and his companion, Frederick Catherwood in 1842. They officially named the abandoned site ‘Tulum’ in reference to the thick wall, which surrounds three sides of the site, the fourth side remaining open to the sea.

During the Maya uprising in The War of the Castes (1847-1901) Tulum was once again inhabited by rebels seeking protection behind its walls. In 1938, Miguel Angel Hernandez began the important work of restoration and investigation of the ruins.

 Tulum is now in the hands of The National Institute of Anthropology and history who are continuing the investigation and maintenance of this profoundly important Mayan archaeological site.

Art And Architecture

The most outstanding building, ‘el Castillo’ served both as a watch-tower and a lighthouse, guiding large canoes safely into the bay. Within the temple the sculpture of the Descending God or ‘Diving God,’ a figure sculpted head down, appears as a symbol of worship. The current building appears to be the result of different stages of additional construction. The doorway to the temple has columns decorated in the shape of rattlesnakes and is now roped off to the public.

Another building thought to have great social and religious significance is the ‘Temple of frescoes.’ It was built in three levels to symbolize the three realms of the Mayan universe and was used as an observatory to track the movements of the sun. Inside, 13th century frescoes depict the rain god, Chaac and Ixchell, the goddess of healing, childbirth, divination and weaving.

 Other structures include Templo del Díos del Viento [Temple of the God of the Wind] built on a unique round base and the Kukulcan Group which is named after the feathered serpent a very important symbol in Meso-American culture.

With a total of 60 well preserved buildings, this ‘City of the Dawn’ holds the keys to the turbulent and glorious past of the Maya. As
archaeologists and anthropologists work to uncover the secrets within, we can only wonder about the daily lives of the people who once worked and lived there. 

 Sources: The Cities of Ancient México [revised edition] by Jeremy A. Sabloff, athenapub.com, sacred-destinations.com, playa-info.com and locogringo.com.