Cobá
Cobá is an ancient Maya city situated in the northeastern part of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, approximately 12 miles from the coast and north of Tulum. Established around 100 CE, Cobá flourished during the Late Classic period, reaching a population of about 40,000 and becoming one of Mesoamerica's prominent city-states. The site encompasses roughly 28 square miles and features a variety of significant structures, including pyramid and palace complexes located around two large, shallow lakes, with additional ruins near five smaller lakes. Notably, Cobá is home to the Nohoch Mul pyramid, the tallest pre-Columbian building in the region, renowned for its impressive design.
The city is distinguished by its extensive network of raised roads, or sacheob, which connect ceremonial complexes and buildings; this feature is unique among Maya cities, with Cobá having 45 such roads. Its architecture suggests connections to other major Classic Maya sites, particularly in Guatemala. Although much of Cobá's ruins remain poorly preserved, ongoing research reveals insights into the city's historical significance and cultural legacy, including its role in the religious traditions of the contemporary Yucatec Maya, who believe it to be linked to creation myths involving bee gods. After experiencing decline around 900-1000 CE, Cobá saw some renewed construction during the Late Postclassic period, illustrating its enduring importance in the region's history.
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Cobá
Related civilization:Maya.
Date: c. 100-700 c.e.
Locale: Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Cobá
Cobá (ko-BAH) is located 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the coast in the northeastern part of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The site lies north of the Maya center of Tulum and is near the center of Quintana Roo province. Human occupation began at Cobá about 100 c.e., and the city reached its zenith of development in the Late Classic period (600-900 c.e.), when its estimated population of forty thousand made it one of the larger cities in all Mesoamerica. Dates recorded on stone markers (stelae) range from 613 to 780 c.e.
At its height, Cobá was a powerful regional city-state whose large population sprawled outward from the core in a 28-square-mile (73-square-kilometer) zone. The central area of the ruins at Cobá consists of major pyramid and palace groupings scattered around two large, shallow lakes. Other satellite ruins are dispersed amid five small lakes. Although most of Cobá’s ruins are poorly preserved, the relatively small extent of excavation work to date provides a glimpse of the city’s former greatness.
Between 600 and 800 c.e., Cobá was apparently a diversified city composed of residential wards and ceremonial complexes and home to many skilled craftspeople. The site’s architectural style indicates a link with Classic Maya centers in the Petén area of Guatemala such as Tikal. The complex known as Group B between Lakes Cobá and Macanxoc was the heart of the city. Group C, about three-quarters of a mile (one and a quarter kilometers) distant, contains the Nohoch Mul (Great Mound) pyramid, which faces a large plaza. This structure, the tallest pre-Columbian building in this region, consists of a base terraced in seven sections, a 35-foot-wide (10-meter-wide) stairway ascending the south side, and a well-preserved temple on the top with roof intact.
This site’s well-built raised roads or causeways known as sacheob are among its most interesting and distinctive features. Cobá has 45 sacheob, a much higher total than any other Maya center. These roads mainly link up ceremonial complexes and important buildings within groupings. The longest is a highway connecting Cobá with the minor site of Yaxuná 62 miles (100 kilometers) distant. This causeway rises to 2 to 8 feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters) above ground when crossing marshy areas and has an average width of 32 feet (9.8 meters). The base is made up of boulders topped with small stones laid in cement. The surface was paved with cement or stucco.
Cobá also figures in the religious lore of the contemporary Yucatec Maya. A famous legend states that bee gods involved in the epic of creation dwell at this site.
After 700 c.e.
The city declined toward 900-1000 c.e. and experienced some new construction after 1200 c.e., lasting through most of the Late Postclassic period (1200-1400 c.e.).
Bibliography
Ferguson, William M., and John Q. Royce. Maya Ruins of Mexico in Color. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1977.
Folan, William J., et al. Cobá: A Classic Maya Metropolis. New York: Academic Press, 1983.
Kelly, Joyce. An Archaeological Guide to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1993.