Cancun and Cozumel - A Little Late to the Party?

If you've ever been to Cancun or the Isle of Cozumel you know that they can be great places to party, relax, dive, sail or whatever else you'd like to do. Whether you fly there, or arrive on a cruise ship, it's always fun to hit these destinations. But they weren't the first seaside hot spots on the Caribbean; the Mayans built a city over a thousand years ago just a few miles south. 

Tulum, on the eastern coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is an archeological delight. It is said to be the only seaport city built by the Mayans, and it  is also the only city built with fortress-like walls. It was originally called Zama, which means "City of Dawn." The belief is that the city was built as a port for the larger city of Coba to the west, which was hidden in the jungles of the Yucatan. If you stand on the cliff above its beach overlooking the Caribbean Sea, you'd think that it must have been quite the resort in the later days of the Mayan Empire.

The truth is it was actually the center of a maritime trade established by the Mayans.They used large wooden canoes to travel the distance between Tulum and the islands and regions south and north of the city. You might be surprised to hear that one of their main items of trade was obsidian, a glass-like rock used for making knives, arrows and spears. They controlled the supply of this stone and used it to establish their dominance in the area. They traded it for anything else they might need, as it became the central currency of their commerce.

They also exported feathers and copper goods made further inland in villages throughout the Yucatan. Jade was another commodity traded fairly heavily, as well. The returning canoes generally brought back textile goods and salt, both necessary for life in the cities and villages of the Maya.

The city is built on top of cliffs close to forty feet high. There's a break in the cliffs that lead down to a beautiful beach. Most importantly, there is a cut through the offshore reef directly in front of the city. This feature allowed their canoes to pass through deeper water on their way in or out. The city is completely walled in on the remaining three sides, and has watchtowers built into the walls in the two corners furthest from the cliffs. The walls were as high as sixteen feet and as thick as twenty-five feet!

In my fictional work, Serpent's Curse, I use Tulum as the site of a Spanish camp of treasure seekers. By the year 1715, which is when my Spaniards are there, the Mayans were long gone, having disappeared almost two hundred years earlier. But the stone buildings were there, like they still are today. My Spaniards use the old temples and palace of the King to set up their camp. I reference several of the buildings in my book.

Here's a couple photos of Tulum's famous buildings. If you ever get a chance to go there, don't miss out on the chance. For those of you who have visited the old city, you'll know I'm not exaggerating. It's a very impressive place! The smaller photo on the left is the "Temple of Frescoes."

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Thanks for reading! Have a great week!


Mark



 

  

                                                        El Castillo, on the cliffs overlooking the Caribbean.