Athena Review Image Archive ™
Chac Masks on the Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal
Chac masks on the Adivino at Uxmal (photo: Athena Review)
The Adivino
or Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal is a tall, rounded structure
31.5 meters high with remains of five sequential temples on top, dating
from about AD 550 to 1000 and spanning the Late Classic Maya period.
Mosaic
veneer work decorates the outer walls of Temple IV, one of the latest
of the constructions, dating from about AD 850-900. The mosaic, seen
from a staircase leading up to the later Temple V, is made up of small,
precarved limestone elements. These typify the exterior decoration of
the Puuc architectural style, which prevailed during the Late Classic
at Uxmal and other sites in northern Yucatán, including Sayil, Kabah,
Labna, and Chichén Itzá. The elaborate facade of Temple IV on Uxmal's
Adivino also includes elements of the Chenes style, another Late
Classic architectural mode closely related to the Puuc style.
Among
the most common elements of the Puuc style are Chac masks, which
represent the Maya rain god who is still worshipped in rainmaking
ceremonies. Two superimposed masks in the center of the image show
ears, eyes, and projecting noses each made up of simple mosaic
elements. Other Puuc style traits include the X-form lattice below, and
sideways "T-form elements," visible in the vertical rows just left and
right of the masks. Other Chac masks decorate the temple's corners.
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