The Comalcalco Ruins are close to the Gulf of Mexico, about fifty kilometres north of Villahermosa. This Maya site was at it’s peak from 600 to 1000 AD when it was an important trading centre of pre-Hispanic luxury goods. In case you were wondering what was traded back then, it was: cacao, salt, feathers, deer and jaguar skins, wax, honey, turtle shells, tobacco, chilies, manta-ray spines, cotton, polychrome ceramics and greenstone objects associated with the ritual ball games.
The ruins themselves are very impressive. You can see some of the original artwork that decorated the pyramids where they have dug down below the present ground level to expose the sculptures. The effects of erosion and acid rain pollution are clearly evident here. The structure itself is brick with a ground oyster shell mortar. Oyster shell stucco was also used to cover some of the pyramids and is still visible in some areas.
Templo Uno
Templo Dos
Lower Site
Sculptures (below ground level)
Oyster Shell Stucco
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