Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico Tour Or Travel
Pictures And Photos
The Grand Acropolis

George And Audrey DeLange

The Grand Acropolis of Comalcalco, Tabasco: The "Great Acropolis", is a structure 35m high and 175m length, with its "Tomb of the nine Lords of the Night". There also is a "Palace" attached to the Grand Acropolis which was once beautifully decorated. We can still see the remains of some paintinga on the central wall, Temple IV, and Temple V. The large window-like openings in the east wall of the Palace are an unusual feature for Mayan buildings. Some researchers think that these windows may suggest that there was contact between non Mayan people and Mayan people because of this structure. It appears that the only function for the windows at Comalcalco appears to have been to allow air and daylight into a dark and poorly lighted room. There was no ceremonial purpose. There are two ruins located within the Great Acropolis in the vicinity of the Palace. They are Structures 1 and 2, which do not contain the characteristics of a palace-type structure or of a stepped pyramid substructure and rear room of a temple. Both are atypical of Maya architecture. Structure 1 seems to have contained several narrow slots around the corners of its northern end. The slots began at floor level and continued upwards to the medial moulding. As the remains of the walls are only 1.22 meters high, the purpose of such apparent slots, weakened the structure. Such slots are unusual in other Mayan cities.