Kohunlich, Southern Quintana Roo
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George And Audrey DeLange

Kohunlich, Southern Quintana Roo, a Mayan ruin. Kohunlich is a corruption of the name "Cohune Ridge". Cohune is a species of fruiting palm common to the area. Cohune is a Miskito word which shows that there was a connection to the Central American people to the south. Kohunlich used to be known as Clarksville when the British had control over this area. Kohunlich is best known for its Temple of the Masks, an Early Classic pyramid whose central stairway is flanked by large stucco masks. The temple was built around 500 A.D.. After about 700 A.D., the temple was covered over with a Terminal Classic construction, which protected the masks and accounts for their excellent preservation today. The giant masks represent the Sun God "Kinich Ahau" however they differ in appearance so it is thought that they also represent the various rulers of Kohunlich. In 1969 when looters discovered the site, the removed some of the outer covering of Structure I, and were in the process of removing the masks. Ignacio Ek, of the nearby village of Francisco Villa, came across this crime and reported it to the authorities, who then took steps to protect the masks and the site. The governor of Quintana Roo then made Ignacio Ek the custodian of the site which was known locally by the name of Kohunlich. The city apparently rose to prominence in the Early Classic when there were important ties to the cultures of northern Belize; this has been deduced from the style of the god masks. There was a brief interlude before development picks up again in the Late Classic when we see significant architectural similarities with the Río Bec region. We may assume that there were also important trade and cultural links between the two, because the final demise of Kohunlich occurred more or less in synchronisation with the larger empire.