Oxkintok (Osh-kin-Toch) is a Maya archaeological site on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, located in the northern Puuc region, about 40 miles southwest of Merida. It represents a typical example of the so-called Puuc period and architectural style in Yucatan. The site was occupied from the late Preclassic, until the Late Postclassic, with its apogee occurring between the 5th and 9th centuries AD.
Oxkintok is the local Maya name for the ruins, and it probably means something like “Three Days Flint”, or “Three Sun Cutting”. The city contains one of the highest densities of monumental architecture of Northern Yucatan. During its heyday the city extended over several square kilometers. Its site core is characterized by three main architectural compounds that were connected among each other through a series of causeways.
Archaeological Research at Oxkintok
In the mid-19th century Oxkintok was visited by the famous Maya explorers John LLoyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood. The site was studied by the Carnegie Institute of Washington in the early 20th century. Beginning in 1980, the site has been studied by European archaeologists and by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which together have been focusing both on excavation and restoration projects.
Site Layout
Among the most important buildings at Oxkintok we can include the so-called Labyrinth, or Tzat Tun Tzat. This is one of the oldest buildings of the site. It included at least three levels: a single doorway into the Labyrinth leads to a series of narrow rooms connected through passageways and stairs.
The major building of the site is Structure 1. This is a high-stepped pyramid constructed over a large platform. On the top of the platform is a temple with three entrances and two internal rooms.
Just east of Structure 1 stands the May Group, which archaeologists believe was probably an elite residential structure with external stone decorations, such as pillars and drums. This group is one of the best restored areas of the site.
On the northwest side of the site is located the Dzib Group.
The east side of the site is occupied by different residential and ceremonial buildings. Of special note among these buildings are the Ah Canul Group, where the famous stone pillar called the man of Oxkintok stands; and the Ch’ich Palace.
Architectural Styles at Oxkintok
The buildings at Oxkintok are typical of the Puuc style in the Yucatan region. However it is interesting to note that the site also exhibits a typical Central Mexican architectural feature, like the talud and tablero, which consists of a sloped wall surmounted by a platform structure.
Sources
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to to Maya, and the Dictionary of Archaeology.
AA.VV. 2006, Los Mayas. Rutas Arqueologicas: Yucatan y Quintana Roo. Edición Especial de Arqueologia Mexicana, num. 21 (www.arqueomex.com)