Chincultic
CHINCULTIC - "Tojolabal" (Small Woods), Pre/Late Classic Periods,
Chiapas, Mexico

Off the beaten track, Chincultic is located some 20 miles south of Comitan in east central Chiapas for anyone travelling to or from Guatemala on Highway 190.

At the time of my first visit in 1993, much of the site appeared only partially consolidated, very much overgrown and the ballcourt resembled a stone quarry. The main area lies on one side of a stream. Across the stream and up a hill, is a small temple complex known as Group A or, El Mirador. The view from this group is spectacular, with cornfields stretching as far as the eye can see. Immediately to the side of the small temple complex is a sheer drop-off to a cenote below: quite convenient for the occasional dramatic sacrifice!

On one very rainy occasion, crossing the brook became a challenge, as there was no bridge at the time. Ascending the hill along a slippery footpath, I encountered the remnants of several overgrown structures before reaching the top, where the rain continued to pour unceasingly. The sun appeared eventually and so did my rather soggy sketchbook.

Although the cenote contains few clues to human sacrifice, it has yielded abundant objects, artifacts and pottery shards indicating that it was an important trading center with contacts as far away as Central Mexico to the north and the Maya highlands to the south.

The area reminded me of an Inca way station (tambo) found more frequently in the Andes of South America. According to scholars, Chincultic was occupied from 50BC through 350AD, abandoned and eventually re-occupied during Classic Maya times around 700 AD.