Kohunlich
- Quintana Roo, Rio Bec Style.
Located
midway between Chetumal City and Xpuhil off Highway 186, lies Kohunlich.
Perhaps not the biggest of sites. It is, however, easily accessible
by car and worth visiting for the giant masks of the Sun God ‘Kinich
Ahau.’
Arriving at the site along a path that seems to traverse a dry riverbed
surrounded by a dense Cohun plantation, one enters into the Acropolis
Plaza with several consolidated structures in Classic Rio Bec style.
Many of the structures here are greatly ruined. The Great Plaza is a
little further along, surrounded by the remains of temple structures
on three sides.
Behind the plaza, through an open area about 300 feet and up a slight
hill, one comes across the Pyramid of the Masks (Structure I). This
structure was built (as is the whole site) in two different phases.
The first phase was constructed during the Early Classic Period and
has rounded corners and overhanging apron moldings similar to those
of other Peten structures.
The masks flanking the main stairway at Kohunlich are the main highlight
of this structure. They are made of carved stucco and each one is slightly
different from the others. Some of them still have some pigmentation.
These masks were created during the first phase of construction and
were then covered over, as was common practice, during the construction
of the later phase. This accounts for their remarkable state of preservation.
The masks are now protected by a thatched roof, making it awkward to
photograph and even more difficult to draw. Nonetheless, it is a superb
example of Maya Art.
Southwest of the pyramid, one can walk through the ballcourt and, turning
left into the Cohun Forest, view a recently excavated temple area with
some nice architectural pieces. Walking south, about 300 feet, you will
come to an opening where a huge mound with a staircase known simply
as ‘27 Escaleras’ lies. At the top of the stairs is the elite
residential section of Kohunlich. It has several small plazas surrounded
by rooms and archways. In the plaza at the southwest corner is a well-preserved
drainage gutter. This is a peaceful spot with magnificent views, ideal
for scribbling or bird watching.
