Ancient Maya Architecture:

1. The Maya were an advanced society that

flourished in Mesoamerica long before the
arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century.

2. They were skilled architects, building great

cities of stone that remain even a thousand
years after their civilization fell into decline.

3. The Maya built pyramids, temples, palaces,

walls, residences and more.

4. They often decorated their buildings with

intricate stone carvings, stucco statues and
paint.
Ancient Maya Architecture:
Maya City-States:

1. Maya were never a unified empire ruled by a

single ruler from a single place.

2. Rather, they were a series of smaller city-

states who ruled the immediate vicinity but
had little to do with other cities if they were
far enough away.

3. Some of the more important Maya city-states

were Tikal, Palenque, Chichén Itzá and Uxmal.

4. Although every Maya city is different, they

tended to share certain characteristics, such as
general layout.
Ancient Maya Architecture:
Layout of Maya Cities:

1. Maya tended to lay their cities out in plaza groups: clusters of buildings
around a central plaza.

2. These plazas are rarely neat and orderly and this is because they Maya built
on irregularly-shaped higher ground to avoid floods and dampness associated
with their tropical forest home.

3. In the center of the cities were the important public buildings such as
temples, palaces and the ball court.

4. Residential areas radiated out from the city center, growing sparser the
further they got from the center.

5. Raised stone walkways linked the residential areas with each other and the
center. Later Maya cities were built on higher hills for defense and had high
walls surrounding most of the city or at least the centers.
Ancient Maya Architecture:
The City Center:

1. The Maya built great temples, palaces and

pyramids in their city centers.

2. These were often mighty stone structures, over

which wooden buildings and thatched roofs
were often built.

3. The city center was the physical and spiritual

heart of the city. Important rituals were done
there, in the temples, palaces and ball courts.
Ancient Maya Architecture:
Maya Temples:
1. Like many Maya buildings, Maya temples were built of stone,
with platforms on the top where wooden and thatch structures
could be built. Palenque, Mexico

2. Temples tended to be pyramids, with steep stone steps leading

to the top, where important ceremonies and sacrifices took
place.

3. Many temples are graced by elaborate stone carvings and

glyphs. Tankah, Mexico

4. Temples were often built with astronomy in mind, certain

temples are aligned to the movements of Venus, the sun or
moon.

Tulum, Mexico

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Ancient Maya Architecture:

CEREMONIAL PLATFORMS. 
1. Normally short (four meters maximum),
the platforms had carved figures on the
sides. Chichen Itza, Mexico

2. A setting for public ceremonies, in the

upper part they had
1. Altars,
2. Incense burners,
3. Flags and Uxmal, Mexico
4. Sometimes a tzompantli - a line of
sticks with skulls at the top.

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Ancient Maya Architecture:

OBSERVATORIES. 

1. Observatories were constructions used as Uaxactun, Guatemala

fixed points for star observation.

2. Sometimes, they also served as

astronomical markers, in which case they
would be aligned with other markers.

Chichen Itza, Mexico

PYRAMIDS. 
3. The pyramids were composed of step-like
foundations (usually nine),
4. central staircase that communicates with a
temple on the topmost platform
5. Talud Tablero type of construction.
Ancient Maya Architecture:
Maya Palaces:

1. The Palaces were large, multi-storied buildings

which were home to the king and royal family.
Uaxactun, Guatemala
2. They tended to be made of stone with wooden
structures on top.

3. Roofs were made of thatch.

4. Some Maya palaces are spacious, including

courtyards, different structures that were Kabah, Mexico
possibly homes, patios, towers, etc.

5. The palace at Palenque is a good example.

6. Some of the palaces are quite large, leading Uxmal, Mexico

researchers to suspect that they also acted as a
sort of administrative.
Ancient Maya Architecture:
Maya Homes:

1. The Maya kings lived in stone palaces

in the city center near the temples,
but the common Maya lived in small
houses outside the city center.

2. Like the city center, the homes

tended to be bunched together in
clusters-extended families lived
together in one area.

3. Simple structures constructed mostly

of wooden poles and thatch.

4. The Maya tended to build up a

mound or base and then build upon
it: as the wood and thatch wore away
or rotted they would tear it down and
build again on the same foundation.
Ancient Maya Architecture:
Ball Courts:

1. The ceremonial ball game was an important part

of Maya life.

2. Common and noble people alike played for fun

and recreation, but some games had important
religious and spiritual significance.

3. Ball courts, which were rectangular with sloped

walls on either side, were prominently placed in
Maya cities.

4. Some of the more important cities had several

courts. Ball courts were sometimes used for
other ceremonies and events.

Copan, Honduras Zaculeu, Guatemala

 Ancient Maya Architecture:
.
TOWERS. 
1. These stone monuments have mainly been
found in Campeche, Mexico.
2. Their towers had astronomical functions,
serving as calendar markers that used the
Sun and Venus.
3. Some of them were also observatories

Chanchen, Puerto Rico, Nocuchich, Xlabpak,

Palenque, Mexico
Mexico Mexico Mexico Mexico
THE   MAYAN  VAULT
1. The Maya vaults served as roofs for tombs, chambers and other enclosures.

2. They were constructed with consecutive lines of stones stacked vertically and ending in a
cap. It is called a "false arch" because the cap is not a wedge.

3. Since the capstone does not make the structure rigid, the Maya could not develop spacious
interiors in their temples.

4. Some Maya arches are used as endings on sacbes (white roads) and as passageways in
buildings.