Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal

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NHK World Heritage 100 Series

Narration Text

Chaac, the God of Rain / The Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal

The ancient ruin of Uxmal is nestled deep in forest. The ruins here date back to the Mayan civilization which prospered on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. Mayan people called this area “Puuc” which means hill. The architectural style at Uxmal later became known as the “Puuc” style. These constructions were built by stacking stone blocks into two layers. The lower section has a simple structure, the upper parts are richly decorated. The carvings on this building represent Chaac, the God of rain.

Uxmal lies in dry and hilly terrain where water resources are scarce. The greatest challenge facing those developing the city was managing the water supply. Rainwater was systematically stored in underground reservoirs. Local legend says that this pyramid known as “The Pyramid of the Soothsayer” was built overnight. Carvings depicting the rain God Chaac are also found here. The middle part is his nose, the two round-shaped dents are his eyes and the square tabs on both sides of his head are ears. His large, long curvy nose resembles an elephant’s trunk. The main crop in Mayan culture was corn. A local farmer is preparing to harvest his corn. The ears are bent over to keep the rain off. The corn is left to dry on the stalk for 2 weeks before harvesting. The buckets and tanks here are used to store rain water. Life has remained relatively unchanged since ancient times. This is the ruin of Kabah on the outskirts of Uxmal. Carvings of the rain God Chaac cover the entire wall. There are 250 of them. The number alone indicates the local people were in constant need of water. Chaac was closely associated with the daily lives of the Mayan people. The God was seen as a provider and a nurturer of life.