The Fascinating Mayan City That Used Modern Form Of City Planning -Nixtun Ch’ich’
Discover the only Mayan city with a modern form of city planning!
Now it’s very difficult to see beyond the thick jungles that are nestling the stunning Mayan pyramids. Imagine a once bustling and beautiful civilization which is now relaxed by monkeys, birds and ruins that are still a mystery to many.
The Nixtun Ch’ich’ which is translated to the rocky place is a 1 square mile city which lacks any luxurious architecture and grandeur of the other sites. However, its compact nature is a depiction of its efficient design. You can still see how the Maya constructed their cities and how the spaced apart structures lacked long term planning.
The very common grid-like structure of our modern cities did not exist in the Mayan metropolis. However, there’s one exception which is the 2500 year old city of Nixtun Chich which still stands.
The city was arranged in very straight lines which shocked the researcher Timothy Pugh who explored the area in 1995 and returned back with his findings in 2013. It differed from a very typical and basic Mayan city which also led to a belief that it might be a foreign constructed city. However, with the new research new questions emerged such as the purpose of the city and who built it! Let’s unveil the stunning yet mysterious architecture of the Mayan city!
The History Of The Fascinating Mayan Cities
The very first settlements of the ancient Maya’s began in 1500 BC. They reached Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. The Maya’s were at the peak and they built almost 40 cities which had populations from 5000–50,000 people. The most famous cities were Tikal and Palenque.
The Maya were known for their step pyramids as well as their highly advanced irrigation systems. They were on the top and were pioneers which is why their sudden collapse was very mysterious. The main reasons for their collapse include over usage of resources as well as conflicts between the cities.
The unplanned nature of their cities make the overall boundaries unclear however it is known that each city had one god like leader that reigned all over each city. There were numerous palaces, pyramids, temples and house mounds that stood in the courtyards and were inhabited by the elites.
The middle class were residing farther from the center of the city and they lived in humble houses while the lower class were even farther. The middle class produced very valuable goods and many believed that this was a collaboration between them and the elite.
The City Of Nixtun Ch’ich’
Even though the Maya had numerous rulers for each territory it’s still unclear who reigned over the city of Nixtun Ch’ich’.
The researcher Timothy Pugh reported that it was a top down organization which was put together by an incredibly powerful ruler. The researcher emphasized upon the amount of cooperation needed to build such a complex urban plan. There was a lack of any evidence for a rulership cult.
Currently the ruler of this marvelous city is shadowed and hidden. There are only traces of his innovations and his magnificent work. There were almost fifteen buildings arranged in a straight line and this was the ceremonial area which included almost 100 foot high pyramids.
These buildings were coated with a white plaster to provide the city with a Pearl like shine. The eastward orientation of this city provided a clear path away to the sun. This made it look like an ancient highway to heaven. The city was also very well defended with a wall of earth and stone. This city is till date protected by ranchers.