CAMPECHE & EDZNA

My travel to Campeche City and the Mayan Ruins of Edzna... In colonial times, the port city of Campeche was constantly under attack by European pirates. The walls that were erected around the entire city to protect the harbor from invasion still stand today, offering the visitor a stirring reminder of Mexican history. EDZNA- Means "House of the Grimace" in Mayan (also Etzná). The southernmost of the Puuc sites it can be reached by car and is only a one hour drive from the city of Campeche. The site is best known for its five-storied structure which is a combined pyramid and palace. The first four floors contain all types of rooms, while on the top floor is a temple. Another structure is the Temple of Masks, garnished with depiction's of the sun god in his rising and setting phases. Edzna is surrounded by a complex system of canals and reservoirs, and a square, fortress-like structure is encompassed by a moat. While most of what one sees at Edzná is Late Classic in date, it is noteworthy that at least some of the canals go back to the Late Preclassic." Edzná was the most important place in mid-Campeche in the late Classic. Over 200 constructions were erected in that time, in an area of 10 square miles. In most cases the new structures were built over those from the late pre-Classic. Several stelae found here show Long-Count dates between 672 and 810 A.D.