TEKAL DE VENEGAS.- Deep in the Yucatán jungle, the ancient Maya city of X’baatún is slowly giving up its secrets. For the past six years, a joint team of Spanish and Mexican archaeologists has been meticulously excavating the site, revealing a well-preserved glimpse into Maya life spanning over 1,500 years.
The project began in 2018, a collaboration between the local Oxwatz ecotourism park, established 20 years prior, and a dedicated team of archaeologists. With support from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the researchers, led by Juan García Targa and Carmen Varela Torrecilla, have conducted six field seasons, significantly expanding our understanding of this once-thriving settlement.
"When we started, we knew about 22 structures within the core area, thanks to previous work by the Izamal Project," explains García Targa. "But using drones for aerial mapping, we've discovered many more." The core of X’baatún, enclosed by a perimeter wall and situated near a natural watering hole (an aguada), covers approximately eight hectares – a size comparable to Roman Barcelona.
Geiser Gerardo Martín Medina, a collaborator with INAH Yucatán, estimates that the site's nucleus contains between 35 and 40 structures. However, the city extends far beyond the central area. "Around 800 meters from the core, we've found more residential areas," Medina says. "We still need to explore further north and east." Their explorations have even corrected previous assumptions, revealing that a nearby site, Kukulá, is actually a connected part of X’baatún, not a separate settlement.
The archaeologists are not just mapping the site; they're piecing together a comprehensive picture of its past, studying the settlement patterns, building materials, and chronology. The name X’baatún, meaning "place where water is collected" in Maya, hints at the site's importance as a resource hub.
Despite being located 21 kilometers northeast of the larger Maya city of Izamal, X’baatún displays unique architectural characteristics. While it shows subtle influences of the megalithic style seen in Izamal (characterized by large carved stones), its vaults, columns, and friezes also exhibit features of early Puuc architecture, common in the hills between Campeche and Yucatán.
Small-scale excavations and analysis of pottery shards have revealed that X’baatún was occupied from the Late Preclassic period (300 BC-200 AD) to the Early Postclassic period (1000-1200 AD). This long period of habitation speaks to the site's enduring significance.
Remarkably, the site is exceptionally well-preserved. Its location within a protected ecological zone spared it from the extensive damage caused by livestock farming and henequen production, which impacted much of the region from the 18th to the mid-20th centuries. The local communities of Tekal de Venegas and Dzoncauich are actively involved in the project, ensuring the site's continued protection.
The X’baatún Project goes beyond archaeology, incorporating ecological and anthropological studies. Researchers are documenting the area's native plants and animals, including trees like tzalam, chakáh, pich, and fig, as well as wildlife like crocodiles, turtles, ducks, and herons found in the local water sources. They are also collecting oral histories from residents of nearby communities, some of whom lived in traditional huts on the site until the 1960s, when a local ranch ceased operations.
The project has received crucial support from various organizations, including the Fundació Catalunya-Amèrica and several companies from the Barcelona region of Spain, as well as the Universities of Cantabria and Autónoma de Yucatán. With each new discovery, X’baatún offers a richer understanding of the Maya civilization and its remarkable legacy.
