Comalcalco — North Plaza
Comalcalco North Brick Complex
Late Classic Maya 600–900 CE·Maya (Chontal-Jaina, Gulf)·🇲🇽 Tabasco, Comalcalco, Mexico
About
About Comalcalco — North Plaza
Northern brick sector 400 m north of main Acropolis (600–900 CE): North Plaza three brick temples with oyster-shell tempered bricks (7 brick types, stamped maker marks), 100 m causeway on 3 m platform over swamp, Maya-Chontal port linking Gulf and Petén via Mezcalapa. Only Maya city built of fired brick (lacking limestone), watermarks show flood-adapted urbanism, bricks contain frogs and fingerprints, temple stucco faces modeled after Palenque.
Why it mattersOnly brick architecture in Mesoamerica; proves adaptation to stone-less alluvium and Gulf maritime network.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How bricks fired without wood scarcity in swamp
- 02Frog imprints intentional vs accident
Theories
- 01North Plaza as merchant barrio for Chontal canoe traders
- 02Brick marks as workshop signatures and tribute tallies
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.550–850 CE
- Period
- Late Classic Maya 600–900 CE
- Culture
- Maya (Chontal-Jaina, Gulf)
- Builders
- Maya (Chontal)
- Purpose
- Secondary temple complex and swamp port causeway
- Abandoned
- c.900 CE (with Palenque sphere)
- Rediscovered
- 1880 Charnay notes bricks; INAH 1990s–2000s North Plaza
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
600
First brick kilns and Acropolis
800
North Plaza brick temples and causeway
On the ground
Structures & features
18.2800° N · 93.2231° W · 10 m · 2 mapped features
North Temple III Brick
temple10 m brick temple with stucco mask and finger marks
18.2805° N · 93.2230° WSwamp Causeway
causeway100 m brick causeway linking North Plaza to Acropolis over bajo
18.2795° N · 93.2235° W
Gallery