El Resbalón
El Resbalón Archaeological Zone · Calakmul South Resbalon
Classic (c.250–800 CE) Maya Petén – Río Bec fringe·Maya (Petén – Río Bec transitional)·🇲🇽 Campeche, Calakmul Municipality, southern pitted plateau, Mexico
About
About El Resbalón
El Resbalón ('the slide') is a hilltop Maya city and open-air epigraphic cliff 35 km SW of Xpujil in the Calakmul Biosphere south at 250 m. Occupied 250–800 CE, its limestone hillside preserves a 16m-long Hieroglyphic Stairway (Stairway 1) of 400+ glyphs – the largest continuous text in the north Petén–Campeche corridor – recording Resbalón-Kaan entanglements and the 636 CE defeat by Yuknoom Cheen. Above, two temple-pyramids (10m) front a vaulted palace group. Epigraphy by Simon Martin and INAH places Resbalón as a secondary Kaan capital on the Calakmul–Mirador causeway.
Why it mattersEl Resbalón ('the slide') is a hilltop Maya city and open-air epigraphic cliff 35 km SW of Xpujil in the Calakmul Biosphere south at 250 m. Occupied 250–800 CE, its limestone hillside preserves a 16m-long Hieroglyphic Stairway (Stairway 1) of 400+ glyphs – the largest continuous text in the north Pe Type-site defining regional sequence.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Chronology and phasing of construction
- 02Function of elite vs communal architecture
Theories
- 01Regional capital coordinating irrigation and exchange
- 02Ritual-ceremonial amphitheatre aligned to astronomy
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.250–800 CE
- Period
- Classic (c.250–800 CE) Maya Petén – Río Bec fringe
- Culture
- Maya (Petén – Río Bec transitional)
- Builders
- Maya (Resbalón dynasty)
- Purpose
- Petroglyph-painted limestone cliff and hilltop temple city famous for the 16m-long El Resbalón Hieroglyphic Stairway in the Calakmul frontier
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.250–800 CE
Initial construction
c.1200 CE
Major occupation / refurbishment
c.1000–1532
Late horizon / Inca incorporation where applicable
On the ground
Structures & features
18.2500° N · 89.7100° W · 250 m · 2 mapped features
Hieroglyphic Stairway 1 (16m Epigraphic Cliff)
rock art16m stairway with 400 glyphs carved on limestone hillside, Resbalón–Kaan narrative
18.2502° N · 89.7099° WHilltop Temple-Pyramids (A & B)
pyramidPair 10m temple pyramids fronting palace courtyard above stairway plaza
18.2498° N · 89.7101° W