.gif)
San Gervasio (Maya site)
Encyclopedia
San Gervasio is an archaeological site
of the pre-Columbian
Maya civilization
, located at the approximate center of the island of Cozumel
off the northeastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula
. It is situated in what is now the state of Quintana Roo
, Mexico
. The ruins were once a hub of worship to the goddess Ix Chel ( meaning "She of the Rainbows"): deity of midwifery, fertility, medicine, and weaving. Pre-Columbian Maya people would travel to the site and make offerings at certain times of the year.
San Gervasio is a federal and state park of the United Mexican States and Quintana Roo
.
The ruins and the various roads to and from each site are overgrown and there are numerous animals, particularly lizards of every size including iguanas that reach over 4 feet (1.2 m) long. As the roads are the only areas not completely shaded by the rain forest surrounding the ruins lizards sun themselves on the road throughout the park, and are relatively acclimatized to humans.
may have instead been the reason for the abandonment of this site.
Meaning: Little Hands
Constructed during: Terminal-Classic (1000-1200 AD)
Location: Southernmost site
The Manitas was probably the residence of the Ah Huneb Itza Overlord of Cozumel. It has an outer room that was probably a residence and an inner sanctum that was probably his personal shrine. It could have been a residential space as well as ceremonial because of the size. The name of the building comes from red-colored hand prints on the interior walls.
Constructed during:
Location: Adjacent, to the East, of the Manita structure
This building consists of an internal and an external room and is the smallest building at San Gervasio. Although the meaning and construction period of this structure is known it was not included in the brochure used to generate this page. The exact purpose of this building remains a mystery, although, due to its architectural characteristics it is likely that it had a ritual function.
There are numerous grave markers in this area, possibly marking the graves of members of the family that resided in the Manitas structure.
Constructed during: Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Northwesternmost site
This is the largest single structure at San Gervasio. Due to certain architectural arrangements at the interior of the small temple on the top, it is believed that this structure was the center of worship to the goddess Ix Chel. As this is the most remote of all the ruin sites it is often covered in lizards. On the western side of the path to this site is a bench. Behind the bench are one of three natural holes in the ground that can be found throughout the ruins. These holes are called Cenotes (From the maya D'zonot, meaning well) and served as a water source for the inhabitants of the settlement.
Meaning: The Arch
Constructed during: Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Northeast of Plaza Central, Northwest of Manitas and Chi Chan Nah
This arch is the main entrance from the north and west to Plaza Central. It is a simple arch about five feet tall that straddles the main road heading northeast from the Plaza. Structures of the same type can be found in northern Yucatán sites, such as Labná
and Kabah
.
Constructed during: Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Southwestern most part of the site
Although the Ka'na Nah structure is taller, the Plaza consists of numerous small buildings in a square shape facing inward very similar to a Roman Forum
. There are nine buildings in all, although it is theorized there were wood and straw buildings in the area and that the Plaza buildings themselves were larger than they appear today due to wooden extensions. Most of the wooden structures likely existed between the Plaza and the Manitas structure.
The Plaza buildings had varied purposes. The largest single building in the northwest corner was the large home of a wealthy noble family. For perspective, this large home consists of three rooms while most families shared a single wood and straw hut at the time. The other plaza buildings include storage rooms, shops and a couple temples.
Constructed during: Terminal-Classic (1000-1200 AD) and Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Northeastern most part of the site
This large circular building still retains its roof and a large central room. This building is the best preserved of the ruins and still has red, ochre
and blue coloration on the interior walls. The purpose of this building is the least well-understood of all buildings at San Gervasio, however, it is speculated that due to its isolation and location, on the main road to the site, its function be ceremonial.
The interior of building is not open to preserve the interior wall coloration but there are no doors, so the interior can be seen to a degree from the outside.
Constructed during: Late-Classic (600-1000 AD)
Location: Northeast of Plaza Central, Northwest of El Arco
This large structure is reminiscent of the Plaza. It contains a number of small buildings on the rise of a small artificial stone hill. The structures are more haphazard both in their construction and organization when compared with the Plaza.
This site was the first stone structure build at San Gervasio. Its purpose was a combination of the Plaza and Ka'na Nah sites; for shopping, storage, residences of the wealthy, and worship of Ix Chel. After San Gervasio became more popular the Plaza and Ka'na Nah sites were built later to support the greater demand of pilgrims
.
Markers on sites at park.
http://www.mayasites.com/gervasio.html
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
of the pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Maya civilization
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
, located at the approximate center of the island of Cozumel
Cozumel
Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo...
off the northeastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
. It is situated in what is now the state of Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The ruins were once a hub of worship to the goddess Ix Chel ( meaning "She of the Rainbows"): deity of midwifery, fertility, medicine, and weaving. Pre-Columbian Maya people would travel to the site and make offerings at certain times of the year.
Overview
Most structures have roofs less than 4 feet (1.2 m) tall and include interior stone walls and exterior columns. Much of the shape of the structures and their roofs remain a mystery as they were enhanced by wood and straw when in their original condition. It is also speculated that further wood and straw huts surrounded many of the buildings, particularly the Plaza Central.San Gervasio is a federal and state park of the United Mexican States and Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
.
The ruins and the various roads to and from each site are overgrown and there are numerous animals, particularly lizards of every size including iguanas that reach over 4 feet (1.2 m) long. As the roads are the only areas not completely shaded by the rain forest surrounding the ruins lizards sun themselves on the road throughout the park, and are relatively acclimatized to humans.
History
At the time these ruins were discovered by a Spanish landing party they had already been abandoned. It is likely that the diseases Maya caught following the introduction of Caucasian explorers made the support of a purely religious site such as this untenable. In the alternative, the loss of their native religion by the Maya and the introduction of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
may have instead been the reason for the abandonment of this site.
Manitas Structure
Constructed during: Terminal-Classic (1000-1200 AD)
Location: Southernmost site
The Manitas was probably the residence of the Ah Huneb Itza Overlord of Cozumel. It has an outer room that was probably a residence and an inner sanctum that was probably his personal shrine. It could have been a residential space as well as ceremonial because of the size. The name of the building comes from red-colored hand prints on the interior walls.
Chi Chan Nah
Meaning:Constructed during:
Location: Adjacent, to the East, of the Manita structure
This building consists of an internal and an external room and is the smallest building at San Gervasio. Although the meaning and construction period of this structure is known it was not included in the brochure used to generate this page. The exact purpose of this building remains a mystery, although, due to its architectural characteristics it is likely that it had a ritual function.
There are numerous grave markers in this area, possibly marking the graves of members of the family that resided in the Manitas structure.
Ka'na Nah Structure
Meaning: Tall HouseConstructed during: Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Northwesternmost site
This is the largest single structure at San Gervasio. Due to certain architectural arrangements at the interior of the small temple on the top, it is believed that this structure was the center of worship to the goddess Ix Chel. As this is the most remote of all the ruin sites it is often covered in lizards. On the western side of the path to this site is a bench. Behind the bench are one of three natural holes in the ground that can be found throughout the ruins. These holes are called Cenotes (From the maya D'zonot, meaning well) and served as a water source for the inhabitants of the settlement.
El Arco
Constructed during: Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Northeast of Plaza Central, Northwest of Manitas and Chi Chan Nah
This arch is the main entrance from the north and west to Plaza Central. It is a simple arch about five feet tall that straddles the main road heading northeast from the Plaza. Structures of the same type can be found in northern Yucatán sites, such as Labná
Labná
Labna is a Mesoamerican archaeological site and ceremonial center of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the Puuc Hills region of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is situated to the south of the large Maya site of Uxmal, in the southwest of the present-day state of Yucatán, Mexico...
and Kabah
Kabah (Maya site)
Kabah is a Maya archaeological site in the south-east of the Mexican state of Yucatán....
.
Plaza Central
Meaning: Central PlazaConstructed during: Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Southwestern most part of the site
Although the Ka'na Nah structure is taller, the Plaza consists of numerous small buildings in a square shape facing inward very similar to a Roman Forum
Forum (Roman)
A forum was a public square in a Roman municipium, or any civitas, reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, along with the buildings used for shops and the stoas used for open stalls...
. There are nine buildings in all, although it is theorized there were wood and straw buildings in the area and that the Plaza buildings themselves were larger than they appear today due to wooden extensions. Most of the wooden structures likely existed between the Plaza and the Manitas structure.
The Plaza buildings had varied purposes. The largest single building in the northwest corner was the large home of a wealthy noble family. For perspective, this large home consists of three rooms while most families shared a single wood and straw hut at the time. The other plaza buildings include storage rooms, shops and a couple temples.
Nohoch Nah
Meaning: Big House StructureConstructed during: Terminal-Classic (1000-1200 AD) and Post-Classic (1200-1650 AD)
Location: Northeastern most part of the site
This large circular building still retains its roof and a large central room. This building is the best preserved of the ruins and still has red, ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
and blue coloration on the interior walls. The purpose of this building is the least well-understood of all buildings at San Gervasio, however, it is speculated that due to its isolation and location, on the main road to the site, its function be ceremonial.
The interior of building is not open to preserve the interior wall coloration but there are no doors, so the interior can be seen to a degree from the outside.
Murcielagos
Meaning: Bats StructureConstructed during: Late-Classic (600-1000 AD)
Location: Northeast of Plaza Central, Northwest of El Arco
This large structure is reminiscent of the Plaza. It contains a number of small buildings on the rise of a small artificial stone hill. The structures are more haphazard both in their construction and organization when compared with the Plaza.
This site was the first stone structure build at San Gervasio. Its purpose was a combination of the Plaza and Ka'na Nah sites; for shopping, storage, residences of the wealthy, and worship of Ix Chel. After San Gervasio became more popular the Plaza and Ka'na Nah sites were built later to support the greater demand of pilgrims
Pilgrims
Pilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...
.
Sources
The brochure provided by the park. The brochure includes the link http://www.cozumelparks.org.mx.Markers on sites at park.
http://www.mayasites.com/gervasio.html