Ek Balam Ruins
After a few ruins, they begin to all look the same. But our dear friend Jorge suggested we venture out to see the Ek Balam ruins while we were in Valladolid. They are different and bigger than many of the others. We schedule a taxi for the day, because the other option was a scooter, one I was in favor of, but the distance was a bit too long - like riding a bicycle on a freeway - so I acquiesced and we took a taxi. It turned out to be the right decision.
We enjoy learning about the history so we paid for a guide and it was fascinating to hear about the differences between these two largest ruins (Ek Balam and Chichen Itza). There is now a lot of speculation of how things were when these were thriving communities, based on what is being unearthed today.
This is the main entrance into the city behind 3 fortified walls. It was a very powerful city, with a wise and powerful ruler, and became a central point in the region. It appears this ruler and his family reigned for a very long time and were never overtaken. What is still unknown is what happened to destroy the city and its people.
Ek Balam is as big as Chichen Itza but the communities were very different. Chichen Itza was a religious community where Ek Balam was focused on agriculture and trade. These ruins are sprinkled with actual carvings, mayan manuscripts, and structures that you won’t see at other ruins, always telling a story.
The remains of Ek Balam’s ruler and tomb were just unearthed in 2020 and there were over 7000 artifacts found in the tomb, showing great wealth and reverence for the ruler. The many carvings are still being interpreted today as they are compared with other known artifacts. The picture is of the entrance to the tomb. The hook like objects depict the teeth of a jaguar protecting the ruler as he enters the afterlife. Notice how well preserved the sandstone is.
Because there are less visitors, you can climb on some of the ruins. This is the main palace of the ruler and his family and there are over 100 steps to the top. Keith went all the way, I stayed below to take pictures (yup, that’s my story). There are 2 remaining palaces on each side of the main structure, still covered in jungle growth that are a bit smaller and plans are being made to excavate them. It could take 20-30 years to accomplish.
A very unique difference between the two communities is how they provided offerings. In Chichen Itza, they sacrificed humans to appease the gods. In Ek Balam, they offered food after the harvest to show their gratefulness for good crops. Occassionally, they would also drip blood onto a leaf, let it dry, and then burn it as a sweet aroma for the gods.
