Anthropology Museum

Ek Balam

Ek Balam is a name in Yucatec Mayan language, formed by the words ek ', with which the color black is called and which also means "star" or "star"; and balam, which means "jaguar." It can be translated as "jaguar-dark-or black." "However, some Mayan speakers in the region also translate it as" lucero-jaguar. "In the Ek 'Balam Relation, written in 1579 by the encomendero Juan Gutiérrez Picón mentions that the name of the site comes from a great man named Ek Balam or Coch Cal Balam, who founded and ruled it for 40 years, however, the archaeological evidence has not provided us with any proof of the existence of said character .

Ek Balam is a Mayan city that had its maximum development during the Late Classic / Terminal (600-900 AD) and that possibly was the seat of the kingdom of "Tlalol". The first known king of Ek Balam is Ukit Kan Le t Tok (the father of the four flint fronts) who was the builder of most of the sumptuous palace that we now know as Acropolis and many other works. Likewise, he was the promoter of technical and cultural advances, as well as the architectural and decorative richness.

The north plaza constitutes the nucleus of monumental architecture where the building 1 is located, also known as Acropolis. The Zoomorfa façade called Sak Xok Naah or "White House of Reading" of Ukit Kan Le't Tok was located on the fourth level and its remains rest with a rich trousseau or set of offerings.