Cobá
Kobá · Coba Archaeological Site
Preclassic to Postclassic 300 BCE–1450 CE (peak Classic 600–800, Terminal 800–1100)·Maya (eastern Lowlands, Sian Ka'an sphere)·🇲🇽 Quintana Roo, Mexico
About
About Cobá
Vast lowland Maya city of ~80 km² with ~6,500 structures linked by 16 white-road sacbeob (raised plaster causeways totalling 70 km, longest Sacbe 1 100 km to Yaxuná near Chichén Itzá, 10 m wide), five lake groups (Lake Cobá, Macanxoc), Nohoch Mul pyramid (42 m high – tallest on Yucatán Peninsula, 120 steps, temple views to Caribbean), Iglesia pyramid and Xaibe crossroads temple. Peak 600–900 CE controlling north-south Lowland trade; still unexcavated 80% jungle-covered. Largest sacbe network in Mesoamerica.
Why it mattersLargest sacbe (causeway) network in Mesoamerica; tests hypothesis that Maya lowland cities were low-density dispersed urbanisms connected by road-canal plazas.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why Cobá built 100 km Sacbe 1 to Yaxuná – imperial road vs alliance
- 02Whether Nohoch Mul height purposely exceeding Tikal's Temple IV claim political statement
Theories
- 01Cobá as eastern Maya capital contesting Chichén Itzá for Yucatán control Terminal Classic; sacbeob = political integration
- 02Post-900 Cobá declined after Chichén dominance cut its salt trade
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.300 BCE–1100 CE; Nohoch Mul c.700–800 CE
- Period
- Preclassic to Postclassic 300 BCE–1450 CE (peak Classic 600–800, Terminal 800–1100)
- Culture
- Maya (eastern Lowlands, Sian Ka'an sphere)
- Purpose
- Lowland hub controlling sacbe trade, salt and honey networks, and interlake center
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.300 BCE–1100 CE; Nohoch Mul c.700–800 CE
Initial construction
c. 1484 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
20.4914° N · 87.7362° W · 12 m · 3 mapped features
Nohoch Mul (Great Pyramid)
pyramid42 m pyramid with 120-step stair to temple
20.4936° N · 87.7315° WIglesia (Church) Pyramid
pyramid24 m pyramidal temple NE group
20.4922° N · 87.7308° WSacbe 1 origin (near Nohoch Mul)
roadStart of 100 km white road to Yaxuná
20.4930° N · 87.7320° W
Gallery