Hormiguero Structure II Pyramid (Chenés)
Hormiguero Pyramid · Hormiguero Structure 2 · El Diablo Hormiguero
Late Classic Maya (Chenés)·Maya (Chenés / Río Bec)·🇲🇽 Campeche, Hormiguero — 20 km south of Xpujil, Chenés–Río Bec zone, Mexico
About
About Hormiguero Structure II Pyramid (Chenés)
Chenés pyramid with enormous monster-mouth doorway at Hormiguero — Structure II is a 12–15 m high stepped pyramid with fully preserved Witz monster mouth (6 m high mask) forming the temple doorway, plus flank Structure V with second mask. Late Classic 600–850 CE, Río Bec–Chenés transition. Dense stucco decoration of rain god masks. Excavated by Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) from 1979. Site shows Chenés at its most baroque.
Why it mattersMost complete Chenés Witz monster-mouth pyramid doorway surviving; key for Maya cave-mouth cosmology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Second Structure V — duplicate mouth symbolism
- 02Orientation to equinox
Theories
- 01Mouth embodies cave of earth monster Chicchan
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. 600–850 CE (Late Classic)
- Period
- Late Classic Maya (Chenés)
- Culture
- Maya (Chenés / Río Bec)
- Builders
- Maya of Hormiguero
- Purpose
- Temple-pyramid with Witz monster-mouth sanctuary
- Abandoned
- c. 900 CE
- Rediscovered
- 1943 (Ruppert) / excavated 1979 INAH
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 600–850 CE (Late Classic)
Initial construction
c. 1529 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
18.6172° N · 89.4581° W · 240 m · 3 mapped features
Structure II monster-mouth pyramid
pyramid12 m pyramid with 6 m Witz doorway
18.6172° N · 89.4581° WWitz mask doorway
facade6 m stucco monster mouth temple entry
18.6172° N · 89.4580° WStructure V second mouth
pyramidSecondary Chenés pyramid with mouth
18.6175° N · 89.4583° W