Gxila edolobheni lasendulo laseMayan i-Ek Balam, indawo yokuvubukula enezici ezihlukile zokwakha ngobucebe bayo nobuqili bayo.
Eduze nezindawo zabavakashi zaseCancun nasePlaya del Carmen, engxenyeni esempumalanga-mpumalanga yeYucatan kanye ne-190 km ukusuka enhlokodolobha yayo iMerida, kunedolobha lasendulo laseMayan i-Ek Balam, indawo yokuvubukula enezici ezihlukile zokwakha ngenxa yengcebo yayo kanye nobuqili. Lihunyushwe ngokwezwi nezwi lisuka kuMayan, igama lalo lisho i-jaguar emnyama noma emnyama, yize abahlali bethanda ukuyibiza ngenkanyezi ye-jaguar.
Kwakungu-1994 lapho iphrojekthi yokuvubukula ye-Ek Balam iqala ngaphansi kwesandla seNational Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), okumanje isesigabeni sesine somsebenzi. Kuze kube yilowo nyaka, ukuphela kwokwakhiwa kwendawo ebiyelwe ngodonga kwakuyithempeli elincane elincane, futhi nomsebenzi omncane wokongiwa kwemvelo wawenziwe kwezinye izakhiwo ezimbili.
Izakhiwo ezinkulu zitholakala ezigcawini ezimbili ezibizwa ngokuthi yiNyakatho neNingizimu, zombili zisendaweni ebiyelwe ngodonga eyi-1.25 km2, lapho kukhona nezinye izakhiwo. Imigwaqo emihlanu yangaphambi kweSpanishi ebizwa ngokuthi sak be’oob iqala kusuka ezindongeni zangaphakathi nangaphandle; kukhona olunye olubizwa ngodonga lwesithathu, konke lokho okuwubufakazi bokuvikelwa okuqinile okwanikezwa ingxenye ephakathi yedolobha, indawo yokuhlala izicukuthwane nababusi.
Ngesikhathi sokuqala kwephrojekthi ye-lNAH, izakhiwo ezimbili eziseningizimu yeplaza zakhululwa zahlanganiswa: isakhiwo 10, kanye nohlangothi olusempumalanga, oluqukethe isisekelo esikhulu lapho kukhona khona ithempeli elincane namapulatifomu amabili ahlala kuphela kusuka ngaphezulu, yingakho kubhekwa ukuthi izindawo ezinkulu ezivulekile bezinganikezelwa emicimbini.
Esinye sezakhiwo ezinkulu kuleli qembu - 17, esisentshonalanga yeSouth Plaza - saziwa njengeLas Gemelas ngokwakhiwa kwaso okwehlukile, ngoba sakhiwe ngezinto ezimbili ezifanayo ezingaphezulu esitezi esisodwa. Futhi inendawo yokubuka eyindilinga esakhiweni sephiramidi, isiteji sabanakekeli abasesimweni sezingelosi ezungeze umnyango
Inomlomo wenyoka cishe amamitha amathathu ukuphakama, okusivumela ukuthi sizwe ithonya eliqinile elingokomoya, ngokungafani nezinye izindawo zemivubukulo yangaphambi kweSpanishi.
Njengamanje, ukufinyelela kutholakala ngomgwaqo omncane onobungozi obukhulu, ngakho-ke uhulumeni wezwe usezophothula umgwaqo ongaba amakhilomitha ayisishiyagalolunye oholela ngqo endaweni ekhangayo yezivakashi, indawo yayo esemasipala wase I-Temozón, ngaphezu kokuzuzisa i-Valladolid ne-Tizimín, konke kuse-Yucatán, kanye nemithelela eqondile kubantu abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane eziyi-12 zezakhamizi.
Umthombo: IMexico engaziwa engu-324 / Februwari 2004
