Lapho sikhuluma ngesiko lamaMaya elingajwayelekile, iningi lethu likholelwa ukuthi sesivele sivakashele amasayithi alo amahle futhi amele kakhulu: iPalenque, iChichén Itzá, iUxmal, iBonampak. Thola i-Calakmul!
UCalakmul, igama lesiMayan elisho ukuthi "imibhoshongo emibili engomakhelwane", wabhabhadiswa kanjena ngusosayensi wezitshalo UCyrus L. Lundell ngase 1931. Itholakala esifundeni saseCampeche, ngaphakathi kwe- Indawo Yezinto Eziphilayo enegama elifanayo futhi ihlala endaweni engamahektha angama-3 000 efakwe ehlathini eliminyene. Amaqembu amakhulu amathathu ezakhiwo aqashelwe kuze kube manje, leli elisentshonalanga likhombisa izakhiwo zalo ezinkundleni eziningi ezibiyelwe ngezikhala ezivulekile. Iqembu elifanayo kodwa elincane libonakala ngasempumalanga. Phakathi kwalezi ezimbili kukhona indawo emaphakathi ehlanganisa indawo engama-400 x 400 metres, lapho iphiramidi enkulu noma Isakhiwo II nezikhala ezinkulu zomphakathi ezivulekile yizinto eziyinhloko.
Endaweni emaphakathi kukhona ucingo Isikwele esikhulu, Izakhiwo zazo zihlelwe zizungeze indawo evulekile kabili, efana nemikhondo yasemadolobheni ye- I-Tikal (IGuatemala), futhi ikakhulukazi Uaxactún. Kulesi sikwele izakhiwo zivela kuzo zonke izinkathi zokusebenza kwalesi siza, okukhombisa ukuqhubeka kwaso emakhulwini ayishumi nambili eminyaka. I- Isakhiwo II Iqukethe isakhiwo esidala kunazo zonke, lapho kwatholakala khona ikamelo lama-22 m2, elifulelwe ngendlwana yomgqomo. Idili lamehlo umhlobiso omangalisayo wefrize yalo, ngokususelwa kumamaski amakhulu e-stucco aqinisekisa ukuthi le mpahla yandulela izakhiwo zamatshe zase-Uaxactún futhi Umbuki, kuze kube muva nje kucatshangwa ukuthi yindala kakhulu esifundeni. Kumele kuqashelwe ukuthi izakhiwo ezikule ndawo emaphakathi, ezinokubukeka kwesigodlo, zifeza imisebenzi yesiko noma yemikhosi.
Okunye okuheha kakhulu isiza yinombolo enhle yama-stelae, abekwe ngokucophelela emigqeni ejwayelekile noma ngamaqembu, phambi kwezitebhisi nangaphambi kwezakhiwo zezakhiwo zepiramidi. Umlando wedolobha lasendulo waqoshwa kuwo, futhi namuhla asivumela ukuthi sihlolisise amasiko awo. Amatshe ayisiyingi amahle aqoshiwe futhi amakhulu ahlukaniswe yikhwalithi nokutholakala kwawo kumongo weMayan.
Amanani jikelele
Ngaphandle kokungabaza, kunezici eziningana ezenza le ndawo ibe yindawo ekhethekile emlandweni wesintu. I-Calakmul ikhombisa uchungechunge oluhlukile futhi olulondolozwe kahle lwezikhumbuzo ezihlanganiswe nezikhala ezivulekile, isici esimele intuthuko engaguquki yokwakhiwa kwamadolobha okwakukhona eminyakeni engaphezu kwamakhulu ayishumi. Istela sayo esiyisikhumbuzo (i-120 esindisiwe kuze kube manje) singubufakazi obungavamile bobuciko beMayan. Ngokuvamile, kuyisibonelo esivelele senhlokodolobha yaseMayan namanxiwa aso amangalisayo asakhombisa impilo yezombangazwe nengokomoya lezakhamizi zakudala.
Cishe ngonyaka we-900 le ndawo enhle yaphela ukuba yilelo dolobha elihle. Yayekwa ngokuphelele ngawo-1530-1540s, lapho umnqobi U-Alonso de Avila wenza umsebenzi wokuhlola kabusha kule ngxenye yenhlonhlo.
Ngenhlanhla yethu, imeya bayaqhubeka nokusimangaza ngobufakazi babo obugcwele bobuciko nomlando.
Ihlukaniswe njengefa lomhlaba ngu I-UNESCO, ngoJuni 27, 2002.
