Time patrol: Land of the Maya

The pyramid of the Magician. Uxmal. c.1882. Désiré Charnay expedition. Charnay was a French explorer who documented a number of abandoned Maya cities in the peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico, in the second half of the 19th century. See the pyramid then: a heap of stones and earth, invaded by vegetation.

The very same pyramid of the Magician, 1978. In May that year, I took an on-site summer course in Maya anthropology delivered by the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. (Roll tide!). I was doing an MBA there. Heard about the course. Asked my adviser if I could apply the credits to my MBA. He said no, but that I was welcome to join. LOL. (Already told the story, I know). So join I did. See how the restored pyramid looks like as opposed to Charnay’s heap of stones?

Uxmal, 1978. That pyramid is the only one in all Mexico and central America to have round corners.

Désiré Charnay (1828-1915) was born in Fleurie in the Beaujolais region. (Fleurie is an excellent wine. Very commendable) Charnay first went to Mexico between 1857 and 1860. He was the first to photograph major Maya sites. The previous explorers who first “documented” the Maya cities were Stephens and Catherwood in 1839-1840. Way before photography, Catherwood brought back the first drawings and paintings of the lost civilisation of the Maya.

Digging up a wall of Chaac gods, Uxmal, c.1882, Charnay. All temples and bas-reliefs were then covered by plants and even trees. To this date, there still are hundreds of temples hidden away in the forest. The National Institute of Anthropology in Mexico prefers to leave them that way. Less risk of destruction and/or theft of valuable pieces.

Chaac, at Uxmal, 1978. Chaac is one of the most important Maya Gods: the God of Rain. He brings rain to the corn crops, the basis of Maya diet along with beans. No rain, no food. One can recognize the Chaac by its two large eyes, and trunk-like nose. See below:

A line of Chaac by the stairs at Uxmal, 1978. To the right, wearing a yellow guayabera, Dr Richard Krause, our “expedition chief.” The course was split between formal classes one day and field trips the other day. Krause and his colleagues, Dr Moseley, Dr Coombs, Dr Bryant were our PhD guides to Maya civilisation. Thank y’all for a wonderful experience.

Chaac again. Uxmal, 1978.

Kukulcan, the feathered serpent, Uxmal, c.1882.

Very same. 1978. In the centre are three piled representations of Chaac. To the right are the head (below) and tail (above) of Kukulcan, the feathered serpent. Kukulcan or his Aztec equivalent, Quetzalcoatl, was the principal god of Good versus Evil. He had left the world sailing across the sea, so when the Spaniards came by the sea, many believed they were announcing the return of Kukulcan/Quetalcoatl.

Again, compare Charnay’s photographs in the 19th century with the more recent ones. The restoration work was fantastic.

The quadrangle of the nuns, Uxmal, c.1882, Charnay.

By mere chance, I took practically the same shot, almost a century later, in 1978. The “Quadrangle of the nuns” was built around 900-910AD at the end of the Classic period. Maya civilisation starts around 2500BC until the 1500’s AD. Most Maya cities had long been abandoned by their inhabitants before contact was made with the Spaniards… No-one can really explain why flourishing cities with abundant land and trade were all abandoned.

Uxmal, Quadrangle of the nuns, c.1882. Charnay. I (re)discovered Charnay this summer at a rather stupid expo at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Our Library of Congress of sorts. The expo was called “Faces of exploration in the 19th century.” The archives of the French Geographic Society (founded in 1821) are kept there and served as a basis for the expo. I disliked the tone and so-called analysis of the curators, but I knew what to expect and that’s just me… 😉 At any rate it served as a reminder of who Charnay was and his impact on exploration and eventually restoration of major sites. One can see the state of disrepair the sites were in when he visited.

Uxmal 1978.

Uxmal by Charnay, c.1882. See the corbel arch to the right?

Very same building, 1978. (See the corbel arch again?) The restorers decided to wall the two doors to the left. A good example: what we see now, is a reconstruction. That happens in just about any restoration anywhere in the world. We can never be sure of the accuracy or the reconstruction. Yet, it’s the only thing we have.

Itzamná, 1882. Charnay. Itzamná was a colonial “Hacienda” near an ancient pyramid built in honour of Itzamná, the God of the sky, and likely the husband of Ixchel, the Goddess of the Moon. Yes, Goddess. Only in German is the Moon male. 😉

Itzamná, 1978. I remember vividly Moseley and Krause taking only a handful of students there. It was not a part of the formal programme. Beautiful place. Charnay “discovered” many major sites, including Chichen Itzá, and also Yaxchilán:

“April 25, 1882. To Jules Ferrry, Paris.

“Paris Nevv York… (Yes, ‘Nevv’)

“Charnay discovered important antique city Lacandon territory.

(signed:) “Rice.”

Jules Ferry (1832-1893) was then French Secretary of Education. He declared free, non-religious, public education obligatory for all children from 6 to 13. And included “young girls” in secondary education. He is in fact responsible for a radical change in French education. Up till then, if I’m not mistaken, close to 40% of French population could not read or write. He was also instrumental in French colonial expansion which may be why he received this telegramme from Rice, the secretary of Pierre Lorillard, one of Charnay’s main financial backers. (Source: Archives Nationales)

The city was Yaxchilán, lost in the jungle on the Usumacinta river. The above is a cast based on Charnay’s sketch of a bas-relief featuring a high priest/nobleman and a war prisoner maybe? c. 1882. (Quai Branly museum)

On the Usumacinta river. Photos taken in the early 21st century.

Yaxchilán. A very large city, it seems to have been a major local centre from the 600’s to the 800’s (AD). Architecture is quite unique in style. The city ruins are only accessible by boat on the Usumacinta river, which forms a natural border between Mexico and Guatemala.

One of the many stelae at Yaxchilán. Representing either a high priest or king. The six “squares” under the feet are Maya glyphs, a very elaborate writing system. I’m sure Dr Krause could tell us what they mean. But Maya writing was not part of our course. Darn.

The author of these lines. Yaxchilán. 21st century…

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