porary New York City, Mayan urban planning was more
akin to the winding cities of old Europe. Furthermore, the
Maya created no standardized or universal design among
their disparate cities; architectural style arose from local
preferences. However, because they built with sensitivity to
their environment, cities with similar ecological conditions
did tend to resemble one another. Mayan architecture did
not distinguish greatly between buildings’ functions, and
buildings probably served more than one purpose.
Also noteworthy in Mesoamerican architecture was the
Maya’s use of corbeled vaulting, a system in which the stones
of two opposing walls are laid horizontally with increasing
proximity until they meet in an inverted V-shaped arch. It
is interesting to note that the corbeled vault was also in use
by the ancient Mycenaeans in Greece. Stone was not the only
building material; the Maya also constructed fl at roofs with
wooden beams and stucco. It is important to remember that
any ancient Mesoamerican building was constructed solely
through human labor, so stone blocks of all sizes were quar-
ried, gathered, and placed atop pyramids without the help of
animals or modern machines. Many early Mayan buildings
were constructed by the use of projecting supports that were
inserted into fi tted openings. Onto this framework the Maya
applied stucco to decorative eff ect, oft en in the form of large
gods’ heads.
One of the most notable Early Preclassic Mayan edifi ces
is known as Structure EVII, at Uaxactún. Structure EVII is a
six-level pyramid whose facades correspond to cardinal di-
rections. It was the largest of three pyramids that formed the
“E-Group.” Each side has several staircases: One is central and
reaches the top level, and it is fl anked by narrower, shorter
staircases and enormous carved masks. Structure EVII was
probably used for ceremonial or ritualistic purposes, and its
position in relation to the sun also indicates that it functioned
as a sort of sundial.
Staircases are a hallmark of Mayan architectural de-
sign, and later temples boasted extremely tall staircases that
required no small degree of athleticism to mount. In addi-
tion to the more characteristic staircases, the archaeologist
Charles Suhler discovered a Late Preclassic Mayan platform
with a curious staircase in the city of Yaxúna, which is about
12 miles from the famous Mayan site Chichén Itzá. Th e means
to ascend Structure 6E-120 were buried within the building:
a series of internal corridors and chambers that ultimately
yielded a trapdoor leading to the apex of the structure. Th is
style, which endured throughout the Classic Period, is signifi -
cant. It has led archaeologists to conclude that for the Maya,
the process of ascending a structure was at least as important
as arrival at the top. In other words, the Maya placed ritualis-
tic signifi cance on the act of ascension.
Th e triumvirate arrangement of the E-Group pyramids
was common in Early Classic Mayan architecture, and it is
seen again at Uaxactún in a diff erent grouping. Th e A-Group
was built early in Uaxactún’s history, and it was a relatively
simple arrangement of three. Over the course of 500 years,
this basic assembly was greatly expanded upon, ultimately re-
sulting in an extravagant complex in the Late Classic Period.OAXACA
Th e Valley of Oaxaca in Mesoamerica has a rich architectural
history that dates back to the 14th century b.c.e. and culmi-
nates with the great civilization of Monte Albán. Th e most
commonly excavated buildings have been housing structures,
which in the period of 1150–850 b.c.e. were constructed with
wattle and daub, in which a wooden lattice structure is cov-
ered with packed mud, clay, and other materials. Th is meth-
od was also used during the Neolithic (7000–2000 b.c.e.) in
Western Asia, Central Europe, and North America. Around
900 b.c.e. builders in this era made simple pyramids in the
forms of platforms made of (and fi lled with) earth. Th ese con-
structions had several layers and a staircase.
Home to the Zapotec, Monte Albán began its develop-
ment in the Middle Preclassic around 500 b.c.e. and reached
its apogee during the Classic Period, fi nally coming to an end
concurrent with the Maya (ca. 900 c.e.). Th e most signifi cant
early structure from the earliest settlement at Monte Albán is
a stone platform that housed what is now known as the Tem-
ple of the Danzantes (dancers), so named for its decorative
carvings of loose-limbed fi gures. About 140 large blocks of
stone were carved with the danzantes and arranged as part of
the temple. Another set was incorporated as part of another
structure at Monte Albán, which is called Building or Mound
J. Art historians have recently reinterpreted the danzantes as
prisoners of war, leading to the conclusion that the Temple of
the Danzantes was a war memorial.
Building J was also built during the Preclassic Period,
probably sometime between 150 b.c.e. and 150 c.e. Two sides
of this stone-faced structure meet to form a westward-point-
ing triangular shape that is similar to an arrowhead. Scholars
now believe that owing to its orientation Mound J held as-
tronomical signifi cance. Th e building also incorporates in-
scriptions and date symbols carved in stone in the Zapotec
language, which provides insight into this early culture. Also
during this period Monte Albán developed a system of stan-
dardization of buildings, in which various building functions
yielded particular design.
Around the time that the hilltop city of Monte Albán was
coming into being (ca. 500–150 b.c.e.), neighboring Oaxacan
cities, such as Monte Negro, exhibited architectural practices
that were seen in early Monte Albán as well. Th e buildings
at Monte Negro were multichambered and refl ected the hi-
erarchy of society in their grandness and complexity. Th ey
boasted column supports, wattle-and-daub and adobe con-
struction, courtyards, and drains. Other cultures also used
adobe during this time, including the ancient Sumerians and
Babylonians.SOUTH AMERICA
Th e west coast of South America is home to what are known
as Andean cultures, including pre-Inca civilizations sucharchitecture: The Americas 85