Occurrence of Attributes in Original Text
The text related to the cultural heritage 'Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche' has mentioned 'Calakmul' in the following places:
| Occurrence Sentence | Text Source |
|---|---|
| For the surrounding municipality of the same name, see Calakmul (municipality). | WIKI |
| CalakmulTemple I, Calakmul BiosphereLocation of the siteShow map of MesoamericaCalakmul (Campeche)Show map of CampecheAlternativexc2xa0nameKalakmulLocationCampeche, MexicoRegionPetxc3xa9n BasinCoordinates18xc2xb06xe2x80xb219.41xe2x80xb3N 89xc2xb048xe2x80xb238.98xe2x80xb3Wxefxbbxbf / xefxbbxbf18.1053917xc2xb0N 89.8108278xc2xb0Wxefxbbxbf / 18.1053917; -89.8108278HistoryPeriodsMiddle Preclassic to Late ClassicCulturesMaya civilization UNESCO World Heritage SiteOfficial nameAncient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, CampecheTypeMixedCriteriai, ii, iii, ivDesignated2002 (26th session)Referencexc2xa0no.1061State Partyxc2xa0MexicoRegionLatin America and the Caribbean | WIKI |
| Calakmul (/xcbx8ckxc9x91xcbx90lxc9x91xcbx90kxcbx88muxcbx90l/; also Kalakmul and other less frequent variants) is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petxc3xa9n Basin region. | WIKI |
| Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities ever uncovered in the Maya lowlands. | WIKI |
| Calakmul was a major Maya power within the northern Petxc3xa9n Basin region of the Yucatxc3xa1n Peninsula of southern Mexico. | WIKI |
| Calakmul administered a large domain marked by the extensive distribution of their emblem glyph of the snake head sign, to be read "Kaan". | WIKI |
| Calakmul was the seat of what has been dubbed the Kingdom of the Snake[1] or Snake Kingdom. | WIKI |
| Calakmul itself is estimated to have had a population of 50,000 people and had governance, at times, over places as far away as 150 kilometers (93xc2xa0mi). | WIKI |
| There are 6,750 ancient structures identified at Calakmul, the largest of which is the great pyramid at the site. | WIKI |
| Like many temples or pyramids within Mesoamerica the pyramid at Calakmul increased in size by building upon the existing temple to reach its current size. | WIKI |
| Throughout the Classic Period, Calakmul maintained an intense rivalry with the major city of Tikal to the south, and the political maneuverings of these two cities have been likened to a struggle between two Maya superpowers. | WIKI |
| Contents 1 Etymology 2 Location 3 Population and extent 4 Known rulers 5 Emblem Glyph 6 History 6.1 Calakmul vs. Tikal 6.2 Preclassic 6.3 Early Classic 6.4 Late Classic 6.4.1 War with Palenque 6.4.2 Rebellion at Naranjo 6.4.3 Apogee 6.4.3.1 Calakmul and Dos Pilas 6.4.4 Later kings 6.4.4.1 Calakmul and Quiriguxc3xa1 6.4.5 Collapse 6.5 Modern history 7 Site description 7.1 Water control 7.2 Causeways 7.3 Structures 7.4 Stelae, murals and ceramics 7.5 Royal burial 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links | WIKI |
| Calakmul's Stela 88 stands upon the stairway of Structure 13 | WIKI |
| Calakmul is a modern name; according to Cyrus L. Lundell, who named the site. | WIKI |
| In Maya, ca means "two", lak means "adjacent", and mul signifies any artificial mound or pyramid, so Calakmul is the "City of the Two Adjacent Pyramids". | WIKI |
| The lords of Calakmul identified themselves as k'uhul kaanal ajaw, Divine Lords of the Snake, but the connection of the title to the actual site is ambiguous. | WIKI |
| Calakmul is located in Campeche state in southeastern Mexico, about 35 kilometres (22xc2xa0mi) north of the border with Guatemala and 38 kilometres (24xc2xa0mi) north of the ruins of El Mirador. | WIKI |
| [4] The ruins of El Tintal are 68 kilometres (42xc2xa0mi) to the southwest of Calakmul and were linked to both El Mirador and Calakmul itself by causeway. | WIKI |
| [5] Calakmul was about 20 kilometres (12xc2xa0mi) south of the contemporary city of Oxpemul and approximately 25 kilometres (16xc2xa0mi) southwest of La Muxc3xb1eca. | WIKI |
| [8] The bajo was linked to a sophisticated water-control system including both natural and artificial features such as gullies and canals that encircled a 22-square-kilometre (8.5xc2xa0sqxc2xa0mi) area around the site core, an area considered as Inner Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [8] The location of Calakmul at the edge of a bajo provided two additional advantages: the fertile soils along the edge of the swamp and access to abundant flint nodules. | WIKI |
| At the beginning of the 21st century the area around Calakmul remained covered by dense forest. | WIKI |
| [10] Calakumul is now located within the 1,800,000-acre (7,300xc2xa0km2) Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. | WIKI |
| The Late Classic population density of Calakmul has been calculated at 1000/kmxc2xb2 (2564 per square mile) in the site core and 420/kmxc2xb2 (1076 per square mile) in the periphery (an area of 122 square kilometres (47xc2xa0sqxc2xa0mi). | WIKI |
| [14] Calakmul was a true urban city and not just an elite centre surrounded by commoner residences. | WIKI |
| [14] The site core of Calakmul was known in ancient times as Ox Te' Tuun ("Three Stones") which may have been because of the triadic pyramid Structure 2. | WIKI |
| The Emblem Glyph of Kaan, a politic entity that ruled Calakmul | WIKI |
| The Calakmul kingdom included 20 secondary centres, among which were large cities such as La Muxc3xb1eca, Naachtun, Sasilha, Oxpemul and Uxul. | WIKI |
| [14] The entire population of the Calakmul kingdom, including the city itself and the rural population in the 13,000 square kilometres (5,000xc2xa0sqxc2xa0mi) area of the regional state, is calculated at 1.75 million people in the Late Classic period. | WIKI |
| The Emblem Glyph of Calakmul has a greater distribution than the Emblem Glyph of any other Maya city. | WIKI |
| [15] Calakmul administered a large domain marked by the extensive distribution of their emblem glyph of the snake head sign,[16] to be read "Kaan". | WIKI |
| [17] Calakmul was the seat of what has been dubbed the Snake Kingdom. | WIKI |
| The kings of Calakmul were known as k'uhul kan ajawob (/kxe2x80x99uxcbx90xcbx88xcfx87uxcbx90l kxc3xa4n xc3xa4xcfx87xc3xa4xcbx88woxc9x93/) ("Divine Lords of the Snake Kingdom"). | WIKI |
| At Calakmul's peak in the 7th century, the polity was known as Kan. | WIKI |
| There is the idea that, after the collapse of the Mirador state, its refugees migrated north towards Calakmul, where they founded a new Kan polity. | WIKI |
| However, epigraphical studies of the monuments at Calakmul show that prior to the 7th century AD the emblem glyph of Calakmul had nothing to do with a snake, but with a bat. | WIKI |
| The Kan emblem glyph, before being associated with Calakmul, is found (once) at Dzibanchxc3xa9, a site more towards the east. | WIKI |
| Perhaps during the late 6th/early 7th century, the polity at Dzibanchxc3xa9 moved to Calakmul in order to establish a more strategically placed capital. | WIKI |
| After Calakmul's power dwindled in the 8th century, after the rule of Yuknoom Took K'awiil, it appears that the bat emblem glyph made its resurgence. | WIKI |
| Calakmul has a long occupational history and excavations have revealed evidence from the Middle Preclassic right through to the Postclassic. | WIKI |
| [8] The causeway network that linked Calakmul with the cities of El Mirador, Nakbe and El Tintal suggest strong political links between the four cities that may have begun in the Preclassic, when both Calakmul and El Mirador were important cities, and continued into the Classic period when Calakmul itself was the most powerful city in the region. | WIKI |
| [5] Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities ever uncovered in the Maya lowlands. | WIKI |
| Calakmul vs. Tikal[edit] | WIKI |
| The history of Classic Maya civilization was dominated by the rivalry between the opposed alliance networks of Calakmul and Tikal (pictured) | WIKI |
| The history of the Maya Classic period is dominated by the rivalry between Tikal and Calakmul, likened to a struggle between two Maya "superpowers". | WIKI |
| [24] However Calakmul was a rival city with equivalent resources that challenged the supremacy of Tikal and engaged in a strategy of surrounding it with its own network of allies. | WIKI |
| [25] From the second half of the 6th century AD through to the late 7th century Calakmul gained the upper hand although it failed to extinguish Tikal's power completely and Tikal was able to turn the tables on its great rival in a decisive battle that took place in AD 695. | WIKI |
| [26] Half a century later Tikal was able to gain major victories over Calakmul's most important allies. | WIKI |
| Calakmul's dynasty seems ultimately derived from the great Preclassic city of El Mirador while the dynasty of Tikal was profoundly affected by the intervention of the distant central Mexican metropolis of Teotihuacan. | WIKI |
| [27] With few exceptions, Tikal's monuments and those of its allies place great emphasis upon single male rulers while the monuments of Calakmul and its allies gave greater prominence to the female line and often the joint rule of king and queen. | WIKI |
| Calakmul was already a large city in the Preclassic period. | WIKI |
| [28] The early history of Calakmul is obscure, although a dynastic list has been pieced together that extends back into an ancestral past. | WIKI |
| [29] This may mean that Calakmul ultimately inherited its political authority from one of these cities, with its dynasty originating in the Late Preclassic in the Mirador Basin and relocating itself to Calakmul in the Classic period after the collapse of these cities. | WIKI |
| Both Calakmul and Tikal were sizeable Preclassic cities that survived into the Classic Period. | WIKI |
| [28] Early hieroglyphic texts from stelae found in Structure 2 record the probable enthronement of a king of Calakmul in AD 411 and also records a non-royal site ruler in 514. | WIKI |
| The earliest legible texts referring to the kings of the Kaan dynasty come from excavations of the large city of Dzibanche in Quintana Roo, far north of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [28] A hieroglyphic stairway depicts bound captives, their names and the dates they were captured together with the name of king Yuknoom Che'en I, although the exact context of the king's name is unclear - the captives may have been his vassals captured by an enemy or they may have been rulers captured by the king of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| By the middle of the 6th century AD Calakmul was assembling a far-reaching political alliance, activity that brought the city into conflict with the great city of Tikal. | WIKI |
| [3] The influence of Calakmul extended deep into the Petxc3xa9n; king Tuun K'ab' Hix of Calakmul oversaw the enthronement of Aj Wosal to the rulership of Naranjo in 546. | WIKI |
| [3] This catastrophic defeat began a 130-year hiatus for Tikal, reflecting an extended period of dominance by Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [3] In 579 Uneh Chan became king of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [34] The defeat is recorded on a series of hieroglyphic steps at Palenque itself and the event initiated a long-lasting grudge against Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [35] Lady Yohl Ik'nal survived the battle and ruled for several more years, although she perhaps paid tribute to Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [33] Calakmul again sacked Palenque on 7 April 611 under the personal direction of Uneh Chan. | WIKI |
| [37] Palenque was now ruled by king Ajen Yohl Mat who had gained some sort of independence from Calakmul, provoking the new invasion. | WIKI |
| Their deaths so soon after the sacking of the city suggests that their demise was directly linked to Calakmul's triumph. | WIKI |
| [38] Palenque suffered a lengthy decline in its fortunes after this date before it was able to recover from its disastrous war with Calakmul. | WIKI |
| King Yuknoom Chan of Calakmul supervised an event at Caracol in 619. | WIKI |
| [41] Caracol Stela 22 records the accession of Tajoom Uk'ab' K'ak' to the Calakmul throne in 622. | WIKI |
| [41] Two stelae were erected at Calakmul in 623 but their texts are too badly damaged to reveal the names of the royal couple involved. | WIKI |
| [41] Approximately at this time Naranjo, a vassal of Calakmul, broke away when its king Aj Wosal died relatively soon after the death of Uneh Chan of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [41] Naranjo was independent of Calakmul by at least AD 626, when it was twice defeated by Caracol and Yuknoom Chan may have been attempting to bring Naranjo back under Calakmul control. | WIKI |
| [41] In 631 Yuknoom Head, the new king of Calakmul, finally regained control of Naranjo. | WIKI |
| Texts relate that the king of Naranjo was already captive at Calakmul on the day that his city was overrun and his punishment on the very same day is described by the word k'uxaj (/kxe2x80x99uxcbx90xcbx88xcax83xc3xa4xcfx87/) meaning either "tortured" or "eaten". | WIKI |
| The Kaan dynasty was not originally established at Calakmul but rather re-located there in the 7th Century from another city. | WIKI |
| [42][43] Calakmul experienced its highest achievements during the reign of king Yuknoom Che'en II, sometimes called Yuknoom the Great by scholars. | WIKI |
| [44] Yuknoom Che'en II was 36 years old when he came to the throne of Calakmul in AD 636. | WIKI |
| Calakmul and Dos Pilas[edit] | WIKI |
| [46] In AD 648 Calakmul attacked Dos Pilas and gained an overwhelming victory that included the death of a Tikal lord. | WIKI |
| [47] B'alaj Chan K'awiil was captured by Yuknoom Che'en II but, instead of being sacrificed, he was re-instated on his throne as a vassal of the Calakmul king,[48] and went on to attack Tikal in 657, forcing Nuun Ujol Chaak, the then king of Tikal, to temporarily abandon the city. | WIKI |
| [49] Calakmul tried to encircle Tikal within an area dominated by its allies, such as El Peru, Dos Pilas and Caracol. | WIKI |
| [50] In 677 Calakmul counterattacked against Dos Pilas, driving Tikal out and reinstalled B'alaj Chan K'awiil on his throne. | WIKI |
| [47] In 679 Dos Pilas, probably aided by Calakmul, gained an important victory over Tikal, with a hieroglyphic description of the battle describing pools of blood and piles of heads. | WIKI |
| Naranjo completely defeated Caracol in 680 but Naranjo's dynasty disappeared within two years and a daughter of B'alaj Chan K'awiil founded a new dynasty there in 682, indicating that Calakmul had probably intervened decisively to place a loyal vassal on the throne. | WIKI |
| [51] The patronage of Yuknoom Che'en II as overlord is recorded at a range of important cities, including El Peru where he oversaw the installation of K'inich B'alam as king and strengthened the tie with the marriage of a Calakmul princess to that king. | WIKI |
| [51] The power of Calakmul extended as far as the north shore of Lake Petxc3xa9n Itzxc3xa1, where Motul de San Josxc3xa9 is recorded as its vassal in the 7th century, although it was traditionally aligned with Tikal. | WIKI |
| When he died, Calakmul was the most powerful city in the central Maya lowlands. | WIKI |
| [53] However, the texts on sculpted monuments do not reveal the full complexity of diplomatic activity, as revealed by a painted ceramic vase from Tikal, which depicts an ambassador of Calakmul's king kneeling before the enthroned king of Tikal and delivering tribute. | WIKI |
| Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ak' led his warriors against Jasaw Chan K'awiil I in a catastrophic battle that saw the defeat of Calakmul and the capture of the image of a Calakmul deity named Yajaw Maan. | WIKI |
| [55] This event marked the end of Calakmul's apogee, with diplomatic activity dropping away and fewer cities recognising Calakmul's king as overlord. | WIKI |
| The next ruler of Calakmul, Split Earth, is mentioned on a pair of carved bones in the tomb of Tikal king Jasaw Chan K'awiil I. | WIKI |
| He was ruling by November 695 but it is not known if he was a legitimate member of the Calakmul dynasty or whether he was a pretender placed on the throne by Tikal. | WIKI |
| The next known king used a number of name variants, and is referred to by different name segments within and outside of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [56] He erected seven stelae to celebrate a calendrical event in 702 and is named at Dos Pilas in that year, presumably demonstrating that Dos Pilas was still a vassal of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [56] A new defeat at the hands of Tikal is evidenced by a sculpted altar at that city, probably dating to sometime between 733 and 736, depicting a bound lord from Calakmul and possibly names Yuknoom Took' K'awiil. | WIKI |
| Calakmul and Quiriguxc3xa1[edit] | WIKI |
| After this the historical record of Calakmul becomes very vague, due both to the poor state of the heavily eroded monuments at the city itself and also its reduced political presence on the wider Maya stage. | WIKI |
| [60] This local act of rebellion appears to have been part of the larger political struggle between Tikal and Calakmul. | WIKI |
| In 736, only two years later, K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat received a visit from Wamaw K'awiil of Calakmul, while Copxc3xa1n was one of Tikal's oldest allies. | WIKI |
| The timing of this visit by the king of Calakmul is highly significant, falling between the accession of K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat to the throne of Quiriguxc3xa1 as a vassal of Copxc3xa1n and the outright rebellion that was to follow. | WIKI |
| This strongly suggests that Calakmul sponsored Quiriguxc3xa1's rebellion in order to weaken Tikal and to gain access to the rich trade route of the Motagua Valley. | WIKI |
| [61] It is likely that contact with Calakmul had been initiated soon after K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat acceded to the throne. | WIKI |
| In the Late Classic, alliance with Calakmul was frequently associated with the promise of military support. | WIKI |
| The fact that Copxc3xa1n, a much more powerful city than Quiriguxc3xa1, failed to retaliate against its former vassal implies that it feared the military intervention of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| Calakmul itself was far enough away from Quiriguxc3xa1 that K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat was not afraid of falling directly under its power as a full vassal state, even though it is likely that Calakmul sent warriors to help in the defeat of Copxc3xa1n. | WIKI |
| The alliance instead seems to have been one of mutual advantage: Calakmul managed to weaken a powerful ally of Tikal while Quiriguxc3xa1 gained its independence. | WIKI |
| [58] Calakmul's presence in the wider Maya area continued to wane, with two of the city's major allies suffering defeats at the hands of Tikal. | WIKI |
| [58] El Peru was defeated in 743 and Naranjo a year later and this resulted in the final collapse of Calakmul's once powerful alliance network, while Tikal underwent a resurgence in its power. | WIKI |
| [67] Sites to the north of Calakmul showed a reduction in its influence at this time, with new architectural styles influenced by sites further north in the Yucatxc3xa1n Peninsula. | WIKI |
| [67] Important cities such as Oxpemul, Nadzcaan and La Muxc3xb1eca that were Calakmul's vassals at one time now erected their own monuments, where before they had raised very few; some continued producing new monuments until as late as 889. | WIKI |
| In 849, Calakmul was mentioned at Seibal where a ruler named as Chan Pet attended the K'atun-ending ceremony; his name may also be recorded on a broken ceramic at Calakmul itself. | WIKI |
| However, it is unlikely that Calakmul still existed as a state in any meaningful way at this late date. | WIKI |
| Ceramics dating to the Terminal Classic period are uncommon outside of the site core, suggesting that the population of the city was concentrated in the city centre in the final phase of Calakmul's occupation. | WIKI |
| [10] The Yucatec-speaking Kejache Maya who lived in the region at the time of Spanish contact in the early 16th century may have been the descendants of the inhabitants of Calakmul. | WIKI |
| Calakmul was first reported by Cyrus Lundell in 1931. | WIKI |
| [7] Investigations stopped in 1938 and archaeologists did not return to the site until 1982 when William J. Folan directed a project on behalf of the Universidad Autxc3xb3noma de Campeche, working at Calakmul until 1994. | WIKI |
| [69] Calakmul is now the subject of a large-scale project of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) under the direction of Ramxc3xb3n Carrasco. | WIKI |
| Structure 2 at Calakmul, one of the most massive structures in the Maya world, was originally built in the Preclassic and continued in use through to the Late Classic. | WIKI |
| The site core of Calakmul covers an area of approximately 2 square kilometres (0.77xc2xa0sqxc2xa0mi), an area that contains the remains of roughly 1000 structures. | WIKI |
| [7] Calakmul matches the great city of Tikal in size and estimated population, although the density of the city appears to have been greater than that city. | WIKI |
| [7] The city of Calakmul was built in a strongly concentric fashion and can be divided into zones as one moves outwards from the centre of the site. | WIKI |
| Thirteen reservoirs have been identified at Calakmul. | WIKI |
| Eight sacbe (causeways) have been located around Calakmul. | WIKI |
| [5] The causeway network not only linked Calakmul with local satellite sites but also with more distant allies and rivals, such as the great cities of El Mirador, El Tintal and Nakbe. | WIKI |
| Sacbe 6 runs southwest across El Laberinto bajo and links Calakmul with El Mirador (38.25 kilometres (23.77xc2xa0mi) to the southwest) and, beyond it, El Tintal (an additional 30 kilometres (19xc2xa0mi). | WIKI |
| Ballcourt at Calakmul | WIKI |
| [70] In common with many temple pyramids in the Mesoamerican cultural region, the pyramid at Calakmul increased in size by building upon the pre-existing temple in order to increase its bulk. | WIKI |
| Calakmul, building on central square, detail of a wall painting | WIKI |
| Calakmul is one of the most structure-rich sites within the Maya region. | WIKI |
| Also many elaborate murals were discovered at Calakmul. | WIKI |
| Another highly beneficial resource to Maya archaeological understanding at Calakmul is the ceramic remains. | WIKI |
| Ceramics with the snake emblem glyph found at several sites also give more evidence to identify ties or control over that site by Calakmul. | WIKI |
| Calakmul ceramic plate, AD 600-800 | WIKI |
| Stela 28 and Stela 29 were erected in 623 and are the earliest monuments to survive from Late Classic Calakmul. | WIKI |
| The text is damaged but carries an early spelling of the k'uhul chatan winik non-royal noble title used in Calakmul and the Mirador Basin. | WIKI |
| Stela 51 is the best preserved monument at Calakmul. | WIKI |
| Stela 84 is one of the last monuments erected at Calakmul and bears an inscription that is an illiterate imitation of writing. | WIKI |
| Tomb 4 was set into the floor of Structure 2B in the 8th century AD and is the richest burial known from Calakmul. | WIKI |
| Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico is a Renomination and Extension of the existing 3,000 ha cultural World Heritage property, Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche. | UNESCO |
| The total area of the extended property is 331,397 ha, surrounded by a buffer zone of 391,788 ha; together they equal the area of the entire Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. | UNESCO |
| Apart from Calakmul, the largest archaeological site, where the Kaan, one of the most powerful Maya dynasties, had its seat during the Late Classic period, remains of dozens of other ancient settlements have been found in the area, including several major urban centers with huge architectural complexes and sculpted monuments. | UNESCO |
| Excavations at Calakmul and Uxul, have revealed stucco friezes and mural paintings in some of the massive temple pyramids and palaces, as well as burials of kings and other members of nobility, containing a rich variety of body ornaments and other accompanying objects including elaborate jade masks, ear spools and polychrome pottery vessels. | UNESCO |
| For the natural component, the mature forests of Calakmul, with their current structure and floristic composition, are extraordinary evidence of the long interaction between man and nature. | UNESCO |
| For such factors, Calakmul Tropical Forests could be considered as one of the most resilient ecosystems in the continent and these features could be relevant for biodiversity conservation in a climate change context. | UNESCO |
| The Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche, hosts rich biodiversity, that were very appreciated by the Mayans and represented in their paintings, pottery, sculptures, rituals, food and arts in general. | UNESCO |
| While Calakmul, the largest site in the area, displays 120 commemorative stelae with relief carvings, including hieroglyphic inscriptions with important information on regional political history and territorial organization, a number of monuments of this kind have also been found at other major and medium centres, including La Muxc3xb1eca, Uxul, Oxpemul, Balakbal, Champerico, Altamira and Cheyokolnah. | UNESCO |
| While the first is exemplified by palaces and huge temple pyramids at sites such as Calakmul, Yaxnohcah and Balakbal, which mirror the growth of social complexity during the Preclassic and Early Classic periods, the second represents a Late Classic development, characterized by false pyramid temples, normally in the shape of twin towers, and stone mosaic faxc3xa7ade decorations. | UNESCO |
| Since the epigraphic records show that the Classic period political geography of the area was overwhelmed by the Kaan, one of the most powerful royal dynasties, which in the Late Classic moved its capital city from Dzibanchxc3xa9 to Calakmul, future research, is expected to clarify whether, or to what extent, the political domination of the Kaan dynasty, and its alliances and rivalries with the neighbouring polities, are reflected in the diverging trajectories of cultural development. | UNESCO |
| Criterion (ix): The mature tropical forests of Calakmul provide extraordinary evidence of the long-standing interaction between man and nature, insofar as they display a floristic composition and structure largely resulting from thousand-year old Maya agricultural and forestry practices, which intertwine processes of human selection and regeneration of natural systems, both considered traditional management practices among native communities still inhabiting in the buffer zone and surrounding areas. | UNESCO |
| It is also an important area for water recharging for the whole Yucatan Peninsula, a key factor in the development of the Maya Culture in the Ancient City of Calakmul and its surroundings. | UNESCO |
| Criterion (x): The tropical rain forest vegetation of the Property and the region of Calakmul, developed under particular seasonal dry conditions, contains a rich biodiversity and critical habitats for a number of endemic and threatened species and populations. | UNESCO |
| The Property has exceptional ecological and cultural integrity as there has been no significant human intervention since the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve was established as a natural protected area in 1989. | UNESCO |
| It constitutes an outstanding example of the formation and development of a cultural group for which Calakmul can be considered the guiding axis and strategic centre in regard to all the surrounding sites with archaeological evidence, which at some point in history coexisted with the ancient Maya City and its surroundings. | UNESCO |
| Calakmul encouraged symbolic processes that were directly reflected in architectural styles, social, family, political and religious relationships, and the sharing of experiences, ideas and beliefs. | UNESCO |
| The chronological periods represented by the archaeological sites included in the property, demonstrate the space-time relationship of these with comparison to Calakmul. | UNESCO |
| Calakmul and the other archaeological sites within the property were part of a settlement system that depended on the surrounding ecosystem for its supporting agricultural and forestry activities. | UNESCO |
| The property protection is guaranteed due to its location within the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, established in 1989 as a Natural Protected Area. | UNESCO |