Nakbe is an ancient lowland Mayan city that is located in the Peten region of Guatemala. Nestled in the dense jungle just 13 km south of another great and enormous Mayan city called El Mirador. Nakbe was one of the earliest cities in this region, existing during the middle and late formative periods and on into the classic period with a time at the end of the late formative period when it was temporarily abandoned. It was discovered in modern time on aerial photographs that were taken in 1930. Archaeologist Ian Graham was the first to study the site in 1962. He also gave Nakbe its name. Extensive research during the 80s and 90s was done by the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences from UCLA and the Institute of Anthropology and History, Guatemala. Together they formed what is called The RAINPEG Project, which was directed by Dr. Richard D. Hansen.
There are many buildings at Nakbe and they are divided into three groups. Two of these groups, called East and West, were constructed during the formative periods and the third group, called Codex, was constructed during the classic period. The most impressive and largest of the buildings at Nakbe is a pyramid called Structure 1. Flanked by two large stucco masks and topped with three triadic style roofed structures, Structure 1 is both grand and beautiful. Causeways were also built to connect all these buildings. One causeway was also built that connected Nakbe with El Mirador.
The limestone quarries of Nakbe were a big part of the research done by The RAINPEG group. This research of the quarries is of great importance because understanding of Mayan quarries, a prevalent aspect of the Mayan culture, is lacking. From the excavations they recovered 23 stone tools that were used to cut the limestone blocks. These tools consisted of bifacial picks and axes, hammerstones, and flake cores that were made of chert. They made replicas of these tools to use in experimenting with the cutting and shaping of limestone blocks. By studying the evidence of wear and polish of the tools along with the cut marks on quarry walls, researchers were able to determine how these tools were used and what kind of handles were attached. They made longhandled picks which they used to cut the limestone from the bedrock. Then they used the stone axes to cut and form the block the way they wanted. The results of these experiments have showed that chert was a very effective and durable stone to use for the cutting of limestone and other materials. Excavations and research at Nakbe gives us a better understanding of the techniques that the Maya used to construct some of the most extraordinary structures of ancient times and the complications they had to endure along the way.
“Encyclopedia Britannica-Nakbe”, Britannica.Com http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9054711
“The Ancient Limestone Quarries of Nakbe, Guatemala”, www.csi.cc.id.us/support/museum/staff/jcw/jcw_quarry_paper.html
Written by Jeffrey Hertaus