What is Uxmal?

Uxmal is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Yucatan and the largest ancient settlement in the PUUC region. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

The name Uxmal comes from the Yucatecan Mayan and has several possible meanings. One of them comes from the word ux, meaning "harvest the fruit", and mal, meaning "prosperous place." In other words, it refers to a region where the harvest is plentiful, which corresponds to the agricultural wealth of the Puuc territory. Another possible meaning of Uxmal is given by the conjunction of the word ox, meaning "three" and the word mal, meaning “number of times a job or a task is repeated". In conclusion, the meaning of Uxmal can be 'thrice built or occupied." This is the most accepted and used meaning.

The monumental architecture found in Uxmal, the design of their city and the extraordinary beauty of its buildings, have enabled scholars to suppose that culture was the most important settlement in the Puuc region and one of the most important sites the Maya area and Mesoamerica. As with other Maya sites, archaeologists have been able to date different periods of occupation due to constructive evidence.