Xcaret
this fabulous Mayan archaeological site that
sits on the Caribbean coastline, in the Yucatan Peninsula, near
Playa del Carmen, Mexico had been occupied by the Mayan
civilization thousands of years ago and was a significant port
and trading center for the Mayans, with many of the magnificent
ruins and structures part of the Xcaret Eco Park. In the Mayan
language, Xcaret means "little inlet" and comes from the small
inlet that had been a strategic location for navigation and
commerce for the Mayan villages found here. It was called, "p'ole'"
which comes from the root word, p'ol that stands for merchandise
or deal of merchants, and signifies the importance of the region
to the Mayan culture. The National Institute of Anthropology and
History (INAH) has conducted research here and discovered that
the first structures built here were done between the years of
200 to 600 AD., although the majority of them were built during
the years from 1200 to 1550 AD. There had been a wall situated
along the coastline to keep invaders from attacking the
villagers and merchants, but it wouldn't keep the first invasion
of Spaniards from coming in under Alonso Davilla and Francisco
de Montejo that arrived here in 1527 to 1529. One of the most
interesting and exciting parts of the park is a river that runs
underground, with openings in the top to allow light to filter
in so that those inside could see better.
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