What were Maya pyramids, temples and other structures built from? How were Maya buildings made? Why were religious temples on top of pyramids? Let us examine the record.
Ah, Today I'm in the Mood to Build a New Pyramid. How Is That Done Again?
To build a Maya pyramid or other large structure was no easy task. It required a very large work force. Pulleys and wheels were, in all likelihood, not used, for the simple reason that they had not been invented, at least in the Maya neck of the world. The ancient Maya civilization was advanced enough to have a written language, yes, but no wheel.
Maya buildings were typically made from limestone, which was hauled to the building sites from local quarries. While in its bed limestone was soft enough to be chipped at even by stone tools. It was only when it was brought out and left in the sun that it hardened.
Did the "Little People" Have Somewhere to Live Too?
As for how the "little people," that is, the common folk, lived, they typically dwelled in structures featuring mud or stone walls. These walls were covered with wooden poles, on top of which rested a tilted, two-sided hay roof.
A Little More on Top of My Pyramid, Please
A consistent practice of the Mayans, particularly when a new ruler came to power, was to add on to the tops of buildings. Or, if not an actual adding on, a thorough seasonal remodeling then could be expected. At least one of the structures in Tikal, one of the largest and most ancient Mayan cities, was added onto over a period of 1,500 years. That's a lot of touching up.
Pyramids in Tikal and elsewhere typically have religious temples at their tops, presumably because the proximity to heaven was that much closer. The temple walls were usually decorated with mural paintings.
These temples, known as "roof combs," occasionally functioned as observatories. In the city of Chichen Itza, the movements and whereabouts of the planet Venus as well as the movements of the earth and stars were the viewing favorites of the Maya observatory people.
Closer to home, Maya cities were often surrounded by dense jungle, making them ideal places from which to survey the surrounding jungle landscape. The pyramids and temples were usually found in the city center, around which other lesser buildings would be erected over time.
The roof comb would also have been a good place to survey the city so as to decide where yet more new buildings could be erected.
