Ake (or Aké in Spanish orthography) is an

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

of the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () of the Mesoamerican people is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. Its Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is also noted for its art, archit ...

. It's located in the municipality of Tixkokob, in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state of Yucatán; 40 km (25 mi) east of

Mérida, Yucatán Mérida () is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and the largest city in southeastern Mexico. The city is also the seat of the eponymous Municipality. It is located in the northwest corner of the Yucatán Peninsula, about 35 km (22 ...

. The name ''Ake'' is a toponym that means "place of reeds" in Yucatec Maya. One notable feature of the site is its system of pre-Columbian ''sacbeo'ob'' or roads that facilitate access with other settlements in the region. The architecture dates from the Early Classic era (A.D. 250-550). They were first described in print by John Lloyd Stephens and

Frederick Catherwood Frederick Catherwood (27 February 1799 – 27 September 1854) was an English artist, architect and explorer, best remembered for his meticulously detailed drawings of the ruins of the Maya civilization. He explored Mesoamerica in the mid 19th ...

in the early 1840s. Aké is bounded by two concentric walls; one defines the core of the settlement with an area of 4 km², while the other protects the core housing. The core is large and square in shape and is surrounded by tall buildings measuring about 25 m². Structure One, also called the palace, with rows of stone columns atop a step-pyramid platform is the site's most impressive feature. While most Maya pyramids are built steep with many narrow steps, Structure One is a gradual climb of huge, flat stone slabs. This megalithic architectural style is an Early Classic diagnostic, and may also be seen at the sites of Izamal and Ek Balam. The remains of an ancient Maya raised pedestrian causeway, or '' sacbe'', runs to Aké from Izamal. The ruins are all within a 19th-century

Hacienda henequenera An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an Estate (land), estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals ...

References

Maya sites in Yucatán Former populated places in Mexico Tourism in Mexico 1840s archaeological discoveries {{Mesoamerica-stub