Roof comb (or roof-comb) is the structure that tops a pyramid in monumental Mesoamerican architecture. Examination of the sections and iconography of

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, ...

roof-combs indicates that each icon had specific sacred meanings. Typically, the roof combs crowned the summit of

pyramids A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...

and other structures; they consisted of two pierced framework walls which leaned on one another. This framework was covered by

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...

decorated with artist depictions of gods or important rulers.

History and significance

The Mayans engineered some of the most important monuments in

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. Wit ...

. Their civilization experienced its ‘

golden age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...

’ between 500 and 900 AD. Recent deciphering of

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...

hieroglyphs A hieroglyph (Greek for "sacred carvings") was a character of the ancient Egyptian writing system. Logographic scripts that are pictographic in form in a way reminiscent of ancient Egyptian are also sometimes called "hieroglyphs". In Neoplatonis ...

has brought new understanding to their architecture; these pictographic symbols tell historians about when specific structures were built and by whom. In Mayan religious architecture there was an emphasis on height, which was often manifested by vertiginous staircases that reached toward the heavens and gods. Oftentimes pyramids were built over existing ones; this embraced ancestral authority while allowing for greater structural height(s). Monumental pyramids, platforms, temples, and sacrificial altars were used in daily religious rituals. The

hierarchy A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...

of various Mayan cities was made evident by large palace compounds, and kings and rulers used ornate architecture to promote themselves and ensure their immortality. Roof combs provided variety to the limited iterations of Mayan architecture. Symbolically, it is said that a roof comb was the headdress of the building – that of which resembles those worn by the kings and rulers. It was not enough to simply design, architects sought to embellish their work – to pay tribute to the great gods and Mayan leaders their work was built for. The Mayan people lived and worked in a range of dwellings; many Mayan homes were clustered wood structures covered in thatch, while their rich counterparts enjoyed opulent palaces. Roof combs acted as ‘curb appeal’ for the homes and buildings of the socially elite.

Structural description

As mentioned, the cultural importance regarding height was particularly significant when building monuments. Because of the limitations of corbel vaulting many Mayan structures were designed with only a few stories. Architects wrangled about the best ways to magnify their design to memorialize their culture. Almost always
roof comb
would serve no structural function, and on these structures the combs acted as an ornate decorative facade. Architects used a lattice of stonework to create the combs, and this method proved to be strong and permanent. “Roof combs often were carved or painted with zoomorphic or anthropomorphic motifs as well as texts”.Cole, Emily. The Grammar of Architecture. New York: Metro Books, 2005. Print. The best examples of Mayan roof combs can be seen at the great temples of

Tikal Tikal () (''Tik’al'' in modern Mayan orthography) is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre- ...

. These temples serve as funerary monuments for late rulers, and the combs are adorned with intricate and commemorative

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

portraits.

Notes

External links

Maya civilization
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Architecture of the Maya culture

Structural description of a roof comb
{{Native american styles Maya architecture