Columns

Mesoamerica

Columns at Chichen Itza appear in several architectural forms, most notably colonnaded halls, which are long masonry structures fronted by a series of columns that functioned as administrative buildings for the elite, and gallery‑patios, which combine a long, open colonnaded gallery with a rectangular patio that uses interior columns to widen the interior space. Both types are common at Chichen Itza but rare elsewhere in Yucatán. Columns are also found at elite residences and, in decorative form, within Puuc‑style architecture. Many columns were carved with figures in elaborate costumes of military significance, and warrior columns represent a new artistic form introduced during the Early Postclassic period. In the Group of the Thousand Columns (dating to ca. 950/980–1050/1100), the Mercado features alternating piers and columns that were painted with yellow, red, and blue registers and once supported a vaulted roof, while other columns in the structure framed a shallow impluvium.