Uxmal

Historical and Modern Significance of Uxmal Uxmal is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site Located in the Puuc region of the western Yucatán Peninsula Significant buildings like the Governors Palace, Nunnery Quadrangle, and Pyramid of the Magician Tradition of an invisible city built in one night by the dwarf king Modern events like the nightly Lights and Sound show on the Nunnery Quadrangle Microbial Degradation at Uxmal Microbial biofilms degrade stone buildings at Uxmal and Kabah Presence of phototrophs like Xenococcus and stonedegrading Gloeocapsa and Synechocystis Fungi like Aureobasidium and Fusarium found at Uxmal Prevalence of cyanobacteria in rooms with low light levels Archaeological Findings and Structures Phototrophic biofilms found on ancient Mayan buildings in Yucatán, Mexico Study of the interaction of microorganisms with Maya archaeological sites Mayan Ball Court and Nunnery Quadrangle are significant structures at Uxmal Uxmal’s architecture and archaeological significance Exploration and Mapping of Uxmal Mapped by G. Morley in 1909 Protection projects initiated by the Mexican government in 1927 and repair programs in 1936 Tulane University expedition led by Frans Blom in 1930 Visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 Cultural References and Additional Information Maya legend of the DwarfWizard of Uxmal References to archaeoastronomy and ethnoastronomy related to Uxmal Display of a replica of the Nunnery Quadrangle at the 1933 World’s Fair Plaster casts of Uxmal’s monuments at Tulane’s Middle American Research Institute Destruction of plaster replicas of Uxmal’s architecture after the fair