Ocosingo, 30 August 2012
Investigators of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH-Conaculta) recently discovered a 1,200 year-old Mayan theatre on the archaeological site of Plan de Ayutla, in Ocosingo, Chiapas.
Announcing the discovery at the 7th Archaeological Symposium dedicated to “Abandonment and Destruction: the End of Mesoamerican Societies”, investigation project director Luis Alberto Martos Lopez compared the theatre to other Mayan scenic complexes found in: Tikal, Guatemale; Chinkultic, Chiapas; Pechal, Peor es Nada and Edzna in Campeche. According to specialists, elite members of Mayan society used the theatre to legitimise their power via political plays performed for local minority groups.
Located near the North Acropolis, Plan de Ayutla’s theatre had a capacity of 120 people, and was enclosed by buildings dating to 250-550 BC on all sides. One of these facades was later removed to create the forum and to “make it work as an acoustic shell”, as reported by Artdaily. “The theare was exclusive, since it was found in an acropolis, 137 feet (42 meters) above the other plazas. The scenic space lay inside a palace complex, which makes it different to others that have already been studied, which generally are in plazas and served the purpose of entertaining multitudes”, specified Martos Lopez.