Page 27 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles

ear the northern side of the wall a trading port during the late Postclassic. he Tulum archaeological site is rela-
Both coastal and land routes converged at
N small cenote provided the city with Tulum which is apparent by the number of T tively compact compared with many
artifacts found in or near the site that show
fresh water. It is this impressive wall that contacts with areas all over Central Mexico other Maya sites in the vicinity, and is one
makes Tulum one the most well-known and Central America. Copper artifacts from of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites. Its
fortified sites of the Maya. the Mexican highlands have been found proximity to the modern tourism develop-
near the site, as have flint artifacts, ce- ments along the Mexican Caribbean coast-
A small shrine appears to have been ramics, incense burners, and gold objects line and its short distance from Cancún and
used as a beacon for incoming canoes. from all over the Yucatán. Salt and textiles the surrounding Riviera Maya has made it
This shrine marks a break in the barrier were among some of the goods brought to a popular Maya tourist site in the Yucatan.
reef that is opposite the site. Here there is Tulum by sea that would then be dispersed Daily tour buses bring a constant stream
a cove and landing beach in a break in the inland. Typical exported goods included of visitors to the site. The Tulum ruins are
sea cliffs that would have been perfect for feathers and copper objects that came the third most-visited archaeological site in
trading canoes coming in. This character- from inland sources. Mexico, after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza.
istic of the site may be one of the reasons
the Maya founded the city of Tulum exactly
here, as Tulum later became a prominent