The Maya Temple-Palace of Santa Rosa Xtampak, Mexico

The Palace of Santa Rosa Xtampak, Mexico, Campeche is a most impressive example of Maya architecture. In 1989 and in 1992 Erwin Heine and Andreas Reiter worked with stereo- photogrammetrical equipment on a geodetic documentation of the Palace*. The result was a contour line map, ground plans of all three floors, a large series of cross sections, and a digital three dimensional model of the unexcavated structure. In 1997 Heine was awarded his PhD. Additional measurements of the author in 1998, 1999, and 2001 of all rooms and of cord holders, rod sockets, lintels, vault beams, capstones, benches, niches and measurements from photographs of the sections excavated by Lorelei Zapata resulted a very detailed documentation and reconstruction of the Palace by drawing. The plans were based on the Heine and Reiter geodetic survey. The 70 plans to scale of this work include three ground plans and four front views each followed by a series of cross sections. Perspectives complete this part of the work. Analysis Form and construction of the palace are nearly completely known by the remains and additions by inductive solutions. It seems the two inner staircases were the only real connection between the three floors. These are perfectly hidden behind domestic-looking rooms, pseudo stairs and pseudo temples. The architecture is a combination of Ro Bec, Chenes, and Puuc elements. The Palace combines temple pyramids and an artificial mound with domestic structures on terraces, a mixture of sacral and profane architecture. The combination of the two architectural categories in a very profane way is amazing. It turned out that the façades of the structure must not fit with its inner substance and function. Rod socket, cord holders and lower vault beams give strong indications for the function of rooms. The static problems are also discussed; they prevented the originally planned roof combs. The first floor of the Palace contains plenty of spoils. In Room 9 for example we find a relief field. All reused relief elements are intentionally fitted together in a wrong way. The very specific way of using spoils is part of a culture of remembrance. The builders of the Palace needed to have a general plan or model for the structure. Important families of the former Santa Rosa might have built it together following a general concept but varying its architecture in detail disturbing its symmetry. There is discussion about form, construction and function of each room of the Palace. The publication contains plans, one showing open and closable spaces, a plan with the different domestic units, one documenting benches, the positions of lower vault beams, with pairs of lower vault beams, with court holders, rod sockets, and with positions of known wall- and vault paintings. * = (FWF Proj. No. P8928-GEO/PHY)