Puuc style

E172786

Puuc style is a distinctive ancient Maya architectural style characterized by plain lower walls and richly ornamented upper façades featuring intricate stone mosaics and geometric patterns, prevalent in the northern Yucatán Peninsula.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Puuc style canonical 14
Puuc architectural style 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Maya architectural style
architectural style
approximateDateRange c. 600–900 CE
associatedRegionNameOrigin Puuc hills (Los Puuc)
associatedSite Kabah
Labná
Oxkintok
Sayil
Uxmal
Xlapak
characterizedBy geometric patterns
intricate stone mosaics
non-load-bearing mosaic façades
plain lower wall zones
richly ornamented upper façades
use of finely cut stone blocks
veneer masonry construction
constructionTechnique core-and-veneer masonry
thin stone veneer facing
use of concrete-like rubble core
contrastsWith Chenes style in distribution of façade decoration
earlier Rio Bec style in façade composition
culturalContext ancient Maya civilization
decorativeFocus façade ornamentation rather than structural massing
flourishedIn Late Classic period
surface form: Late Classic period of Maya history

Terminal Classic period of Maya history
geographicDistribution Puuc region
surface form: Puuc region of Yucatán, Mexico

hill country of western Yucatán
northern Yucatán Peninsula
hasTypicalElement chultun water cisterns associated with Puuc sites
colonette friezes
colonnettes
colonnettes framing doorways
cornice moldings
friezes with repetitive motifs
interior corbel vaults
latticework panels
long low palace-type buildings
mask façades of the rain god Chaac
multiple doorways
panel-and-fret compositions
plain wall socles
repetitive geometric ornament bands
roof combs
step-fret motifs
stone lattice screens
stone mosaic façades depicting Chaac masks
stone mosaic panels
upper register decorative zones
zoomorphic and anthropomorphic masks
influenced later northern Maya architectural traditions

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (16)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Uxmal architecturalStyle Puuc style
Puuc region knownFor Puuc style
this entity surface form: Puuc architectural style
Sayil architecturalStyle Puuc style
Labná architecturalStyle Puuc style
Governor's Palace architecturalStyle Puuc style
subject surface form: Governor's Palace (Uxmal)
South Temple associatedWith Puuc style
this entity surface form: Puuc architectural style
Kabah architecturalStyle Puuc style