The Secrets of Hochob’s Underworld Monster of the Earth Facade
Hochob, meaning the place where corn grows, or the place where the corn is, was first explored and documented in the 19th century by renowned explorer Teobert Maler. Maler published his photographs of Hochob along with some crude maps in the Italian magazine Globus in 1895.
Hochob’s ceremonial center was built atop a natural hill that was landscaped and flattened. This practice is not uncommon in more mountainous areas, such as the highlands of Chiapas and Guatemala, but is relatively rare on the Yucatán Peninsula. This natural platform is 30 meters / 98 feet tall and extends roughly 200 by 50 meters, or 656 by 164 feet.
The city was founded in the 3rd century CE, but the area had likely been settled by Maya farmers centuries earlier. For most of its history, we assume that Hochob and other nearby settlements, such as El Tabasqueño, were dependent politically and militarily on the Chenes capital of Xtampak.
Aside from the information archaeologists have been able to glean from the site’s impressive monuments, little is known for certain about Hochob. The city has an aura of mystery, as decipherable hieroglyphic inscriptions that could shed more light on its past are rare.
The stone mosaic work on structures such as the Monster of the Earth façade is impressive and has remarkably withstood the ravages of time, with more than a little help from INAH archaeologists.
Hochob’s Monster of the Earth
The most famous structure at the archaeological site of Hochob is Building 2, the Main Palace. Its central façade is not a simple wall with a door. Instead, it is a massive stone representation of a supernatural being, which scholars call the Monster of the Earth.
This Monster of the Earth motif is associated with the Maya creator god, Itzamná, and is usually thought of as a representation of the entrance to the underworld (Xibalba) and not a specific deity per se. However, it is sometimes interpreted as a personified divine force of nature, as it is on occasion represented in other ways, including sculpture and altars.
To enter the building, a visitor must climb a low staircase. This staircase represents the monster’s lower jaw. The door itself is the open mouth, and the upper teeth and fangs hang down from the stone lintel above the entrance.
On both sides of the door, large ear ornaments, like those worn by Mayan kings and gods, are carved into the stone. Above the door, two large eyes and a furrowed brow give the monster a fierce and powerful stare.
Hochob’s Monster of the Earth façade portal is one of the best preserved examples of Chenes architecture in the entire region.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Remains of the façade of the structure adjacent to Hochob’s Monster of the Earth portal. The teeth of the mask’s lower mandible are clearly visible, as are a few other surviving elements.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
A partial reconstruction of Hochob’s Structure 2, including a more complete roof comb and the human figures, can be seen at Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology and History.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
The dominant architectural style at the site is Chenes, though obvious hints of Puuc-style ornamentation also stand out.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Stucco detail with original red paint on the façade of Hochob’s great Monster of the Earth temple, also known as Structure 2.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
The corners of the building are not plain; they are covered with a stack of smaller masks depicting the profile of Chaac, the Mayan god of rain.
Finally, the whole façade is topped by a stone roof comb, which once held thirteen carved human figures, and the bodies of two intertwined snakes stretch across the upper part of the mask.
For the ancient Maya, this façade was much more than decoration; it was a statement about the nature of reality and political power. The most important meaning is that the monster’s mouth is a sacred portal. By walking through the door, a person was not just entering a room.
Symbolically, they were being swallowed by the Earth, allowing them to enter the underworld, which the Maya called Xibalba. This journey into the Earth’s jaws was a way to connect with the ancestors and the source of life.
Furthermore, the presence of the rain god Chaac at the corners of the building links the doorway to ideas of fertility, corn, and the community’s survival.
The Earth Monster opens the way to the underworld, but the rain god brings the water needed for life on the surface. Finally, carved next to the monster’s mouth is the image of a woven mat. In Mayan art, the mat was the ultimate symbol of political authority and royal power.
By placing this symbol of the king right next to the mouth of a god, the rulers of Hochob showed that their power came directly from the divine world.
Several other Mayan sites, such as Chicanná, Dzibilnocac, and those in the Río Bec region, are home to monster-of-the-earth façades. However, the example at Hochob is different in several important ways.
First, the Hochob façade is a purer example of the architectural style known as Chenes. In this style, the entire entrance is transformed into a single, unified monster mask.
Second, the Hochob façade is more visually saturated with decoration. It combines the central mask of Itzamná with the stacks of Chaac masks on the corners, the intertwined snakes, the figures on the roof comb, and the royal mat symbols all at the same time. Other buildings in the Río Bec style, while still spectacular, tend to use decoration more sparingly, focusing instead on the famous false towers.
Finally, the clear presence of the woven mat, a symbol of political power, right on the monster’s face, is a distinctive feature of Hochob. In other similar buildings, the message is more purely religious, emphasizing only the entrance to the underworld or the mountain where food comes from. At Hochob, the message is explicitly about the union of royal authority and divine power. The king rules because he has passed through the monster’s mouth and returned with the right to govern.
Hochob’s Twin Pyramids
Directly across from the Monster of the Earth portal, we see a structure with two beautifully adorned pyramids at each end.
Because of their narrow design, the twin tower-style pyramids of Hochob are sometimes said by visitors to resemble miniature versions of those found in Tikal — though this resemblance is only superficial.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Crests are a common feature in Chenes architecture, as well as other styles, as they make structures seem even larger than they really are. They were covered in stucco and painted with bright colors, usually red.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
Artifacts, including obsidian, and several types of poetry at the registration desk at Hochob.Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
These structures are connected by a horizontally laid-out structure containing several chambers.
Unlike other pyramid structures at the site and in the Chenes region as a whole, these two pyramids come complete with usable stairways, though they are admittedly quite steep, so exercise great caution if you decide to climb them.
These staircases also set the structure apart from superficially similar monuments of the Río Bec style, which usually have“false steps that are too narrow to actually climb, and access to which tends to be through chambers in the rear section of the temple.
Care to visit?
If you’re interested in visiting Hochob (or any other sites in the region), send us an email, and we will be happy to put together a custom tour including several fascinating sites! For more information, email: carlos.rosado@gmail.com
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht, PhD, is a journalist, photographer, and expedition leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada, and Norway. Most recently, he earned a doctorate in Heritage Studies in 2026.
