Xtogil: From Chichén Itzá To Its Role In Mayan Power Politics

An archaeological site of the Maya culture; Xtogil’s ancient past is known to few, even though one of its cenotes has become a modest tourist attraction due to its proximity to Chichén Itzá. 

Today, Xtogil is covered in vegetation and remains virtually untouched by archaeologists, except for a research project that uncovered a dozen burials, most of which were found together, adjacent to the same structure. 

However, archaeologists did find a couple of bodies buried in ceramic pots, a practice that contemporary archaeology is finding to be much more common than previously believed.

According to INAH, Xtogil is home to roughly 30 structures that range widely in size but are unlikely to have exceeded 20 meters in their heyday. 

Due to limited research at the site and the absence of hieroglyphic inscriptions, dating Xtogil has relied mainly on pottery interpretation. Fortunately, ceramic shards are abundant in Xtogil and are found in a wide range of varieties, particularly in Yabnal-Motul, Tinum, and Fine Orange.

The analysis of these ceramic materials suggests that Xtogil came to prominence in the 5th century, though the area was likely inhabited by Maya peoples long before then.

The main reason to believe this is due to the large amounts of readily accessible water that flow through the city’s immediate vicinity in the form of near-surface cenotes and aguadas. Though aguadas often look like lakes, in Yucatán, they seldom have any direct connection to fresh water sources other than rainfall. 

While natural aguadas do exist, many, such as the recently discovered Aguada Fenix in Tabasco, are man-made and require an enormous amount of resources to construct. Regardless of the origin of the aguada at Xtogil, its overflow during the rainy season would have been of key importance to the city, as it would allow for easy water storage and the use of irrigation canals.

This would have been especially important given the region’s demographic growth, as migrants from Central Mexico and Guatemala began to flow into the area, ultimately transforming the city of Uucyabna into the powerhouse that became Chichén Itzá.

Given its proximity to Chichén Itzá, its contemporary status, and the richness of its soil and the abundance of its water, it is almost sure that Xtogil served as a satellite or vasal of the powerful Itza capital.   

As a satellite of Chichén Itzá, Xtogil would have likely paid tribute to its mother city in the form of agricultural goods like maize, beans, and squash; however, (and this is conjecture) the city may have also produced a surplus of goods such as pottery, based on the abundance found at the site. 

Xtogil was likely also crucial for another reason: its proximity to the city of Yaxuná, which had been under Cobá’s dominion for centuries.

The Itzá likely considered Cobá as a threat to its hegemony over the region. After all, especially during the early history of Chichén Itzá, Cobá was already an established power with extensive trade routes running up and down the Caribbean coast, as well as regions deep into the Yucatán Peninsula. 

There is no direct evidence of a proxy war of any kind between Xtogil and Yaxuná. However, in the 10th century, when Cobá’s influence over Yaxuná began to wane, it’s hard to imagine that cities like Xtogil were not called upon to take up the fight in their masters’ name. 

Getting to Xtogil is pretty straightforward, as it lies just 3 km off the toll-free road to Pisté-Chichén Itzá. Though visiting during the rainy season is pleasant, the overgrown vegetation makes observing its architecture virtually impossible. During the dry season, this becomes considerably easier. Still, because of extensive looting and the lack of any restoration projects, its ancient structures don’t look like much other than large mounds.

Visit with Xtogil with us… or any other site

If you are interested in visiting Xtogil, Yaxuná, Chichén Itzá, Chichén Viejo or any other site in the Peninsula, contact the author: carlos.rosado@gmail.com