Caracol - The Worm Tower

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The Caracol is an observatory Caracol dar. means "snail", this name comes from the narrow winding staircase inside that leads into the upper structure of the building. The building, which was excavated in the 1930s, restored under the direction of Karl Ruppert and was built in stages and its final form until late. At the beginning of a large, rectangular platform was built with rounded corners, which led up the stairs on its west side preserved. The stringers are intertwined with each other, bodies adorned with snakes and ending in a serpent's head, rising above the stairs. The excavations were recovered from the rubble of the 60 incense burners in the form of human heads, which were probably originally issued: on the edge of the platform.

Over this first platform has an additional, built in the circular diameter of 11 meters. Around them, then they built another, better also round platform with 16 m in diameter. Then there was an expansion and improvement on the west side, which was subsequently amended on the east side. Both together resulted in a not completely rectangular shape with about 24 m side length. This includes a staircase on the west side, is also entwined with snakes. In a recess of the stairs they found a stele with 132 blocks hieroglyphics, whose date has not been established.

On the surface of the platform past the round tower was built. It consists of two concentric gang spaces that are covered with a Mayan arch. For the outer and the inner gear features four inputs, which are offset against each other. In the center of the circular passage times is a circular wall block, the exhibits at a height of about 3 meters, a low and narrow doorway, by the very narrow and leads up a winding staircase difficult to passing into the observation room on the roof level.

The upper structure, which contained an observation room which had several deep window openings to the outside. With the diagonally visors inner and outer edges of the windows could be seen on the horizon positions with sufficient precision. The three remaining window openings offer the following directions:

* Window 1: 270 ° 57 '(sunset at the equinoxes)
* Window 1: 298 ° 53 '(northernmost moonset possible)
* Window 2: 242 ° 11 '(southernmost moonset possible)
* Window 3: 182 ° 13'E (south)

The lower wall surface of the building is smooth, but uncommonly with 3.3 m high. The frieze consists of five basic elements. In the upper wall surface largely tower, which showed each of the four inputs on one of the typical masks, and a seated figure. The building is constructed Puuc style.