Uxmal, The House Of The Doves

Uxmal, The House Of The Doves - House of the Doves seen from Grand Pyramid [February 15, 1997], “When we consider how few roof combs remain standing above the few first courses of stone, the preservation of this particular structure in a group otherwise so completely in ruin seems almost miraculous. Even bits of decorative stucco still adhere in places to the stone framework, and here and there traces of color can be made out.


The design, of course, is obliterated, but the arrangement of projecting tenons indicates a figure or some other dominant motif in the center of each of the stepped triangular units.

Roof combs of this type are not reported elsewhere in the Puuc region and are better known as features of the architecture of the east coast of Yucatan, but the chances of finding other examples intact are so slight that it would be unwise to conclude that of the Palomas was unique or even unusual in the western area.

It is very unlikely that the Maya should fail to appreciate the charm that the broken silhouette of such a roof comb could add to the otherwise severely rectangular lines of their buildings.”