Str XIII: Multi-room palace
The gently sloping stairway of Structure 13 is dominated by Stela 88 and its portrait of an unknown royal woman. The stair was completed late in Calakmul history and sealed many broken glyphic blocks.
The end of the 16th K'atun in 751 was commemorated by the unfinished Stela 63, which features the damaged, but seemingly new name of Great Serpent. Rather than the expected Snake emblem he carries the Bat form last seen on Stela 114 some 326 years earlier. Stela 62 might once have been paired with the similarly dated Stela 88, which carries the portrait of a queen.
Martin & Grobe, Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens, 2nd Ed., London. 2008, p. 114-115
The stairway and the plaza are decorated with carved stelae
The name Bolon K'awiil ('Nine or Many K'awiils') appears in a recently excavated block of the hieroglyphic stairway, linked to a date falling shortly after 751. Presumably, this is the king of that name who was in power by 771 and erected a pair of tall stelae, 57 and 58, east of Structure 13 to mark the completion of 9.17.0.0.0.
Calakmul's waning influence over its former possessions seems to be reflected in the rise of smaller kingoms in its vicinity, which took advantage of the collapse of central authority. At Oxpemul, which erected no monuments at the height of Calakmul's power, massive stelae now record the names of at least three generations of kings, using the Bat emblem and the uxte'tuun kaloomte' title formerly reserved for Calakmul monarchs. At La Muñeco, dated stelae were erected until at least 889, but several sites in this region certainly have even later carvings. Further north Calakmul's decline is reflected in the rise of a new architectural style, the elaborate façades and 'false pyramids' of Río Bec. Related to the emerging Chenes and Puuc styles still further north, this takes shape at a number of flourishing sites, including Río Bec itself, Hormiguero, Chicanna, Xpujil and the moated bity of Becan.
Martin & Grobe, Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens, 2nd Ed., London. 2008, p. 114-115
Structure XIII: room with altar
Str XIII: passageway
One of our guides once fancifully referred to these rooms as "the apartments of the Queen," presumably because of the Stela 88 portrait.
Stela 66: reassembled near Str XIII
Stela 66, dedicated August 22, 733 A.D.
This stela is in the plaza adjacent to Structure XIII. Although in the main badly eroded, a single elegant sandle somehow managed to escape the ravages of time.
The stela had been cut into four pieces in ancient times and its fragments were incorporated into the corners of the ballcourt. These fragments have been reassembled and Stela 66 now stands near the north end of the west half of the court.
Western side of Ballcourt
Structure XI is a small ballcourt which is situated a short distance south of Structure XIII. It is of the open end type with no rings or markers.
According to Ramon Carrasco (1994) it is of late construction and seems to mark a reorientation of the site's architectural style.
The ballcourt appears to have been dedicated towards the second half of the 8th century since a stela (Stela 66), which carried a dedication date of August 22, 733 A.D. was cut into four pieces and the fragments incorporated into the corners of the building.
George F. Andrews. Architectural Survey at Calakmul 1994/1995. University of Oregon, p. 78
Defensive Wall to the Northwest
This photo is from the First Campeche Expedition in 1932 and shows the wall defending the northwest precincts of the city, not far from the ballcourt and Structure XIII. It rises to a height of 6.15 m.
The existence of this wall underscores the hostilities between Tikal and Calakmul which characterized the history of these two powers.
Ruppert & Denison 1943: Plate 2d