A composition of layers

The word "Puuc" translates to "hilly country," which is representative of the terrain on which Uxmal was built. More specifically the site of Uxmal is built on what is known as karst topography, a landscape shaped by the dissolution of layers of soluble bedrock. The concept of layering is present not only in the landscape but also in the construction of the site as well.

Uxmal translates as "thrice built," and the name itself corresponds to the theory of layers. Randi's theory of Uxmal's relation to a "House of Memory" corresponds to the construction of the different layers of the site. For example, in the Nunnery Quadrangle there are four separate buildings. The north building is built on a higher level than all of the other building and contains thirteen different levels respresentative of the thirteen different levels of heaven. The east and west buildings are constructed with symbols (7 doorways associated with earth's surface and mosaics representing the war cult) associated with "middle world" or life on earth. And finally, the south building which sits at a point lower than the other buildings has nine exterior doorways representative of the 9 levels of the underworld.

And a little comic relief from Lexie:

"I don't know why people think they were so smart. Of course all of their buildings line up with the constellations. They had nothing better to do with their time than sit there and look at the sun all day. I mean what else was there to do? Kick around rocks with no shoes on? I don't think so."

teehee =)