Theory: Layering

In Maya architecture, building structures and then rebuilding over these sites is a common practice. However, specifically at Uxmal this reconstruction is perfectly visible and understandable on the Pyramid of the Magician. This monumental structure is a result of five super imposed temples starting with Temple I in the 6th century and finishing with the construction of Temple V through the 10th century. This construction expands the man-made mountain, showing how the former structures informed and shaped the design of the expansion temples.

The Uxmal site was chosen because of the visible nature of how Mayans built temple upon temple in the case of the Pyramid of the Magician.