MEXICO CITY.- Specialists from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History have restored a more than 1,000-year-old architectural element at the Comalcalco Archaeological Zone in Tabasco, recovering an important example of Yokot’an Maya, or Chontal Maya, construction.

Known as Structure 5, the stuccoed architectural sculpture was damaged in June 2024 after Tropical Storm Alberto brought heavy rains to the region. The force of the weather caused the piece to lose stability, fall, and break into six fragments.

The restoration was carried out by INAH specialists between August and December 2025. The work focused not only on putting the piece back together, but also on stabilizing its materials so it can be preserved for future generations.

A rare example of Comalcalco’s architecture

Structure 5 is a decorative architectural element from Temple V of the Great Acropolis, an area of the archaeological zone that is closed to the public. It measures 66 centimeters high, 175 centimeters long, and 45 centimeters wide, and weighs around half a ton.

The piece is made with oyster-shell mortar and irregular bricks, materials closely associated with Comalcalco’s distinctive architecture. Its front face features a spiral-shaped relief, adding to its historical and artistic significance.

The structure dates to the Classic period, between 500 and 800 A.D., when the ancient city was at its height.

Mexico’s Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, said the recovery reflects the importance of INAH’s specialized work in protecting the country’s archaeological heritage.

“Each restored piece brings us closer to the memory of the peoples who came before us, strengthens the right to identity, and allows more people to learn, in their own territory, about the cultural wealth that forms part of our shared history,” she said.

A difficult restoration

The project was led by restorers Sandra Lucía Pérez Arellano and Samantha García Dorado of the INAH Tabasco Center, with support from Carlos Arturo Giordano Sánchez Verín, director of INAH’s state office, and maintenance personnel.

Because of its size and weight, moving the structure to a temporary laboratory inside the archaeological zone was one of the first major challenges. Once there, specialists began with a detailed photographic record to document the fragments and determine how they fit together.

The piece had been exposed to the elements, which caused the growth of microorganisms on its surface. Restorers carried out a deep cleaning and consolidated areas with cracks, fractures, and weakened mortar.

García Dorado described the process as painstaking. Reassembling the structure was like solving a complex puzzle, she said, especially because many of the broken edges had lost their original shape.

To choose the right materials for the restoration, the team reviewed studies on cementing materials and conducted mortar tests. They ultimately used sascab, a type of disintegrated limestone from the Moral-Reforma Archaeological Zone, along with lime, sand, and clay.

The restored piece was placed on a metal support that gives it stability.

A city built with brick and shell

Comalcalco is one of the most unusual Maya cities because of its building techniques. Unlike other Maya sites where limestone was widely used, Comalcalco is known for its extensive use of brick and oyster-shell stucco.

Its architecture includes three main construction systems: compacted earth covered with oyster-shell stucco; earthen cores covered with brick; and brick masonry.

The city is believed to have originally been called Joy’ Chan, which means “rolled sky” in the Yokot’an language. As a port settlement, it was occupied for more than 1,000 years, from around 200 B.C. to 1000 A.D.

Preserved for future visitors

For now, Structure 5 will remain in the Comalcalco Site Museum, where visitors will be able to see it under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. These measures will help protect the restored element and slow future deterioration.

The recovery of Structure 5 offers a closer look at the technical skill and symbolic world of the ancient Maya builders of Comalcalco. It also shows how fragile archaeological heritage can be when exposed to climate, weather, and time — and how careful restoration can return damaged works to public view without erasing the marks of their long history.