to the ball court ring, as they start on the same date, is also present. The ball court ring is inscribed with the date it was presumably constructed, 713-714 AD. It is possible that more writing/iconography was not preserved due to the natural tendency of the building material (karstic limestone and sandstone) to weather rapidly relative to other building materials. It is also important to note that there was a conspicuous "hiatus" of writing at Oxkintok during a boom in architectural contraction at the site, 550-650AD (Dorado, 1996). Interpretation of this hiatus has not been presented. Modern site and tourism The site of Oxkintok is a protected “zona”, open to visitors with an admission fee. It is accessible from the nearby town of Maxcanú, approximately 62 km (38.5 mi) south of Mérida on Federal Highway 180. The site lacks facilities, but is attended by guides. Nearby attractions include the Calcehtok caves. References Bibliography Andrews, George F. (1999) Pyramids, Palaces, Monsters and Masks: The Golden Age of Maya Architecture. Labyrinthos Press, Culvert City. Cosme Munoz, Alfonso. 1989 Laberintos, Piramides y Palacios las Fases Arquitectonicas de la Ciudad de Oxkintok, Ministerio de Cultura, Direccion General de Bellas Artes y Archivos, 1987-1990 3:99-111. Kelly, Joyce (1993) An Archaeological Guide to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. Proskouriakoff, Tatiana (1950) A Study of Classic Maya Sculpture. Carnegie Institute of Washington Publication No. 593. Rivera Dorado, Miguel (1994) Notas de arqueología de Oxkintok. In Hidden Among the Hills: Maya Archaeology of the Northwest Yucatán Península. Hanns J. Prem, ed. pp. 44–58 Acta Mesoamericana, 7 Verlag von Flemming, Möckmühl. Rivera Dorado, Miguel (1999) La emergencia del estado maya de Oxkintok. Mayab 12:71-78 Madrid. Rivera Dorado, Miguel (2001) Oxkintok (Yucatán, Mexico). In Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia. Susan T. Evans and David L. Webster, eds. pp. 561–562. Garland, New York Shook, Edwin M. (1940) (English) Exploration in the ruins of Oxkintok, Yucatán. Revista mexicana de estudios antropológicos 4:165-171. Mexico Shook, Edwin M. (1983) (Spanish) Exploración en las ruinas de Oxkintok, Yucatán. Revista mexicana de estudios antropológicos 29(1):203-210. Mexico Stephens, John L. (1962) Incidents of Travel in Yucatán (2 vol.). University of Oklahoma Press, Norman Varela Torrecilla, Carmen (1990) Un nuevo complejo en la secuencia cerámica de Oxkintok: El Clásico Medio. Oxkintok 3:113-126. Madrid Varela Torrecilla, Carmen (1992) La cerámica de Oxkintok. Mayab 8:39-45. Madrid Varela Torrecilla, Carmen, and Geoffrey E. Braswell