Tulum: An Annotated History

The "city" of Tulum was erected most probably in the period between 800/900AD and possibly as late as 1550AD, although the oldest object found at Tulum was a stele (vertical slab with hieroglyphs)dated to the mid 6th c. AD. Over time, Tulum became a strategic point for commerce on the Yucatan Peninsula, owing to its location on a high cliff overlooking the Sea. Its pre-Hispanic name was Zama, which means "dawn," and it is not hard to deduce how it got this name. Although colonial Spaniards knew about the city, references were pretty well lost after 16th c., as the city was deserted. In the early 19th c. John Stephens, an American from New England, probably the most well known "discoverer" of the Mayan sites, brought Tulum (and other locales) to public attention through his copious writings.