Chichén Itzá in brief
Chichén Itzá (“at the mouth of the well of the Itza”) is a ruined Maya city in the north of the Yucatán Peninsula, in Mexico, between the cities of Mérida and Valladolid, roughly 120 kilometres east of Mérida. It flourished from about 800 to 1050 AD, when it was one of the largest cities in the Maya world. It was made a World Heritage Site in 1988. Because the Yucatán has no surface rivers, the city grew around two natural sinkholes, called cenotes, that gave access to groundwater.
The main buildings
- El Castillo (the Temple of Kukulcán). A stepped pyramid about 30 metres high, with four staircases of 91 steps, which with the platform on the top make 365, the days of the year. On the spring and autumn equinoxes, the late afternoon sun casts shadows on the north stairway that look like a serpent sliding down, which is linked to the feathered serpent god Kukulcán. Scanning in recent years has shown earlier, smaller pyramids nested inside the one that is visible.
- The Great Ball Court. The largest in Mesoamerica, about 168 metres long, with high walls and carved panels showing the ball game and the sacrifice of a player.
- The Temple of the Warriors. With a hall of columns carved with warriors, and a statue of a reclining figure, a chacmool.
- El Caracol. A round building with a tower that may have been used to observe the planets.
- The Sacred Cenote. A large sinkhole, about 60 metres across, into which offerings of gold, jade, pottery and also human remains were thrown, in ceremonies.
Mixed styles
The buildings at Chichén Itzá combine Maya forms, for example in the Puuc style, with elements that look like those of central Mexico, such as carved warriors and feathered serpents, which led earlier scholars to think that the Toltecs of central Mexico had conquered it. Many now think the similarities are the result of trade and contact, and do not prove a conquest. Chichén Itzá’s rulers recorded their own dates in Maya hieroglyphs on the buildings.
The sacred cenote
From 1904 to 1910 the American consul Edward Thompson dredged the cenote and found many objects, which he sent to the Peabody Museum of Harvard University. They included gold discs, jade beads and bones, some of which showed signs of sacrifice. Later divers have found more. Some of the collection has since been returned to Mexico.
Decline
The city lost power from about 1000 AD, and was mostly abandoned by about 1200, though it remained a pilgrimage site. Droughts may have been a factor. It was visited by the Spanish in the 16th century.
Why it matters
Chichén Itzá is one of the best-known Maya sites, a showcase of the astronomical knowledge of the Maya and their architecture. It was named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” in a public poll in 2007, which also increased its popularity.
Visiting
The site is a popular day trip from Cancún or Mérida, with a light show in the evening. Climbing El Castillo has not been allowed since 2006. The equinox is very crowded. See also Teotihuacan.
Sources
- Coggins, C. C. and Shane, O. C. (eds.) (1984). Cenote of Sacrifice: Maya Treasures from the Sacred Well at Chichén Itzá. University of Texas Press.
- Kowalski, J. K. and Kristan-Graham, C. (eds.) (2007). Twin Tollans: Chichén Itzá, Tula, and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Dumbarton Oaks.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza.