Sacred Cenote, Chichén Itzá

Cenote in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cenote (pronounced in Spanish seh-no-teh and in English say-no-tay, plural: cenotes) is the name given in Central America and southern Mexico to a type of freshwater-filled limestone sinkhole. The name derives from a Mayan word, dz'onot. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors) at Chichen Itza. ... Image File history File links Cenote_swimming. ... Image File history File links Cenote_swimming. ... Quintana Roo is a state of Mexico, on the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Map of Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Devils Hole near Hawthorne, Florida Sinkholes, also known as sinks, shakeholes or dolina (in the Slovene language dolina means valleys), and cenotes, are formed by the collapse of cave roofs and are a feature of landscapes that are based on limestone bedrock. ... The Mayan languages are a family of related languages spoken from South-Eastern Mexico through northern Central America as far south as Honduras. ...

Cenote Geology

Cenotes were formed at low sea-level stages during the Pleistocene Epoch. They are fully or partially collapsed karst caves. Mature cenotes often resemble small, circular lakes or lagoons with sheer drops at the edges. The Pleistocene epoch is part of the geologic timescale, usually dated as 1. ... Karst topography occurs when a landscape is marked by underground drainage patterns. ... Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico This article is about natural caves; for artificial caves used as dwellings, such as those in north China, see yaodong. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size surrounded by land. ...

Some cenotes flow out to the ocean. Where the fresh and saltwater meet, a blurry halocline layer can be found. This phenomenon can occur many kilometres inland, and is usually found at depths between 10-20 meters. A Halocline is a salinity gradient, a change in the concentration of salt dissolved in water. ...

Cenotes and the Maya

Cenotes have long been major sources of water in much of the Yucatan peninsula, most of which lacks other easily accessible year-round water. The Maya city of Chichén Itzá was built around a cluster of these natural wells, as were many other Maya settlements. Some cenotes like the Cenote of Sacrifice in Chichén Itzá played an important role in Maya rites. It was believed that these pools were gateways to the other world, and valuable items were sometimes thrown into them. Golden sacrificial artifacts were found in such cenotes, leading to the archaeological exploration of most cenotes in the first part of the 20th century. Edward Herbert Thompson, an American diplomat who had bought the Chichén Itzá site, began dredging the Sacred Cenote there in 1904. He discovered human skeletons and sacrificial objects confirming a local legend, the Cult of the Cenote, involving human sacrifice to the rain gods (Chacs) by ritual casting into the cenote. The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as its spectacular art, monumental architecture, and sophisticated mathematical and astronomical systems. ... Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors) at Chichen Itza. ... I archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human culture, and often one later recovered by some archaeological endeavor. ... Archaeology, archeology, or archology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Edward Herbert Thompson (28 September 1856 - 11 May 1935) was a United States born archaeologist and diplomat. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Human sacrifice was practiced in many ancient cultures. ... In Maya mythology, Chac (sometimes spelled Chaac) was the god of rain and thunder, and important as a fertility and agriculture god. ...

Cenote Park

Cenote Park, located at Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, contains many cenotes. These cenotes provide access to extensive underwater cave systems such as the Nohoch Nah Chich cave. Caves such as Dos Ojos Cavern have attracted cave divers and there are organised efforts to explore and map the underwater systems. Playa del Carmen Playa del Carmen is a city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in the north east of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, located at 20. ... Quintana Roo is a state of Mexico, on the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. ... Nohoch Nah Chich is the worlds second largest known underwater cave system, second only to Sistema Ox Bel Ha. ... Dos Ojos Cavern is a diving cave near Playa del Carmen, Mexico. ... Inside the cave at Cave Stream, New Zealand Caving is the recreational sport of exploring caves. ...

Notable Cenotes

• Cenote of Sacrifice, Chichén Itzá
• Sacred Cenote, Chichén Itzá
• Zacatón

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Cenote

• Stages in the Formation of a Cenote
• Cenotes of Chichén Itzá
• Doline, Sinkhole, Cenote
• Cenotes of the Riviera Maya