Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors) at Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is the largest of the Pre-Columbian archaeological sites in Yucatán, Mexico. The city was built by the Maya civilization. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 267 KB)Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors) at Chichen Itza. ...
Download high resolution version (1024x768, 267 KB)Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors) at Chichen Itza. ...
The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ...
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic), and which has been investigated using the discipline of archaeology. ...
The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ...
The Maya are people of southern Mexico and northern Central America (Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, and El Salvador) with some 3,000 years of history. ...
The name
The name is often represented as Chichén Itzá in Spanish and other languages to show that both parts of the name are stressed on their final syllables. In the Yucatec Maya language (still in use in the area, and written with the Roman alphabet since the 16th century) this stress follows the rules of the language so it is written without diacritics. The Maya name "Chichen Itza" means "At the mouth of the wells of the Itza people". Although this was the usual name for the site in Pre-Columbian times, it is also referred to in the ancient chronicles as Uucyabnal, meaning "Seven Great Rulers". The Mayan languages are a family of related languages spoken from South-Eastern Mexico through northern Central America as far south as Honduras. ...
A diacritical mark or accent mark is an additional mark added to a basic letter. ...
The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ...
The site
El Gran Juego de Pelota (Grand Ballcourt), from El Castillo "Chichen" contains many fine stone buildings in various states of preservation; the buildings were formerly used as temples, palaces, stages, markets, baths, and ballcourts. larger image of my photo of ballcourt at Chichen Itza taken May 1997 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
larger image of my photo of ballcourt at Chichen Itza taken May 1997 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...
larger image of my photo of the serpent head at the bottom of the column on the temple of kukulcan taken may 1997 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
larger image of my photo of the serpent head at the bottom of the column on the temple of kukulcan taken may 1997 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
I took this pic of the jaguar throne in May 1997 inside the El Castillo. ...
I took this pic of the jaguar throne in May 1997 inside the El Castillo. ...
The Yucatán has no above-ground rivers, so the fact that there were three natural sink holes (cenotes) providing plentiful water year round at Chichen made it a natural spot for a center of population. Two of these cenotes are still in existence, the most famous being the legendary "Cenote of Sacrifice", which was sacred to the Maya rain god Chac. Offerings of jade, pottery, and incense were thrown into the great well as offerings to Chac, and occasionally during times of desperate drought a human sacrifice -- however there is no confirmation in either ancient chronicles nor the archeological dredging of the cenote to confirm the lurid tales of some tour guides claiming that great numbers of beautiful, young, virgin women were regularly cast into the well. The Sacred Cenote was long a place of pilgrimage Yucatán. For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A river is a large natural waterway. ...
Cenote (pronounced say-no-tay, plural: Cenotes) is the name given in the southern part of Mexico and Central America to water-filled limestone sinkholes. ...
In Maya mythology, Chac (sometimes spelled Chaac,) was the god of rain and thunder, and important as a fertility and agriculture god. ...
A selection of antique, hand-crafted Chinese jadeite jade buttons Jade An ornamental stone, jade is a name applied to two different silicate minerals. ...
A man shapes pottery as it turns on a wheel. ...
Incense is a preparation of aromatic plant matter, often with the addition of essential oils extracted from plant or animal sources, intended to release fragrant smoke for religious, therapeutic, or simply aesthetic purposes as it smolders. ...
Human sacrifice was practiced in many ancient cultures. ...
Chichen was a major center by about 600 in the middle of the Maya Classic period, but the city saw its greatest growth and power after the Maya sites of the central lowlands to the south had already collapsed. For other uses, see number 600. ...
Mesoamerican chronology The chronology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is usually divided into the following eras: Paleo-Indian Period c. ...
Some of the notable classic era structures at Chichen include a fine complex of buildings in the "Puuc" architectural style. The Spanish nicknamed this complex "Las Monjas" or "The Nunnery" but was actually the city's classic era government palace. Just to the east is a small temple (nicknamed "La Iglesia", "The Church") with decorated with elaborate masks of the rain god. To the north is a round building on a large square platform nicknamed "El Caracol" or "the snail" for the stone spiral staircase inside; this was an observatory (the doors were alligned to view the vernal equinox, the Moon's greatest northern and southern declinations, and other astronomical events) sacred to Kukulcan, the feathered-serpent god of the wind and learning. Puuc building at Chunhuhub, Campeche, as drawn by Frederick Catherwood, 1841 Puuc is a style of Pre-Columbian architecture of the Maya civilization. ...
Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of equinox In astronomy, the vernal equinox (spring equinox, March equinox, or northward equinox) is the moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading northward. ...
Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ...
In Maya mythology, Gukumatz (feathered serpent) was a snake god, one of all three groups of gods who created Earth and humanity. ...
Apparently about 987 a Toltec king named Quetzalcoatl arrived here with an army from central Mexico, and (with local Maya allies) made Chichén Itzá his capital, and a second Tula. The art and architecture from this period shows an interesting mix of Maya and Toltec styles. Chichen's "Temple of the Warriors" was clearly built as a copy of Temple B at the Toltec capital of Tula, although thanks to the Maya architects is grander than the original. This is a stone building (originally with a wood and plaster roof) atop a step-pyramid, with the columns in the interior carved with the likenesses of warriors. At the top of the stairway leading to the entrance of the temple is a type of altar-statue known as a Chac Mool. Events Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, crowned King of France Kukulcan conquers Chichen Itza Births Deaths May 21 King Louis V of France Categories: 987 ...
The Toltecs (or Toltec or Tolteca) were a Pre-Columbian Native American people who dominated much of central Mexico between the 10th and 12th century AD. Their language, Nahuatl, was also spoken by the Aztecs. ...
Quetzalcoatl (feathered snake) is the Aztec name for the Feathered-Serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerica, one of the main gods of many Mexican and northern Central American civilizations. ...
Tula is a town of about 10,000 in Hidalgo State, central Mexico, some 57 miles to the north north-west of Mexico City. ...
Chac-Mool is the name given to a type of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican stone altar. ...
Dominating the center of Chichén is the Temple of Kukulcan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as "El Castillo" (the castle). This step pyramid with a ground plan of square terraces with stairways up each of the 4 sides to the temple on top. Great sculptures of Plumed Serpents run down the sides of the northern staircase, and are set off by shadows from the corner tiers on the Spring and Fall equinox. It was practice in Mesoamerican cities to periodically build larger and grander temple pyramids atop older ones, and this is one such example. Thanks to archeologists, a doorway at the base of the north stairway leads to a tunnel, from which one can climb the steps of the earlier version of El Castillo inside the current one, up to the room on the top where you can see King Kukulcan's Jaguar Throne, carved of stone and painted red with jade spots. In Maya mythology, Gukumatz (feathered serpent) was a snake god, one of all three groups of gods who created Earth and humanity. ...
Quetzalcoatl (feathered snake) is the Aztec name for the Feathered-Serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerica, one of the main gods of many Mexican and northern Central American civilizations. ...
In astronomy, the vernal equinox (spring equinox, March equinox, or northward equinox) is the equinox at the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere: the moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading northward. ...
In astronomy, the autumnal equinox signals the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere: the moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading southward; the equinox occurs around September 22–September 24, varying slightly each year according to the 400-year cycle of leap years in the...
A selection of antique, hand-crafted Chinese jadeite jade buttons Jade An ornamental stone, jade is a name applied to two different silicate minerals. ...
Seven courts for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame have been found in Chichén, but the one about 150 meters to the north-west of the Castillo is by far the most impressive. It is the largest ballcourt in ancient Mesoamerica. It measures 166 by 68 meters (545 by 232 feet). The sides of the interior of the ballcourt are lined with sculpted panels depicting teams of ball players, with the captain of the winning team decapitating the captain of the losers. Great Ball Court at Chichén Itzá A Ball Court Goal, Chichén Itzá Ball court marker, from the Maya site of Chinkultic. ...
Built into one of the exterior walls of the ballcourt is the Temple of the Jaguar, which features another jaguar throne -- since this one was not buried for a thousand years, its red paint and jade spots are long since gone.
Chichen Itza also has a variety of other structures densely packed in the ceremonial center of about 5 km² (2 mile²) and several outlying subsidiary sites. Nearby are the sacred Caves of Balankanche, where a large selection of ancient pottery and idols may be seen still in the positions where they were left in Pre-Columbian times.
The Maya chronicles record that in 1221 a revolt and civil war broke out, and archeological evidence confirms that the wooden roofs of the great market and the Temple of the Warriors were burnt at about this date. Chichen Itza went into decline as rulership over Yucatán shifted to Mayapan. Centuries: 12th century - 13th century - 14th century Decades: 1170s 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s - 1220s - 1230s 1240s 1250s 1260s 1270s Years: 1216 1217 1218 1219 1220 - 1221 - 1222 1223 1224 1225 1226 See also: 1221 state leaders Events May 13 - End of the reign of Emperor Juntoku of Japan Emperor Chukyo...
Mayapan (in Spanish Mayapán) is a Pre-Columbian Maya site in the state of Yucatán, Mexico, about 40 km south-east of Mérida and 100 km west of Chichen Itza. ...
While the site was never completely abandoned, the population declined and no major new constructions were built. The Sacred Cenote, however, remained a place of pilgrimage.
In 1531 Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo claimed Chichén Itzá and intended to make it the capital of Spanish Yucatán, but after a few months a native Maya revolt drove Montejo and his forces from the land (see Spanish conquest of Yucatán). Events January 26 - Lisbon, Portugal is hit by an earthquake-- thousands die October 1 - Battle of Kappel - The forces of Zürich are defeated by the Catholic cantons. ...
Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas and Asia Pacific under Spanish rule between the 15th and 17th centuries. ...
Francisco de Montejo c. ...
The Spanish Conquest of Yucatán was a long and involved process taking some 170 years to complete. ...
Modern investigations at Chichen Itza
Great Ballcourt (interior) In 1839 United States travel writers Benjamin Norman, followed the next year by John Lloyd Stephens, visited and published accounts of the ruins of Chichen Itza. Various other expeditions made further examinations of the ruins in the following decades. About 1890 the United States Consul to Yucatán, Edward H. Thompson bought Chichen Itza (as the ruins had no protected status then) and moved there with his Maya wife, and spent some 30 years doing amateur archeology there, including dredging the first artifacts out of the Sacred Cenote. In 1924 the Carnegie Institution and Harvard University began a 20 year excavation project, which included restoring two sides of the Castillo. In 1961 the Sacred Cenote was dredged more thoroughly by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). In the 1980s INAH excavated some additional buildings and restored the other two sides of the Castillo. larger image of my photo facing east inside of the ballcourt taken May 1997 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
larger image of my photo facing east inside of the ballcourt taken May 1997 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
John Lloyd Stephens (November 28, 1805–October 13, 1852) was a American explorer, writer, and diplomat. ...
1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW) is a foundation established by Andrew Carnegie in 1902 to support scientific research. ...
Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ...
1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year—i. ...
The Mexican Institute Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History known as INAH for its Spanish abbreviation) is the federal government bureau established in 1939 to guarantee the research, preservation, protection, and promotion of the prehistoric, archaeological, anthropological, historical, and paleontological heritage of Mexico. ...
Chichen Itza is today a World Heritage Site and is a very popular tourist destination; it is the most visited of the major Maya archaelogical sites. Many visitors to the popular tourist resort of Cancún make a day trip to Chichen Itza, usually with time to view only a portion of the site. Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ...
Cancún is a coastal city in Mexicos easternmost state, Quintana Roo. ...
External links - Chichen on mesoweb.com (http://www.mesoweb.com/chichen/)
- Chichen Itza on Wikitravel (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Chichen_Itza)
- Chichen Itza on Yucatan Today (http://www.yucatantoday.com/destinations/eng-chichen-itza.htm)
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