Chichén Itzá is a city located on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico that flourished from the 9th to the 13th century AD. Although it is an extremely popular tourist destination, archaeologists are still trying to understand how this ancient urban center, covering more than 300 hectares, came to be.
The art and architecture of the city reflect a blend of influences from the Maya and Toltec civilizations. This is notable despite the fact that the Toltec capital of Tula is located about 1,200 kilometers away. The situation becomes more complex as, during a later period in the city’s history (the 13th century), a group known as the Itza settled at this site. The name of the city means “the well of the Itzas.”
El Castillo is a pyramid at Chichén Itzá with 91 steps on each side. (Photo: Sorin Colac via Alamy).
Maya mythology tells the tale of a man named K’uk’ulkan (the Feathered Serpent) who came from the west and established his capital at Chichén Itzá. Whether this story refers to the Toltec or the Itza, or is primarily mythological, remains a topic of debate.
El Castillo
The step pyramid known as El Castillo (Spanish for “the castle”) is located at the center of the city. A 16th-century Spanish bishop, Diego de Landa, referred to it as “the Temple of K’uk’ulkan,” the name of the legendary ruler of the city and an ancient serpent deity.
Including the temple at the top, this pyramid stands approximately 30 meters tall, with each side measuring 55 meters at the base. Each of the pyramid’s four sides has 91 steps, totaling 364 steps. When you add the steps required to enter the temple, the total comes to 365, the number of days in a year.
“The vaulted temple at the top of the four staircases is a strange blend of indigenous and foreign styles, with Mountain Flower masks (a characteristic of the Maya) adorning the exterior, and reliefs of tall war captains from Tula (the Toltec capital) carved onto the doorframes…” wrote archaeologist Michael Coe in his book “The Maya.”
Coe also noted that archaeologists have discovered the remnants of an earlier pyramid beneath this structure. Findings from that earlier building include a stone throne shaped like a jaguar “growling,” with jade eyes and shells used as fangs.
The Temple of the Warriors
The Temple of the Warriors at Chichén Itzá. (Photo: Arterra Photo Library via Alamy)
Adjacent to the pyramid, just to the east, is the “Temple of the Warriors.” Rows of columns lead up to the entrance of the structure, with the use of numerous columns being a distinctive feature of the Toltec.
Upon ascending the stairs, visitors can see a pair of feathered serpent statues with their heads resting on the ground, staring at onlookers. You can also spot the statue of Chacmool, the legendary messenger of the gods. The statue lies on its back with a flat stomach, and it is speculated that this flat area may have been used for sacrifices.
The Caracol Observatory
The Caracol Observatory at Chichén Itzá. (Photo: Robert Harding via Alamy).
To the south of the pyramid is a snail-shaped building that appears to have been used as an observatory by the city’s inhabitants; the Spanish named it “Caracol” (snail).
Its four entrances lead to a narrow passageway “coiling like a snail shell” that opens into a room with three remaining windows, as archaeologist Anthony Aveni noted in his book “Empire of Time: Calendars, Clocks, and Cultures” (IB Tauris, 2000).
Aveni points out that the building is aligned with Venus, and according to Spanish chroniclers, the circular shape of the Caracol symbolizes Quetzalcoatl-Kukulcan, the deity associated with Venus, a planet of significant religious importance to the ancient Maya.
The Great Ball Court
To the west of the pyramid lies the Great Ball Court, the largest in Mesoamerica. It is flanked by smaller temples at both ends. The ball court measures 149 meters long, even longer than a modern American football field. Much of the court is surrounded by walls that stand 8 meters tall and are spaced about 30 meters apart.
Each wall features a vertical hoop, adorned with interwoven serpents, located about 6 meters above the ground. This height is double that of a modern NBA basketball hoop.
Ancient players would use a small rubber ball to play. The exact rules of the game are unknown, but players may have had to pass through the opposing team’s hoop. Panels near the ball court depict skulls on racks and a panel illustrating a person (possibly a player from the winning or losing team) being sacrificed, with his blood turning into snakes as it leaves his body.
The Sacred Cenote
To the north of the pyramid is a raised pathway measuring 274 meters leading to a deep well now known as the Sacred Cenote. Both humans (as sacrificial offerings) and artifacts (including gold items) were thrown into it. This custom appears to have peaked after the city declined in the 13th century.
Mysterious Sacrificial Rituals
In 1967, archaeologists discovered the remains of over 100 individuals placed within a water tank at Chichén Itzá. DNA analysis of 64 skeletons in 2024 revealed that these remains all belonged to boys aged 3 to 6 years, leading researchers to conclude that this mass burial may have been part of a sacrificial ritual.
However, the purpose of the ritual remains unclear. Based on the fact that there were two pairs of twins among the deceased, it is possible that this burial recalls the ancient Maya legend of the heroic twins who visited the underworld to avenge their father. Exactly how dozens of boys died remains unknown.
