George And Audrey DeLange

Chichen Itza (Chee-chen-eet-sa) Is one of the few Maya ruins which retains its original name as given to us by the Maya and not by the Spainards or archaeologists. It means "the mouth of the well of the Itza." The well is the sacred cenote of the Maya. Other names are Uucil-Abnal (seven bushes) or Uucyabnal (seven great owners). The site is probably the best known of the Mayan ruins and it has been explored since 1923 for about twenty years, it has never been completely studied. Chichen Itza shows evidence of being built as early as about 600 AD with most of its building being built in about the the seventh through tenth centuries. It is thought that the site was abandoned about 1200AD. Chichen Itza may have been the capital for an association of warring groups of invaders who came to this place in kind of an uneasy alliance. It is now thought that the original builders were not the Toltecs as originally believed. Rather the thought is that the builders were people who migrated up the east coast who were Mayanized Mexicans instead of Toltecs. Indications are that the site was abandoned in a Katun 6 Ahau which ended in A.D. 1224. "El Castillo", which was named by Bishop Landa, was dedicated to the feathered serpent god, Kukulcan. El Castillo is probably one of the best known of the Mayan structures in Mexico. The outer part of the structure is about 190 feet square and 79 feet high. Inside this structure is another substructure probabally built 52 years earlier. No one is certain when construction started but it is thought to be in about A.D. 800. The superimposed temple has four grand stairways that lead to a platform at the top of the pyramid where a temple stands. There are 91 steps to each stairway making a total of 364 steps and one grand step all around the top, making a total of 365 steps, perhaps symbolic of the 365 day year. The main entrance to the temple is on the North side with two serpent columns and a sanctuary behind. On three sides are vaulted chambers with doorways opening to the East, West, and South. The pyramid has nine terraces of regularly diminishing size. Each terrrace is separated by undecorated molding. The bodies of serpents with heads on the ground form the "alfardas" of the great stairway to the temple. On equinoxes the light plays upon the Western side of The North Stairway of the temple in such a way as to make the snakes on the stairways come alive in movement. Truly a great sight to see! The facade of the building is without decoration except for a medial and cornice molding with insets between. When the inner temple was discovered, an excavation was made under the north stairway of the Castillo to the stairway of the inner pyramid. Then the excavation continued up the inner temple to an outer room and inner room in the inner pyramid which contains a chocmool in the outer room and the famous "red jaguar" in the inner room. The red jaguar which is inlaid with jade spots and eyes and pyrite teeth was probably a throne for a priest or ruler. There are some other thrones which are not as nice in the Temple of Jaguars at the Great Ball Court located across the plaza. When visiting El Castillo, expect to do a lot of climbing in order to see it all. You will soon learn the famous "Jaguar Crawl" as you explore El Castillo!