Yucatan Ruins: Chichen Itza
One interesting archeological site of Yucatan Ruins is Chichen Itza. In Mayan Chichen Itza means “Mouth of the Well of Itza”. It was a sacred Mayan City and is located 75 miles east of Merida, which is the capital state of the Yucatan. The Yucatan Ruins in Chichen Itza are rated among the most important of Mayan ruins and cultural remains. It covers a 6 square mile radius where hundreds of buildings once stood. Now most of the buildings are reduced to mounds but there are about 30 left standing for tourists to see.
The Yucatan Ruins of Chichen Itza are classified into two groups. One group is those belonging to the classic Maya period, which dates 7th and 10th century AD. During this period the city was an important ceremonial center. The other group is classified as the Maya-Toltec period, which is dated from the later part of the 10th Century AD. The area classified as the Maya-Toltec period included the sacred well and the main group of outstanding Yucatan Ruins.
When the area of Chichen Itza was first settled it was primarily an agricultural area. From 625 to 800 AD Mayan arts and sciences flourished there. It was during this time period that it became a ceremonial center of importance. The buildings erected at that time include: The Red House, The House Of The Deer, The Nunnery and its Annex, The Church, The Akab Dzib, The Temple Of The Three Lintels and The House of Phalli.
Towards the end of the classic Maya period the foundation of this civilization started to weaken. The Mayans began to desert their ceremonial centers and rural lands. New smaller centers were built and places like Chichen Itza were only visited to perform religious rites and to bury the dead. The inhabitants of Itza abandoned the center by the end of the 7th century to live on the west coast for about 250 years. In the 10th century people returned to Chichen Itza. At around 1000 AD the Itza people allied themselves with two tribes; the Xio and the Cocorn. Both tribes claim to have been descendents from the Mexicans. The alliance lasted about two centuries. The Yucatan Ruins at Chichen Itza also show the traces of the Toltec art for that reason. It is apparent in things like porches, galleries and colonnades. There are carvings depicting Mexican gods as well as serpents and birds. The Toltec influenced more than just Mayan art. They imposed their religious beliefs on the Mayans as well. This included human sacrifice on a large scale. Itza expanded their land too in the Northern Yucatan with more alliances with the Mayapan and Uxmal. These alliances also expanded the political base of Chichen Itza. More spectacular architecture was added to the ceremonial center. These include: The Observatory, Kukalkan’s Pyramid, The Temple Of Warriors, The Ball Court and The Group Of The Thousand Columns. From these Yucatan ruins, The Temple Of The Warriors has pillars sculpted in bas-relief that retained its original colors. The Cenote of Sacrifice was reserved for human sacrifice. The victims included young and elder women and men, women and children. Of all the Yucatan Ruins on this site the best known is Kukalkan’s Pyramid. It was built for astronomical purposes. It is as 75-foot tall pyramid. During the vernal and autumnal equinoxes at 3:00 the sunlight bathes the western balustrade of the pyramid’s main stairway. This sunlight causes several isosceles triangles to form, creating a 37-foot long serpents body. The body creeps downward where it joins a serpent’s head made of stone at the bottom of the stairs. The serpent represents Kukalkan the feathered serpent. Researchers believe it was symbolic of the descent of Kukalkan and used in agricultural rituals.
Mayan Civilization Ancient Maya History
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