A Renegade Cowgirl

Chichen Itza is a Mayan City on the northern Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, between Valladolid and Merida. Throughout its nearly 1,000 year history, different peoples have left their mark on this city. The Maya and Toltecs revealed their artistic works and stone monuments.

As I entered the site of Chichen Itza, the first building I came to was the main pyramid called ‘El Castillo o Templo de Kukulkan’. It was named for the feathered serpent god of rebirth and creativity. Its dramatic serpents are a reminder that pyramid temples provided access to other cosmic realms. It’s the tallest building here, 75 feet tall, with its square squat base with four staircases facing the four directions. Most Maya pyramids had two purposes; they were temples for worship and they were tombs. Until recently, visitors were allowed to climb the stairs to get to the top.

This pyramid, along with Caracol, both incorporate certain astronomical and calendrical principles. The Castillo was built with geometrical and astronomical proportions; and orientation which constituted a special place for conducting seasonal rites related to the Maya concept of cyclic time. The Castillo possesses 9 terraces, the same as the number of levels of the Maya underworld, a divided stairway, each side containing 18 such layers which is equal to the number of 20 day months in a Maya year. Each staircase is 33 feet wide and has 91 steps on each of the four sides, together which are the number of days in the year of 364.

There are 52 recessed panels on both sides of each stairway; the same number of years in a calendar round of 260 days. The measurements of the building’s alignments taken with a surveyors’ transit and astronomical fix, revealed that the north-south axis of the pyramid is aligned 21 degrees 12’E of north. This places the west face of the pyramid within 4 degrees of the June solstice sunset position.

The Castillo of Chichen is also well known for serpent hierophany, which is evident on the northern stairway on the equinoxes about a week on either side of those dates. A half-diamond pattern of shadow and light results the triangular pattern of a diamondback rattlesnake. There is a similar phenomenon at Mayapan.

Caracol of Chichen Itza

Built in the early Postclassic era in Chichen Itza is a circular structure known as the Caracol (Spanish word for ‘snail’) due to its internal spiral passageways. The Maya used their mathematical knowledge, along with celestial observations, to finesse a calendar created by the Olmec, a culture from the Mexican Gulf Coast, creating monuments to observe movements of the moon, the sun, and Venus.

For the Maya, the most important heavenly body was Venus, a deity in most traditions being a goddess of love and fertility. But the Maya Venus was masculine and deadly, and its appearance in the morning or evening sky was thought to bring evil influences. During these times, the people prepared themselves spiritually and physically for hunger, drought, and war.

The Maya learned to predict the exact times at which Venus would appear to within 0.08 days in 481 years, or one day in every 6,000 years. No other ancient civilization has ever come close to this prediction.

There is much evidence that the Caracol of Chichen Itza had been designed for making astronomical observations.

The round shape of the building resembles a modern observatory.

There are narrow horizontal shafts in the uppermost portion of the tower which could have been used for sighting objects on or near the horizon.

There are a number of architectural asymmetries present in the general planning of the building and these may have been constructed for practical function of incorporating astronomical alignments.

In the absence of any astronomical instruments, architecture is a logical possibility.

Most sources agree that from approximately 550 AD to 800 AD, Chichen Itza existed mainly as a ceremonial center for the Maya civilization.
For some reason, the area was abandoned for about 100 years, and was resettled around 900 AD. Shortly before 1000 AD, it was invaded from the north by the Toltecs. The Toltecs had settled near modern-day Mexico City at Tula, around 900 AD under the rule of a king Topiltzin, who also took the name of “Feathered Serpent,” or Quetzalcoatl, the name of an Aztec god.
Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl and his followers were forced out of Tula around 987 AD.

Mayan historical sources mention that a man who called himself Kukulkan arrived in Chichen Itza from the west (Kukul means “feathered” and kan means “serpent”) in the period that ended in 987 AD. A strong case has been made that Kukulkan and Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl were most likely the same person, and that he brought the Toltec practices and beliefs to Chichen Itza, including the practice of human sacrifice.

‘Chacmool’ sits on the ground with the upper back raised, legs drawn up and arms over the stomach holding a disk for offerings. Over 25 Chac Mools have been uncovered at Chichen Itza, all of which date to the Post classic Period (900-1500 A.D.). Research suggests it was used in sacrifice rituals and/or to receive offerings.

El Mercado (The Market ) was named by the Spanish, but its function is under debate by scholars.
It is a very large building with a spacious interior court. The interior space is large and open, with a large patio in front of the only entrance, accessed by a broad stairway.
There were three hearths and grinding stones found in this market and scholars believe it was likely used for ceremonial function. This building clearly is a Toltec construction.

We were allowed to walk up these steps into the open area of the market. The steps are narrow and hard to maneuver.

The Ball Court

Chichen Itza’s Ball Court is located in the northern section of the city and is the largest ever found in Mexico, measuring 550 ft long by 231 ft wide. The walls are covered with reliefs of the game being played here. There are two stone rings set vertically, not horizontally like a basket ball hoop, at the top of the two parallel walls which run the Ball court’s length. Players had to pass a ball through the rings to score points. These games were rituals associated with Sun worship and were not considered a sport.

Two teams of seven players each competed in a game in which rubber balls, made from the sap of local trees, were shot through the rings. Players were only allowed to use their elbows, hips and knees, and never their hands. At the end of the game the captain of one of the teams was sacrificed, the loser according to some; and the winner, in the opinion of others.

This is a short video of the carvings on the wall of the Ball court with a brief description by our guide Lilia.

The Temple of the Jaguars, which is a part of the ball court’s structure, contains magnificent reliefs of Maya-Toltec priests.

It was a long, very full day of walking and listening; discovering these ruins at Chichen. I felt pretty small and humbled standing next to El Castillo; my mind was racing as I was learning all this history of the people who lived and worshipped here; on this very spot, hundreds of years ago. We're getting 'hands on history' from our special guide that day, and it was alot to take in!

After coming home, I spent quite a bit of time looking at books and pictures, and I can finally put down into words what I had experienced that day.

If you do get the chance to go, I'd definitely recommend a whole day at Chichen Itza. Get there early, wear good hiking shoes, wear a hat, and bring along water and some sunscreen.

References: ‘Chichen Itza’s legacy in the astronomically oriented architecture of Mayapan’ by Anthony F. Aveni, Susan Milbrath, & Carlos Peraza Lope, ChichenItza.com, The Maya by Timothy Laughton, thank you Sandy for taking me there, and special thanks to Lilia Lucia Lizama Aranda, our personal guide.

Wait! Watch the slideshow before you go!