Is there anything under Chichen Itza?

In 2015, scientists determined that there is a hidden cenote under the Temple of Kukulkan, which has never been seen by archeologists. According to post-Conquest sources (Maya and Spanish), pre-Columbian Maya sacrificed objects and human beings into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god Chaac.



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The ancient Mayan pyramid of Kukulkán is a Unesco heritage site, protected by law and the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH ). It is forbidden to climb it and fines range from $4000 to $8400 for trespassers, depending on the amount of damage caused.

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The ruins of Chichén Itzá are federal property, and the site's stewardship is maintained by Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History).

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After descending the pyramid steps, she was met by an angry crowd who yelled “jail jail jail” and “idiot,” though the woman seemed relatively unphased. Villalobos was then escorted from the site and taken to the nearby community of Tinum, where she received a fine of 5,000 pesos, roughly $250.

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The Pyramid of El Castillo in Chichén Itzá was built to reflect the Mayan astronomical year. Each side has 91 steps with a final step at the top, so there are 365 steps total. The Pyramid was constructed so that it marks the equinoxes—the two days of the year when there are equal amounts of day and night.

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Sistema Ox Bel Ha (270.2 km), Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich (67 km), and Sistema Dos Ojos (82.47 km) are the world's three longest operating underwater cave systems in the Riviera Maya. As they were said to represent entrances into the underworld (known as Xibalba), cenotes were once the holy places of the Mayans.

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Kukulcan and his other manifestations are all unified by the belief that each was considered a creator god and a bringer of rain and winds. The god is particularly associated with Chichen Itza where a large temple was built in his honour.

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Barbachano still owns the 87-year-old award-winning hotel, the first ever built anywhere within an archaeological site, but the family finally sold Chichén Itzá to the provincial government last year for $17.8 million.

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One of the most interesting recent discoveries about Chichen is related to an essential aspect of Mayan life: water! In Chichen Itza, the cenotes are the only source of fresh water. These underground rivers are pure crystal water, a product of filtration through the limestone subsoil.

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