What has been found at Chichen Itza?

Great Ball Court. Archeologists have identified in Chichen Itza thirteen ballcourts for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame, but the Great Ball Court about 150 meters (490 ft) to the north-west of the Castillo is the most impressive. It is the largest and best preserved ball court in ancient Mesoamerica.



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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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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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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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Archaeologists have discovered a cave filled with hundreds of artifacts beneath the ruins of the Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico, the lead researcher on the project said Monday, calling the find incredible.

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Archeologist Guillermo de Anda from the University of Yucatan pieced together the bones of 127 bodies discovered at the bottom of one of Chichen Itza's sacred caves and found over 80 percent were likely boys between the ages of 3 and 11.

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13 Facts About Chichen Itza, One Of The 7 Wonders Of The World
  • 6 There Are Smaller Pyramids Within.
  • 7 It Isn't Entirely Mayan. ...
  • 8 It May Have Been Used For Sacrifices. ...
  • 9 It Is Being Restored. ...
  • 10 It Was Built Near Sinkholes. ...
  • 11 It's Built With Diverse Materials. ...
  • 12 It Was Used As An Observatory. ...
  • 13 It Was Discovered Twice. ...


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Though they left behind amazing works of architecture and art, the city's inhabitants left no known record of why they abandoned their homes. Scientists speculate that droughts, exhausted soils, and royal quests for conquest and treasure may have contributed to Chichén Itzá's downfall.

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Between March 20th and 21st the Chichén Itzá spring equinox, will take place, which is a light and shadows show that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. At the time the sun begins its way towards the horizon, several shadows start to appear on one of the faces at the main pyramid at Chichén Itzá.

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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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The Maya name: Chichen Itza means at the edge of the Itza's well. This derives from chi', meaning mouth or edge, and ch'e'en, meaning well. Itza is the name of an ethnic-lineage group that dominated the northern peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico prior to the Spanish Conquest.

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The main Mayan Ruin is the Chichen Itza Pyramid or El Castillo, but there are other equaly important as El Caracol or Observatory, The Temple of The Warriors and the Mayan Ball Game.

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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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6 Great Pyramid Of Cholula, A Hidden Mystery Built some 2,000 years ago, the pyramid was hiding in plain sight after much of its complex was destroyed during the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Virtually everything about this structure is a mystery--when and how were the layers built?

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The largest and most famous of all the pyramids, the Great Pyramid at Giza, was commissioned by Snefru's son, Khufu, known also as Cheops, the later Greek form of his name. The pyramid's base covered over 13 acres and its sides rose at an angle of 51 degrees 52 minutes and were over 755 feet long.

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Archaeologists generally agree that the causes of the Mayan civilization decline include war, overpopulation, unsustainable practices to feed that population, and protracted drought.

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