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Chichen Itzá

Published: 18.7.2010
Chichen Itza is a ruin of Mayo town, situated in north part of Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, established probably by Mayo tribes in 6th centuty A.D.

History

It was a night when rays of moonlight fell in virgin forest. At that time, Edward Herbert Thompson, a young American, who was interested for archaeology, mounted for the first time 30 metres high pyramid in Chichen Itzá. This object is placed in Yucatan Paninsula in Mexico. At the end of 19th century, the ruins of former town, covered with green, remained there. Above tops of trees, there were silhouetted shadows of gigantic churches, palaces,column galleries and marvellous decorated walls.The next day, Thompson profoundly investigated all buildings, and the rest of his life dedicated to research regarding their origin.

The name Chichen Itzá comes from pre-Columbus era, and means, in Mayo language, a mouth in Itza well. Itza was obviously (probably) Mayo tribe, which started, hundred of years after Jesus Christ birth, to construct their new religious metropolis. Mayo culture blew till time period when the town was conquested by Toltecs in 10th century. Their new building style was mixed with Mayo architecture. And just in such moon-light, Thompson saw the ruins (rests) of these two cultures in Great Pyramid. During next excavations, the Americans discovered a way, 6 metres wide and 300 metres long, paved with red bricks, leading to the edge of the town, to a pool placed in the earth. It was nature limestone lake, half-filled in with a water. Thompson was sure that he was in front of so called Sacrified Well, described in books of 16th century. According to this news, virgin girls were thrown down (in the course of dry periods), in order to win the sympathy of Rain God.

Thompson let to research each piece of stone inside the well. In the course of excavations, many jewels were found. No doubt, all such objects were applicated at sacrifice rituals. So, from well bottom, there were fished up ornaments from jadeit, earthen-ware products, aromatic resin, which served Mayos as an incense. The archaeologists discovered, in cooperation with two another professional divers, the early remains of human skeletons. These were obviously ritual sacrifices. The eartly remains of young women were found, but also the bones of young boys and men were discovered. However, the circumstances, at which these people lost their lives, remained unknown. Nobody knows, whether these sacrifices were dragged by force, following an order of priests, or if they jumped there spontaneously, with a target that they would win the sympathy of Rain God.

Present time

Just these uncovered mysteries allure at present the crowds of tourists to make an excursion to Chichen Itzá. Within past couple of years, there was managed to disclose and restore rests of many buildings. The tourists can enjoy a view on many ancient objects, illuminated with Yucatan sun. They mount upstairs Mayo pyramid, where Toltecs´ church is arising, in the same way, as Thompson did in past. Further, they can examine threateningly looking statues of Gods, having gigantic throats and tails, erected up to the sky, numerous sanctuaries or rests of a hall with thousands of columns. You can find there even seven playgrounds. Here, the teams rivaled, who quicker threw rubber ball through stone disc. A cupola placed above two great stone terraces belongs to greatest places of interest. This construction served to Mayos as an observatory. Winding staircases are leading upstairs, to three holes in a wall, destined for points of Sunset and Moonset. Finally, the archaeologists disclosed a system, how the Mayos arranged their astronomical calender. On the other hand, the construction in Chichen Itza, which brings the biggest fright, is known as Tzompantli, and has the face of human skull. This stone building, 60 metres long and 12 metres wide, looks like as gigantic sarcophagus. Its red, stone walls are decorated with four lines of dead heads, which are worked in a relief. According to the archaeologists, they present cut off heads of sureties from enemies´ lines, which were inprisoned in the building.

Text: Denisa Arvajová

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: picasaweb.com



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