This is Chichen Itza built by the Mayan Civilization in around 600 A.D. The site was a major regional center of what is now Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The Northern part of this region is extremely arid and has no over ground rivers.
But there are a couple lot sink holes here which is where the sites name comes from. Chichen Itza means at the mouth of the well at the Itza tribe. Being such a dry region, rain was extremely precious and the rain god for the Mayans was treated with great reverence. According to both Mayan and Spanish sources dating from before the Spanish conquest of the region, pre Columbian Mayans used to well of Cenote as a place of sacrifice both humans and objects were hurled into it in order to worship the Mayan rain god Chac.
The Cenote is a large cup-shaped depression with steep walls over 20 meters down to the waster surface and about 60 meters across. It wasn’t actually used for water. This came from other more convenient cenotes and some artificial wells. But in times of drought, humans would plunge into its depths, although there were complicated rituals and beliefs surrounding these sacrifices. One of which was that the victims do not actually die they were just never seen again.
In the early part of the 20th century the sacred Cenote was dredged by the American consul Edwin Thompson, who discovered gold, jade, pottery and incense within. He also found human remains bearing wounds consistent human sacrifice. Over the years, there has been considerable revision by archeologist regarding the decline of Chichen Itza.
It is now considered that it fell around A.D 1000 and the Yucatan rulership was later relocated to Mayapan. During this period, the population declined and new constructions seized. The site was never completely deserted however and the sacred Cenote was still considered a place of pilgrimage.
Five hundred years later in 1531, the Spanish conquistadores attempted to claim the site and make it the capital of Yucatan. But the plan failed when Mayan natives revolted and forced them to withdraw.
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