Chich'en Itza: A Monument of Mayan Civilization

In January, I traveled to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. The peninsula, home to such vacation hot spots such as Cancun, in the Riviera Maya, and the island of Cozumel, the Yucatán is the best known for the cultural heritage of it's indigenous Mayan people. Arriving first in the capital city of Mérida, I spent several days getting acclimated to the surroundings, language, and overall pace of life, which seems to move at a slower pace than Des Moines, considering the city boasts a population of around 800,00 people. Another interesting thing about Mérida is the unique blend of Spanish colonialism and Mayan influence that permanents the city. In fact, when the Spanish conquistadors destroyed the ancient Mayan city of T'ho, to found Mérida in 1542, they even used many of the carved stones from the ruins of the conquered city as the foundational building materials to erect their own colonial structures. After catching up with my good friend, in whose home I was staying, the next time the time came for me to venture out of the city, to explore a marvel of ancient and modern times. And of the more than one hundred ancient Maya archaelogical sites found on the peninsula, each with it's own story and unique history, there may be no better example of the lasting impact and historical significance of Mayan civilization, than the remains of the Chich'en Itza.

The road from Mérida to Chich'en Itza, which means "At the mouth of the well of Itza," Is about 120 Kilometers (75 miles) long and fairly uneventful. I booked the tour the night before my departure and for 350 pesos. I was provided with transportation, lunch and a guide. At 9:00 A.M. Jose, our driver and guide, picked me up in front of the Holiday Inn., and after making his rounds to various hotels around the city, filling out white van to capacity, we began the day's journey. As we motored along the highway, he introduced himself and gave us with a brief overview of the best known and the most often visited archaeological ruins in the entire Mayan world. Upon arriving, and paying the ten dollar entrance fee to enter the site, I realized, as I have during many of my travels, just how poorly photographs tend to communicate how remarkable complexes of this magnitude really are. The first building that captured or rather commanded my attention was the "Temple of Kukulcan," which is also the centerpiece of the site. Also known as "El Castillo" (The castle), this steppe pyramid, which is approximately 30 meters tall, loomed over everything and everyone present which easily amounted to several hundreds of people including our small group. While Jose spoke to us about the astronomical, mathematical, and religious significance of this beautiful structure, I found myself captivated by its sheer size and presence. Constructed sometime between 1000 and 1200 AD, Jose explained that the façade of "El Castillo" was designed to function as a solar calendar. Each of the four sides of the pyramid has ninety-one steps, totaling 364. With the common top step counting as one more every day, or "kin," as the Mayans called it, of the calendar year was represented. Furthermore, the four stairways also divide the nine terraces on each of the pyramid's sides into eighteen separate segments, in order to represent the eighteen months of the Mayan solar year. With each of these consisting of twenty days, that left fife days at the end of the year which were separate and did not considered to be part of any month. Even more impressive is that, according to Jose, there is actually an earlier pyramid similar to this one that is inside the "El Castillo" Which at one time served as a lunar calendar. A truly awesome structure indeed. I was rather disappointed that we were barred from climbing, or entering into any part of the Temple of Kukulcan," due to its continuing restoration.

The magnificent construction of the pyramid is highlighted even further by its strategic orientation to the sun. As the sun sets during each equinox in fall and spring, a phenomenon occurs in which a shadow, resembling that of a snake, appears briefly on the steps of the temple's northern side. In addition to the astronomical importance of this biannual occurrence, it signifies the ingenuity and engineering capability of the Mayan people. From a religious standpoint this shadow was considered to be Kukulcan, a Mayan god known as the Feathered Serpent. Aesthetically, this is no doubt a breathtaking site to be seen, the pyramid was also constructed so that, during the summer and winter solstices, its corners are positioned toward the rising and setting points of the sun. Jose recalled that as a child he was taken here one winter's morning, by his father and grandfather, to watch the sun rise long before the site opened for the day. I asked how many people were present, besides the three of them, to experience the spectacular sunrise. "Just us," He replied. A stark contrast to the throngs present this afternoon, I thought and while the crowds of tourists seem to take something away from the splendor and majesty of such a place as this, at the same time,, the masses are a testimony to why Chich'en Itza is under consideration to become one of the new seven wonders of the world!

The massive and multi-dimensional "El Castillo" was only one of several stone buildings that we toured that day, all varying in degrees of preservation and overall condition. We surveyed the "Juego de Pelota," also known as "the great ball court" which is the largest and most significant ball court in all of Mesoamerica. We learned about the Mayan ritual sacrifices that were performed on "The platform of skulls." We were told about "the temple of the warriors," which honored brave Mayan soldiers with carved columns depicting their likeness. We also visited "The temple of the jaguar," a monument to a very important animal to the Maya people, and "the group of 1000 columns." After the formal tour ended which consisted primarily of these main buildings, we were given one hour to explore the site on our own. Hardly sufficient time to really take something so extraordinary, I spent the last few minutes sitting on the warm green winter grass, pondering what this place must have been like during the height of Mayan Civilization. I also thought about what it is that I wouldn't do to have just five minutes in complete solitude here.

We may not be able to completely understand how or why places like Chich'en Itza, a modern world heritage site were built. However, one thing that is clearly demonstrated by the construction of such marvels is the tremendous amount of vision, mathematical skill, astronomical accuracy, and engineering ability, that the Maya people posses. It is unfortunate that the Spanish invaders of the 16^th century, either due to blind intolerance or mere ignorance, sought to destroy so many of the artifacts of the Mayan civilization. Although they succeeded in decimating many objects of historical and archaeological interest in this region, their attempts to completely annihilate the culture and religion the Maya ultimately failed. Not only have the remains of these once great culture centers of social and political and religious life withstood the tests of time, but the language, dress, intellect, custom, tradition, and histories, both oral and written, continue on today as a living testament to the hands that built them. The identity of the Mayan people has survived.