Great Wonders: Chichen Itza: An Alien City in the Maya Lowlands
Lecture given by Dr. Simon Martin, Associate Curator and Keeper of Collections, American Section. Every spring and autumn equinox thousands of people gather at the base of "El Castillo"-the pyramid at the heart of one of the ancient America's most famous and evocative cities: Chichen Itza. They come to marvel at the skill of ancient astronomers in aligning their structure in such a way that the sun casts a diamond-back shadow of a giant serpent down one of its staircases. They also come to peer into the depths of the great sinkhole known as the "Well of Sacrifice," and wander through the expanses of the "Great Ballcourt," the largest in the New World. Chichen Itza is a truly remarkable place, but the story behind it has hardly been told. There is a hidden history to these ruins and the biggest secret of all is that this great Maya metropolis is not very Maya at all. To understand the city properly it will be necessary to debunk the myths and take a journey into the symbolism behind its every carved stone-revealing its true designers and their ancient purpose.
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I went there a few years back. Absolutely amazing!
So frustrating not to be able to see the slides! Why does the camera include a guy in the dark instead of a decent look at what he is talking about?
I was there 20 years ago. A time where we were allowed to climb to the top and once there, it felt like a spiritual peace within me. I wanted to stay there longer, hard to explain. Climbing up was easier than going down because the steps are small and need to grab a chain coming down for support. There are 365 steps to include the top. There are 365 days in a year.
Enjoyed your video! We just visited Chichen Itza. Loved the architecture and history of the place. The Maya Warrior Dancers that entertained us at lunch were incredible.
Having been there 3 times, on my honeymoon we were given a private tour up inside underneath the steps to a chamber above holding a red statue table .. feel lucky since it is all blocked off to climbing now.
Wish I would have cared more about this when I was a dumb tourist teenager in the 90s
The blue on the ground peaks my interest the most and solves a huge mystery as to what happened to them.
As long as you stay humble and never forget the ignorance time has given us, this is a wonderful and fascinating collection of nonsense signals to think over. I find it so fun to guess and speculate and then disprove my own bad assumptions.
Excellent overview of the archaeological landscape. Connects a lot of dots. Thank you
Wild that you have not put all the pieces together yet. I have. Videos coming soon ⏰
i just went to chichen itza, and had a talk with someone about the crater.. i had no idea about the way the cenotes formed in that pattern around it. super interesting.
Thank you, informative and scholarly
Very good! Thank you..
I'm interested in what Dr Martin has to say, but as I can neither see nor hear him due to technical failings of the video, I'll pass. It's a recurrent problem with Penn Museum presentations.
I was there in 1976 and went inside the pyramid. Only about twenty at a time were allowed in guided every step by a official at the site. Entering from ground level we walked up steps in a kind of winding four and a half foot high 'tunnel' , but I can't remember how far we climbed. It was very cramped and dim in there. Reaching the top of the steps where it opened up into a small room that was also dimly lit. Behind iron bars for protection was a life-sized Jaguar made out of stone and covered with mosaic jade. Its eyes were red and reflected the artificial lighting that showed it off. The official said that they sacrificed children on top of it. I never hear anybody mention that. Why?
Very interesting. Thanks.
What happened to the excavations around the pyramid showing that the pyramid is the tip of the iceburg and is built on a much larger older pyramid ?
Please use a better 🎤 unable to hear you🙄. Or talk directly into it. It keeps going up and down 🤪💁🏻♀️😏
the "drum major" feathered headdress is on the Tula Warriors, the Chacmools, and, a reach☺, Assyrian Winged Bulls-Limasuu, and the winged bulls and warriors at Persepolis, Iran. Persepolis looks to be another place with "international" architecture. The meteor crater is a nice reach! Tale needs something about the subterranean caves and such.
I hope to visit it someday.