CHICHEN ITZA

            Not far from Cancun, Mexico you can find the Mayan capital Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is known to be an archaeological zone in the eastern region of the state of Yucatan but also can be a very nice place to visit for vacations. Chichen Itza is known to have a very hot and dry climate with an average temperature ranging to 34º C (93º F).

           At Chichen Itza you can visit many fantastic places. They have many cultural and ideal destinations. One of those places you could visit would be the spectacular Cenote Sagrado. There you would find a huge sinkhole where many treasures were found in. They found jewelry, gold, jade, and bones from when young women were thrown into the water as an offering to the Mayan rain god, Chaac.

 picture of the Castillo in Chichen Itza...

          In Chichen Itza many of these things talked about are still found there and still intact. The Maya are known as the best of all the classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. In Yucatan is where they originated around the time 2600 B.C. rising to prominence around A.D. 250 in the present-day of southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize and western Honduras. They inherited many different ideas from the earlier civilizations, one known as the Olmecs. In Chichen Itza there is many places to see their creations. The Maya had developed many things such as astronomy, calendar cal systems and hieroglyphic writing. The Mayans were known to do very good artistic work and gained the name “architects”. They decorated many ceremonial buildings including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories that were all highly decorated with non-metal tools. They were also skilled farmers. They would clear large acres of tropical rain forests where the groundwater was very scarce, built sizable reservoirs that fit right underground and used them to store rainwater for many things. Some of the water was used to drink or farm with. Mayans had so many skills that they were equally skilled as weavers and potters. They would clear paths through forests, jungles and swamps to have a pathway right to close people so they could trade things and have extensive trade networks.

 Pictures:::

  1000 colomns: One of the main building complexes on site in Chichen Itza

 The main paramid at Chichen Itza...

references:::

http://www.mysteriousplaces.com/mayan/TourEntrance.html

http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Chichen_Itza

http://facultysenate.villanova.edu/maya/pic413.htm

http://www.mexperience.com/inmexico/photos/10chichen.htm

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/North_America/Mexico/Southeast/Yucatan/Chichen_Itza/ 

Chichen Itza