Chichen Itza is the most famous and well-known Mayan archaeological site. It has astonished visitors for over a thousand years and is a prime example of the glory that was the Mayan empire at its peak. Archaeologists have visited this impressive site for over two hundred years, poring over the many ruins and the impressive castle that is the heart of Chichen Itza. In the last twenty years the site has become a major tourist attraction as well, with over 40,000 people gathering twice a year to see Chichen ItzaÆs seminal attraction: the snake formed by the sun during the fall and spring equinoxes. When speaking of Chichen Itza, one thing is certain: there may be prettier archaeological sites, there may be better maintained archaeological sites, but there is no archaeological site in the world that is more impressive. This paper will take an in depth view at Chichen Itza, beginning with its discovery, cataloging the major findings it has contributed to our knowledge of Mayan affairs, and ending with the siteÆs role in Mexican archaeologyÆs future. Through this exploration of the siteÆs history one will see that Chichen Itza is one of the most important archaeological sites in the entire world.
Chichen Itza has been one of the prime destinations for early-American archaeologists since the early 1800Æs. Chichen Itza has figured prominently in the worldÆs imagination since Diego de Landa, the second bishop of the Yucatan, first visited the magical site shortly after the Spanish conquest of the region. The site was abandoned then, but LandaÆs fanciful descriptions of the site implied that the Maya were still an important presence at Chichen Itza, still going there to throw offerings into the famous ôSacred Wellö (Schele, 197). Although de Landa was indeed the first European to visit Chichen Itza, there would be many more to come as the site became one of the most important archaeological ruins in the world.
The firs...