PXL_20250424_232153089

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 07:49:22 +0100

THE SPLENDOR OF CHICHÉN ITZÁ
Early Posclassic period

The consolidation of Chichén Itzá as a
center of power in the Yucatán peninsula,
beginning in 1000 AD, marked a
milestone in the pre-Hispanic history of
the area; for the first time a single city
controlled economy and politics. A vision
of the world was developed with
innovative religious and social concepts
and a different economic structure.
New rituals unified groups in the
northern Maya region. Some deities, such
as Kukulcán, were redefined, and the
symbolic system began to represent
powerful individuals on sculptural
monuments, and no longer only the king
as the central figure, as in the ancient
cities to the south. Stelae were replaced
by rich reliefs on columns, walls, and
lintels.

Although for years it was believed
that the city had a Maya phase and a
Toltec one, recent archaeology seems to
show that Chichén Itzá was always a
single city, with areas devoted to clearly
differentiated activities, joined by a great
network of stone roads (sacbeob). The
most well-known sector (where the
Castillo is located) was dedicated to public
cult; others were occupied by palaces of
the nobility. Commercial activity, above
all sea trade, led to the prosperity of
coastal communities such as Xcambó, Isla
Cerritos, Cozumel, and Chac Mool, and
reached such far-away regions as Tabasco
and the southern zone of Guatemala. The
Itzá seized control of the northeastern
peninsula from Cobá, with which they
gained access to the Caribbean coast,
expanding their trade networks to
Central America and establishing
enclaves in what is today Belize. The
hegemony of Chichén Itzá began to wane
around 1200 A.D. The exact causes are
unknown, but two important factors
must have brought about the decline: the
extremely exploitative nature of the
system and the fall of cities in the Puuc
area.

PANEL WITH MEN DISGUISED AS BIRDS

Part of the four panels that correspond to the upper part of the façade of the Ossuary at Chichen Itza. The main motif depicts two men disguised as birds, as indicated by the masks, the feathers of the headdress, and the wings attached to their arms. The individual at the bottom holds what appears to be a drum in his left hand, and in the other he carries a scepter in the shape of a serpent. Based on their clothing and the position of their arms, it has been suggested that they are dancers.

Period: Early Postclassic (1000-1250 CE)