El Templo, known as the Temple of Kukulkan (or simply Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step pyramid that rises in the center of the archaeological site of Chichen Itza in the Mexican state of Yucatan. The Castle or Pyramid of Kukulkan is one of the tallest and most remarkable examples of Maya architecture. It was built during the heyday of the Itza-Cocom culture, at the time of the decline of Mayapan. Constructed by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD, the building served as a temple to the deity Kukulkan, the feathered serpent god of the Yucatec Maya, closely related to Quetzalcoatl, a deity known to the Aztecs and other cultures of central Mexico during the Postclassic period. Its foundation was likely built several centuries earlier.

This is a four-sided pyramid with a rectangular temple on top. When you think about it, it’s a bit unsettling that the Maya, often called the Greeks of America, could create such modest architecture, almost hostile to ornamentation. However, amid the austerity of the castle, there exists a strict and awe-inspiring aesthetic design, as well as a concept of beauty inspired by the warrior people who dominated these lands. The main facade of this temple is decorated with two columns depicting serpents with open jaws. They form the main entrance, crowned by a large mask of the god Chaac. The main entrance has a lintel supported by two square columns adorned with bas-reliefs. The pyramid was built atop an earlier, smaller structure which it covered. During excavations, archaeologists discovered a smaller temple, 16 meters high. The construction of Kukulkan, like other Mesoamerican temples, likely reflected the common Maya practice of building their temples in several stages. The last construction probably took place between 900-1000 AD, while the foundation may have been built earlier, between 600-800 AD. Based on archaeological research, the construction of Kukulkan was based on the concept of axis mundi. Anthropologists believe this site remained sacred regardless of how the structure was positioned there. When the temple structure was updated, the previous structure was destroyed through a ritual that included the consecration of the space by spiritual forces to preserve its sanctity. It is estimated that this last structure dates to the 11th century AD.

Evidence of the Maya’s remarkable progress in architecture and astronomy is the phenomenon of “light and shadow,” which occurs on the northern staircase of the castle during the Spring Equinox on March 21 and the Autumn Equinox on September 21. Around three o’clock in the afternoon on the equinox days, the sun projects seven triangles of light onto the balustrade on the northeast side of the castle. They begin to move up and down along the balustrade, forming the silhouette of a serpent.

The building is situated on a rectangular platform 55.5 meters wide and 24 meters high. Precision and thoughtfulness are part of the essence of the building; each side of the pyramid has a large staircase with 91 steps on each side and one more leading to the upper temple, totaling 365 steps—one for each day of the year. Stone balustrades frame each staircase, and at the base of the northern staircase are two colossal feathered serpent heads, images of the god Kukulkan. It is on these staircases, especially on their parapets or balustrades, where shadows from the edges of the platforms or overlapping foundations that unite the great building are projected around the equinox day, thus forming the image of the serpent’s body, which appears to move down and up over the course of hours, ending at the aforementioned stone head located at the lower base of the staircase.

Scientific studies conducted since 1998 show that the temple imitates the chirping sound of the quetzal bird when people clap around it. Researchers claim this phenomenon is not accidental, and that the builders of this temple felt divinely rewarded by the resonant effect of this structure. Technically, the clapping sound is emitted and dispersed on the high and narrow limestone steps of the temple, creating a sound similar to chirping, with a decreasing frequency. All four sides of the temple have approximately 91 steps, which, when summed and including the temple platform at the top as the final "step," can total 365 steps. This number equals the number of days in the Haab year and is likely closely related to rituals.

In 1997, the universities of Minnesota and San Francisco conducted radar studies in the area, leading to the discovery of a hidden cenote beneath the pyramid of El Castillo de Chichen Itza. In 2015, the Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico conducted magnetic resonance studies that allowed them to graphically represent the cenote, eight meters hidden beneath the pyramid. In 2017, the Maya research group Gran Acuífero began investigations in nearby caves to find the entrance to this water reservoir. However, the entrance was blocked by stones, which were likely placed there intentionally. It is believed that this cenote was hidden because it represented the center of the world.

In 1566, the temple was described by the monk Diego de Landa in his manuscript known as "Relación de las cosas de Yucatán" ("Account of the Affairs of Yucatan"). Nearly three centuries later, John Lloyd Stephens described the temple’s architecture in even greater detail in his book "Incidents of Travel in Yucatan," published in 1843. At that time, the archaeological excavations of Chichen Itza were located on an estate also called Chichen Itza, owned by Juan Sosa. Frederick Catherwood illustrated the book with lithographs depicting the temple, covered on all sides with abundant vegetation. There are several photographs taken in the early twentieth century also showing the temple partially covered by the mentioned vegetation.

In 1924, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C., requested permission from the Mexican government to conduct research and restoration work in and around Chichen Itza. In 1927, with the assistance of Mexican archaeologists, they began this task. In April 1931, aiming to confirm the hypothesis that the Kukulkan temple structure was built atop a much older temple, excavations and exploration began despite widespread beliefs opposing this hypothesis. On June 7, 1932, near human remains now exhibited in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, a box was found containing items inlaid with coral, obsidian, and turquoise.

After extensive excavations in April 1935, inside the temple a statue of Chak Mool was found with nails, teeth, and eyes inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The room where the find was made was dubbed the "Offering Hall" or "Northern Chamber." After more than a year of excavations, in August 1936, a second room was found just a few meters from the first. Inside this room, called the "Sacrifice Room," archaeologists discovered two parallel rows of human bones embedded in the back wall, as well as a statue of a red jaguar. Both rooms with human remains are oriented to the north-northeast. Researchers concluded that there must be an inner temple approximately 33 meters wide, shaped similarly to the outer temple, with nine steps and a height of 17 meters to the base of the temple where Chak Mool and the jaguar were found.

A structure resembling a throne (called the "Red Jaguar") was discovered in the room described as the throne room. It was previously assumed that the jaguar throne was decorated with flint and green stone discs, but recent studies have shown that the jaguar is made of materials with high symbolic and ritual value. X-ray fluorescence was used to determine that the sculpture is painted red with a pigment that includes cinnabar or mercury sulfide. Cinnabar is absent in the immediate vicinity of Chichen Itza, so its transportation over long distances clearly indicates its high value. The red color apparently was important for Maya cultural symbolism. It was associated with the creation of life as well as death and sacrifice.

Four fangs of the Red Jaguar were identified as shells of gastropod mollusks using a digital microscope and comparative analysis. The shells are also considered another valuable raw material. The green stones were analyzed and identified as a variety of jadeite. Jadeite was valuable economically and socially, and the acquisition and use of this material indicate Chichen Itza’s access to various trade routes.

Archaeological research shows that the Red Jaguar resembles other throne images found in Maya frescoes; thus, whoever sat on this throne may have had access to the axis mundi point, which is important for elements and connections with the cosmological system. The symbolic use of materials associated with the underworld and death also suggests that this was an offering for the ritual closure (burial?) of the temple.

According to historians and archaeologists, it was the Toltecs who introduced the Maya to human sacrifices. This became a tradition in Maya culture, where the sacrifice was performed by the high priest (nakom), and elderly priest assistants called Chak (named after the Maya rain god) held the victim on a stone slab. The victims were mainly slaves, orphans, criminals, and children. Victims were called to the temple one by one, held by cracks, and at that moment the priest pierced their heart with a flint knife. Then the bodies were thrown down the temple steps.

Human sacrifices were common and were occasionally performed during various Maya ritual ceremonies.

Sources:

https://www.chichenitza.com/chichen-itza-pyramid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza