synonymQiqin Itza Maya City State Site(Qiqin Itza Maya City State Site) Generally refers to Qiqin Itza
Chichen Itza（Spanish：Chichén Itzá；English: Chichen Itza[6]）, YesMayanThe transliteration of, which means "the wellhead of water in Itza", is located inMexicosoutheastYucatan Peninsula, once the most prosperous city state in the ancient Maya country, was founded in the 5th century A.DUrban cultureImportant sites of the peak period.[5]
It is 3 kilometers long from north to south, 2 kilometers wide from east to west, and has hundreds of buildingsToltec Culture The site of."Qiqin" means "wellhead", and the natural well is the foundation of the city.Existing highwayDivide it into two halves.The old Qiqin Itza on the south side was built from the 7th to the 10th century, withMayan CultureFeaturesPyramidTemple, Column Hall, Court, Market and Astronomyobservatory, mainly stone carving decoration;The north side of Xinqiqin Itza is a gray building with Toltec cultural characteristicsKukulcan Pyramid , Warrior Temple, etc., decorated with simple lines andFeather snake godStuccoMainly carving.
Schematic Diagram of the Geographical Location of the Ancient City Site of Qiqin Itza
Chichen Itza is ancientMayaCity Site, MexicoYucatansouth.It is 3 kilometers long from north to south and 2 kilometers wide from east to west. There are hundreds of buildings, which are ancientMayan CultureandToltec Culture The site of."Qiqin" means "wellhead". The natural well is the foundation of the city, which is divided into two parts by the existing roads.There is the "Koroergan Pyramid" with a height of 29 meters;The largest stadium preserved in Mexico;"Temple of men with beards";“jaguarTemple ";"Platform of Eagle and Jaguar";Natural well inlet up to 23m deep;sacredSpring eye；"Thousand Column Hall", the tomb of the high priest, etc.The old Qiqin Itza on the south side was built from the 7th to the 10th century AD, with Mayan cultural characteristics. The famous buildings include the pyramid temple, the column hall hall, the stadium, the market and the elliptical astronomical observatory, mainly decorated with stone carvings;The north side of Xinqiqin Itza is a gray building with Toltec cultural characteristicsKukulcan Pyramid , Warrior Temple, etc., decorated with simple lines andFeather snake godStuccoMainly carving.Chichen Itza isancient GreekRomeThe peak of the Mayan temple was about 500 to 700 A.DbasinHas a significant impact.Elegant architecture, superb technology and light reliefs all illustrate the myth of Maya people and prove that they are the genius creators of this civilization.[1]
The ancient city site of Chichen Itza is one of the most important Mayan civilization centers in Yucatan Peninsula, and is the historical witness of Mayan and Toltec civilization in Yucatan.In 1988, according to the selection criteria of cultural heritage C (I) (II) (III) (IV), Chichen Itza wasUNESCO World Heritage Committee Approved for inclusion as cultural heritage《World Heritage List》。
Selection basis:
Standard (i): Chichen Itza'sIconic buildingsEspecially the buildings in the north, including the stadium,Kukulkan TempleThe Samurai Temple has become an undisputed masterpiece of Central American architecture because of its beautiful proportion, exquisite architecture and brilliant carving decoration.
Standard (ii): From the 10th century to the 15th century, Chichen Itza affected the whole Yucatan cultural area.
Standard (iii): Chichen Itza is the most important archaeological site of the Mayan Toltec civilization on the Yucatan Peninsula (10-15th century).
Committee evaluation
The ancient city site of Chichen Itza is one of the most important Mayan civilization centers in Yucatan Peninsula.In nearly 1000 years of history, many ethnic groups have lived here and left their marks. From the local stone relics and art works, we can see the world outlook andCosmology。The combination of Mayan architectural skills and new elements from central Mexico has made the ancient city of Chichen Itza one of the most important places to display the Mayan Toltec civilization on the Yucatan Peninsula.Several buildings in the site have been preserved, including the Warrior Temple, the castle and the circular observatory known as the "snail".[2-3]
Heritage Introduction
Announce
edit
Chichen Itza was the shrine of the Mayans in ancient Greece and Rome. Its heyday was about 500 to 700 A.D., which had a significant impact on the entire Usumbura River Basin.Elegant architecture, superb technology and light reliefs all illustrate the myth of Maya people and prove that they are the genius creators of this civilization.Chichen Itza was built onMexicoYucatanAn extraordinaryStone City。Some of the oldest buildings and pyramids can be traced back to 1500 years ago and were built by the Toltecs and Mayans.
Qiqin Itza consists of stone buildings, temples and courtyards.A huge“Human sacrificeThe stadium is located at one end of the city.("Human sacrifice ball game" is a very special game. The two teams need to try to kick the ball across the iron rings at both ends of the field. After that, the captain of the winning team will cut his head as a sacrifice to the gods.) Although the city has been destroyed by time and looters in history, there are still many beautiful stone statues left.
The birth of the ancient city
Chichen Itza is the site of an ancient Mayan city, located in the south of Yucatan, Mexico.It is 3 kilometers long from north to south, 2 kilometers wide from east to west, and has hundreds of buildings. It is the site of ancient Maya culture and Toltec culture."Qiqin" means "wellhead", and the natural well is the basis for building the city.Existing highwayDivide it into two halves.The old Qiqin Itza on the south side was built from the 7th to the 10th century AD, with Mayan cultural characteristics, including pyramidal temple, pillar hall hall, stadium, market and astronomyobservatory, mainly stone carving decoration;The new Qiqin Itza on the north side is a gray building with the characteristics of Toltec culture, including Kukulkan Pyramid, Warrior Temple, etc. It is mainly decorated with simple lines and carved with plaster of the feather snake god.
Chichen Itza in MayaClassical periodIn the middle period, it is an important local city, but its biggest development and influence peak appears after the decline of the central lowlands and southern Mayan cities.
In about 987 AD, Quetzalcoatl, king of Toltec, led his army to come here from central Mexico, and together with local Mayan allies, he took Chichen Itza as his capital and the second Tula.The art and architecture of this period therefore presented an interesting mix of Maya and Toltec styles.
Mayan historical data recorded that a large-scale uprising and civil war took place in 1221. Archaeological evidence also showed that the wooden roof of the market and the samurai temple was burned down at about this time.Chichen Itza moved toMayapanAnd began to decline.
Until the 13th century, Chichen Itza was a prosperous city.Since then, Maya's rebellion and civil war broke out, which led to the rapid decline of the city and never recovered.When the Spanish conquered Yucatan in the 16th century,City centerHas been largely abandoned and become ruins.
Although Chichen Itza has not been completely abandoned, the population of the city has decreased, and no new large-scale buildings have been built.However, the sacred karst well still maintained its status as a pilgrimage site.
In 1531, Francisco de Montejo, the conqueror of Spain, announced that he had sovereignty over Chichen Itza and intended to use it as the capital of Yukatun, Spain. But a few months later, the local Maya uprising drove Montejo out of the place.[3]
Name Source
Mayan"Chich'en ItzaIt means "at the mouth of water in Itza"Pre Columbian PeriodyesCommon nameAt the same time, the city was also calledUucyabnalThat is, "seven great rulers".
The name of Chichen Itza isSpanishEtcChichén Itzá, indicating that the stress of both parts of the name is on the last syllable.And in the Yucatan Mayan language (still used in the region since the 16th centuryRoman alphabetWriting), this accent follows the standard rules of the language, so it is not addedDiacritical mark。Both writing methods have been confirmed by relevant literature, including academic works.Other languages usually use stricter diacritical marks, written asChich'en Itza。This form retains [ch '] and [ch] in thePhonemeBecause it represents theRadicalch'enStart atgumsAfter throat squeezingAffricate（international phonetic alphabet[t ʃ ʼ]), rather than the retrogingival affrication ([t ʃ]).
El Castillo (El Castillo, also known asFeather snake godPyramid, castle, Mayan Pyramid, or Mexican Pyramid), 23 meters high, in the middle of Chichen Itza, is a temple built for the Feather Snake God.The foundation of the pyramid is square, and the four sides rise up the stairs to the temple at the top.At the equinox of day and night in spring and autumn, when the sun rises and the sun sets, the corner of the building casts a snake like shadow on the steps in the north of the pyramid, and glides down in the north with the position of the sun.
ancientCentral AmericaIn cities, it is a practice to build bigger and more magnificent pyramids on top of the old ones, and the Castillo Pyramid is one of its examples.archaeologistAn entrance found on the ladder in the north of the pyramid leads to a tunnel, where people can climb up the steps of the old pyramid hidden inside the pyramid to the top, and can see the feather snake god king carved in stone, painted red with jade dotsjaguarcrown。The design of the old pyramid inside is said to follow the lunar calendar, while the new pyramid outside isSolar calendar。
In a fatalFalling accidentAfter that, the top of the pyramid is no longer open to tourists.
The "Samurai Temple" in Chichen Itza was apparently built according to the B Temple in Tula, the capital of Toltec, and was more magnificent than its prototype due to the skill of Mayan architects.The Samurai Temple is a stone building with a stepped pyramid top (originally made of wood and plaster as the roof), and the internal pillars are carved into the shape of Samurai.There is an altar statue of Chac Mool at the top of the pyramid steps leading to the entrance of the temple.
Next to the Samurai Temple is a square surrounded by pillars, the "Great Market".
There are a total of seven Central American football courts in Chichen Itza, of which the stadium 150 meters northwest of the pyramid is the most eye-catching.This is the largest stadium in ancient Central America, 166 meters long and 68 meters wide.Inside the stadium, there are stone slabs carved with the image of players on both sides.Chichen Itza's ball game is a kind ofreligious ritesThe priest will make a divination first. The divination may say that if Team A wins, it will be a good year, or it will be a bad year.The team members on both sides were bored and did not know the contents of the divinationJust fight to the death.In the end, Team B may win.When the priest uncovers the contents of the divination, the leaders of the poor team A and team B will offer their heads to calm the wrath of God.This scene can be seen from a picture of the captain's decapitation on the court.There is a Jaguar Temple on one of the exterior walls of the stadium, on which there is another Jaguar crown.Because it has been buried underground for a thousand years, the red paint and the inlaid jade spots on it have disappeared.Beside the stadium is an open-air platform, and the side is decorated with a skeleton relief (a stone skull worn on a wooden frame).
Grand mage's tomb
This is a reduced version of the Castillo Pyramid.The name comes from the early excavator EH. Thompson foundAristocratic cemetery。
convent
One of the most striking buildings of the classical period in Chichen Itza is a group of exquisite Puuc style buildings.Although called "Las Monjas" ("The Nunnery") by the Spanish, this group of buildings is actually the government palace of the city in the classical period.Not far to the east is a small temple, nicknamed "La Iglesia", "The Church", decorated with a beautiful mask of Rain God.
There are other buildings near the "nunnery" complex, including:
● "Akab 'Dzib" (Maya word for "dark or dim words"), withHieroglyphicsPalace with inscriptions
To the north of the "nunnery" is a circular building on a large square platform - "oval"observatory”("El Caracol"), also known as "snail", is named after the spiral stone steps inside the circular building.The observatory is set for the Feather Snake God in charge of wind and learning. The gate is set to observe the equinox of day and night in spring, the maximum north-south tilt of the moon and othersAstronomical phenomenonLocation of.The Maya judged the arrival of the summer solstice and winter solstice by the shadow formed in the house when the sun shone on the door.There are large stone cups on the edge of the building. The Mayans filled them with water and observed the stars through reflection to determine their complex and extremely accuratecalendarSystem.
Old Qiqin
The "Old Qiqin" is a group of buildings located in the south of the city center, including the initial series of temples (Initial Series Group) and Yang. The two trees on the outside may have just been planted and appear slightly shorter.Their brown leaves gather at the top and disperse almost loosely.Two green trees on the insidepalmBetween them are the gray and dark building props, the Phallic TempleGiant tortoisePlatform of the Great Turtle, Temple of the Owls and Temple of the Monkeys.
Other buildings
About 5 around the city's ceremony centersquare kilometreA series of buildings are densely distributed on the land of, and there are several auxiliary buildings around the city.
cave
Balankanche Cave, the Feather Snake God in the Castillo Pyramid, is a series of sacred caves not far from the center of Chichen Itza.In the cave, people can still see the ancient pottery and icons left by the pre Columbian era in their original positions.
Dissolved well
There are not many surface rivers in Yucatan Peninsula, so the three local karst wells that provide sufficient water throughout the year make it a natural population center.Two of them still exist, one of which is the legendary“to sacrificeWell ". Mayan Rain GodChuckThe adherents of, regarded it as a holy place, and put jade, pottery and incense into the holy well as a sacrifice to Chuck, occasionally using living people to sacrifice in times of drought.(However, the terrible stories of a large number of beautiful young virgins being regularly thrown into the well as sacrifices told by some guides have not been confirmed in ancient documents or in the archaeological salvage of the karst well. There are also stories that young men, not girls, are the offerings of the holy well.) The holy well has long been the Yucatan areaThe pilgrimage site of.[3]
Historical culture
Announce
edit
Mayan civilization
Yucatan PeninsulaThere are not many surface rivers, so three karst wells (cenote) in Chichen Itza that provide sufficient water all the year round make it a natural population center.Two of them still exist, one of which is the legendary "Note of Sacrifice".Mayan Rain GodChuckBelievers of (Chaac) regard it as a holy place and regard jade, pottery andIncenseHe was put into the holy well as a sacrifice to Chuck, and occasionally used human sacrifice in times of drought.(However, the terrible story that some guides told about a large number of beautiful young virgins being regularly thrown into the well as sacrifices has not been confirmed in the ancient literature or in the archaeological salvage of the karst well. There are also stories that young men, not girls, are the sacrifices of the holy well.) The holy well has long been the pilgrimage site in Yucatan.
Chichen Itza was an important local city in the middle of the Mayan classical period around AD 600, but its greatest development and influence peak appeared after the decline of the central lowlands and southern Mayan cities.
In about 987 AD, Quetzalcoatl, king of ToltecFeather snake godHe led the army to come here from central Mexico, and (together with local Mayan allies) made Chichen Itza his capital and the second Tula.The art and architecture of this period therefore present an interesting mix of Maya and Toltec styles.
The decline of Chichen Itza
Mayan historical data recorded that a large-scale uprising and civil war took place in 1221,archaeologyThe evidence also shows that the wooden roof of the market and the samurai temple is aroundOne timeBurned.Chichen Itza moved with Yucatan's ruling centerMayapanAnd began to decline.
Although Chichen Itza has not been completely abandoned, the population of the city has decreased, and no new large-scale buildings have been built.However, the sacred karst well still maintained its status as a pilgrimage site.
In 1531, Francisco de Montegio, the conqueror of Spain, announced that he had sovereignty over Chichen Itza and intended to use it as the capital of Yucatan in Spain. But a few months later, the local Maya uprising drove Montegio out of the place.
Historical events:
Around 432-455, Maya people created their own settlement here according to the manuscripts of Chumaya.
Spain invaded the area in 1533.
In 1841-1842, scholar John Stephens visited the area.
1904-1907 Investigation of Natural Well and SacredSpring eye。
In 1932, the site city was systematically and comprehensively investigated and excavated.
Arrival method:MeridaThere are buses to Chichen Itza, about 3 hours' drive.
Food: Except for the entrance restaurant, there is no food supply inside Chichen Itza. Please prepare the necessary food in advance.
Travel precautions: Rubbing is prohibited for reliefs in Qiqin Itza.
Modern inspection
Announce
edit
In 1839, the United StatesTravel writerBenjamin Norman and John Lloyd Stephens of the next year visited Chichen Itza and published records.In the following decades, other expeditions carried out more investigations on the ruins.In 1895, Edward Herbert Thompson, the Deputy Consul of the United States in Yucatan, purchased Hacienda Chichen, including the site of Qiqin Itza, and spent the next 30 years to have a spare timeArchaeological excavationAnd fished out the first batch from the holy wellHandicrafts。CarnegieIn the 20 years since 1924, the Institute and the Mexican government, led by Sylvanus Morley, have excavated and restored the relics, including the restoration of the Samurai Temple.In 1961 and 1967, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico salvaged the holy well twice.After 1980, INAH excavated and restored more buildings.
publication
Announce
edit
The first description of Chichen Itza appeared in John Lloyd Stephens's Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan (two volumes, 1843)Holmes(Holmes), Archaeological Studies in Ancient Cities of Mexico（Chicago, 1895) Herbert Spinden, Maya Art (Cambridge, 1912)
