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Chichén Itzá

Type Object Region Mesoamerica Time c. 600–1450

Chichén Itzá was one of the most important Postclassic Maya cities of the northern Yucatán, famed for the Kukulcán pyramid, ball court and Group of a…

Timeline

  1. c. 600–800Chichén Itzá · Yucatán StateThe city formed an early settlement on the karst plateau relying on natural water sources such as the cenote sacred wells, developing a preliminary architectural layout related to astronomical observation.
  2. c. 900–1000Chichén Itzá · Yucatán StateIn the early Postclassic, Chichén Itzá replaced some Classic-period city-states as the political core of the Yucatán, expanding the ball court and ritual building complexes, and strengthening trade ties with the Gulf Coast.
  3. c. 1000–1150Chichén Itzá · Yucatán StateIn the early 11th century CE the city entered its golden age; the Kukulcán pyramid, Temple of the Warriors and Group of a Thousand Columns embodied the fusion of Maya and Toltec art, while the city-state remained active in regional alliance networks.
  4. c. 1200–1450Chichén Itzá · Yucatán StateAfter the regional focus shifted to places such as Mayapán, Chichén Itzá's population and construction activity declined, but the site remained an important sacred place for later Maya peoples until on the eve of the Spanish conquest.

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