Chichén Itzá

Timeline

1. c. 600–800Northern city area of Chichén Itzá · Yucatán PeninsulaArchaeology shows that by the 7th–8th centuries CE Chichén Itzá had formed Maya-style temples and burial areas, a stage in the evolution of early Postclassic regional settlements toward city-state centers.
2. c. 900–1100Core area of Chichén Itzá · Yucatán PeninsulaIn the 9th–11th centuries CE Chichén Itzá undertook massive construction, building the Kukulcán pyramid, Temple of the Warriors and a large ball court; feathered serpent deity and Toltec warrior motifs appeared in architecture and imagery, showing cross-cultural fusion and regional hegemony.
3. c. 1000–1200Inland Yucatán Peninsula · Yucatán PeninsulaDuring this period Chichén Itzá connected the cities of the Maya lowlands through coastal and inland trade routes, controlling the circulation of salt, jade and cocoa, becoming an important political and ritual hub of the Postclassic Maya world.
4. c. 1200–1250Chichén Itzá · Yucatán PeninsulaAround the early 13th century large-scale construction ceased, population and power centers shifted to coastal Maya city-states, and the site gradually fell into ruin; by the time of the Spanish conquest it had become an important pilgrimage and legendary location.