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Chichen Itza (IPA pronunciation: (from
Yucatec Maya chich'en itza', "At the mouth of the well of the Itza") is a
large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization
located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, present-day Mexico.
Chichen Itza was a major regional center in the northern Maya lowlands from
the Late Classic through the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of
the Early Postclassic period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural
styles, from what is called “Mexicanized” and reminiscent of styles seen in
central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern
lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have
been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central
Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these
non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion.
Archaeological data, such as evidence of burning at a number of important
structures and architectural complexes, suggest that Chichen Itza's collapse
was violent. Following the decline of Chichen Itza's hegemony, regional
power in the Yucatán shifted to a new center at Mayapan.
According to the American Anthropological Association, the actual ruins of
Chich'en Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained
by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (Instituto
Nacional de Antropología e Historia, INAH). The land under the monuments,
however, is privately-owned by the Barbachano family.
For more information see Wikipedia
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