Chichen Itza, the pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people, is a source of constant fascination to archaeologists. And turns out, media houses too. Recently, a media house claimed that the site has been found to be the home of some unknown elite housing complexes. However, it turns out that these structures aren’t a new discovery. Instead, archaeologists had actually discovered these structures almost a century ago. Let’s dive in to know more.
The Structures
These elite housing residences were discovered in the late 19th and early 20th century by the archaeologists at the site. The names given to them are quite elaborate, like house of the moon and house of the snail. A professor of art history at Auburn University, Cynthia Kristanb-Graham, commented that these structures may have actually served multiple purposes instead of just acting as houses. It may have also been used for religious and political activities. She further added that their residents could have been high-ranking individuals or rulers of Chichen Itza.
Opening to the Public
Even though no new discovery has been made, all has not been lost for history buffs wanting to know more about Chichen Itza. The Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History ( INAH), which is responsible for this historic site, recently announced that a part of the site would be open to the public later this year for their viewing. The site has been cleaned of overgrowth for the past 30 years by a group of researchers. Conservation work and analysis on the buildings is also underway. Thanks to this conservation work, the public will be able to view this site for the first time. It will also allow for new information to be deduced about the structures. A book by an American archaeologist, Karl Ruppert, who was involved in the excavation of the site, is available.