![]() With its pleasing radial symmetry, tidy stepped platforms, and crowning temple, El Castillo is one of the most recognizable Mesoamerican pyramids. Archaeological explorations of El Castillo have revealed not only the rubble or earth from which many Mesoamerican pyramids are built but also two earlier pyramids and possibly an entrance to hell, er, Xibalba. While onlookers observe the phenomenon on the outside, archaeologists have been exploring the inside of the pyramid for nearly a hundred years. In reality, the setting sun during the spring and fall equinoxes casts a shadow on the northern balustrade of El Castillo that resembles the form of a snake slithering down the stairs, an effect which is heightened by the heads of sculpted beasts at the base. They gather around the site’s pyramid, called El Castillo (“the Castle”) by Spanish conquistadors, where, according to legend, Kukulcán, the feathered serpent god, alights from the heavens, blesses his worshipers on earth, and then makes his way to the underworld, or Xibalba. Twice a year thousands of visitors crowd into the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá, located in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, in anticipation of the descent of Kukulcán. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find. ![]() Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.The Chac Mool altars also served for human sacrifices: some had cuauhxicallis, or special recipients for the blood of sacrificial victims, while others had special téhcatl altars where humans were ritualistically sacrificed. These offering could consist of anything from foodstuffs like tamales or tortillas to colorful feathers, tobacco or flowers. The purpose of the Chac Mools was generally as a place for sacrificial offerings for the gods. It is never found in the back, where something revered as a deity would be expected to rest. When located in temples, the Chac Mool is nearly always positioned between the spaces associated with the priests and that associated with the people. The statues had a utilitarian purpose and were not, in themselves, worshiped: this is known because of their relative positions within the temples. The statues - some of which are quite elaborate - obviously had an important religious and ceremonial uses for the different cultures that created them.
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