They were small spaces, located at the top of the pyramids, where kings performed some rituals. The temple was frequented by the king, the royal family and some subjects. The Mayan pyramids were the result of the great knowledge of mathematics and architecture of these people. They were dedicated to the gods and did not serve as a residence. The same city could have up to ten pyramids, depending on the area occupied. In the city of Chichén Itzá, Mexico, El Castillo and six other pyramids are located. “But there are more, which are totally destroyed and which have not yet been studied”, says Alexandre Guida Navarro, historian and researcher at Unicamp and the University of Yucatán. The Mayan civilization occupied the territory where Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras are located today, in Central America, and emerged around 1800 BC. 16. To date, archaeologists have found more than 400 cities of varying sizes and it is believed that there are still several more hidden under the forests, waiting for new excavations to be discovered.
architecture and construction
Experienced architects, Mayans even calculated the way shadows were projected
ON THE TOP
At the top of the pyramids were the temples, which were very dark and could have one or more rooms. Here, bloodletting rituals were performed, in which kings pierced their ears, tongue and even their penis as an offering to the gods. This was a common rite when the king took office
LIME SHOVEL
They were made with limestone, an abundant material in the region, which were transported without the aid of animals – it is believed that they were transported on wooden logs, which were rolled with the help of ropes. To stick the stones together, a mortar made with limestone itself, crushed and mixed with water, was used. It is not known whether the pyramids were built by slaves or paid workers.
SERPENT’S SHADOW
In El Castillo, an architectural detail honors the god Kukulcán, a serpent with feathers. The construction of the pyramid was done in such a way that, on the two equinoxes of the year (dates when day and night are exactly 12 hours long each), the rays of the Sun project the shadow of a serpent on the sides of the staircase.
EXPIRATION DATE
The Mayans had two calendars, and the first days of each only coincided every 52 years. This period was considered a time of renewal for them, and it was common for the Mayans to destroy pyramids to build smaller ones in their place or to erect new pyramids on top of others. In the pyramid of El Castillo, there are 52 panels on the sides, in honor of the symbolic number
FROM THIS LIFE, EVERYTHING IS TAKEN
Most Mayan pyramids were also used as tombs for kings, who were buried with all their belongings, in addition to ornaments made of jade, a stone that represented life. It was also common for them to be buried with animals and humans sacrificed in honor of the gods, and sometimes they were mummified.
X OF THE QUESTION
The Mayans were great mathematicians, and this can be seen in the way they built their pyramids. El Castillo is inclined at exactly 45º, and its four sides face the cardinal points. Each of its staircases has 91 steps and, counting the top platform as a last step, the sum is 365, the same number of days in the solar calendar.
• The top of the temples could be decorated in two ways: with cresterias, ornaments that formed the top of the pyramid, or, as in El Castillo, with smaller adornments, called almenas
Map of the Mayans
See where some of the most famous Mayan pyramids are located
Uxmal 25 km2
Famous Pyramid Pyramid of the Magician
Chichen Itza 35 km2
Famous pyramid El Castillo
Calakmul 56 km2
Famous Pyramid Structure 2
Tikal 60 km2
Famous pyramid Temple I and Temple IV
snail 30 km2
Famous pyramid Pyramid of Caana