Reconceptualizing Chichen Itza: The Gran Acuífero Maya Project

Summary

During the summer of 2017, the Gran Aquífero Maya (GAM) project initiated an investigation at Chichen Itza designed to define the site around its aquatic resources. The project is based on my previous work at Cenote Holtun, located 1.6 miles west of Chichen Itza, which found that a line drawn between Holtun and Cenote Kanjuyum on the east pasted through the center of El Castillo. It has long been known that El Castillo is bisected by a line drawn between the Sacred Cenote on the north and the Cenote Xtoloc on the south so Chichen Itza defined itself around a cosmogram formed by its water features. Additional, Balankanche and other caves with water are being restudied as cenotes. GAM is employing high tech equipment to Chichen Itz’s aquifer including sonar to search for underwater passages in the cenote Xtoloc and the Sacred Cenote; low level Lidar that has located four caves that may lead to the water table, and ground penetrating radar to detect subterranean passages. Our preliminary assessment is that Chichen is far richer in water resources than previously recognized.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21130