Chichen Itza: Starting the processing of pictures from Chichen Itza and Ek Balam. Here’s a teaser with more to follow. If you do go, remember to bring lots of water as it is *VERY* hot. We rented a car the night before and left at 6am from Cancun. Even so, it was surprisingly hot by the time we got to Chichen Itza at 8am. (From Wikipedia) Chichen Itza was a major regional focal point 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. The ruins of Chichen 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. Filed as: 20080618_073631_7003