Chichén Itzá’s New Museum Chronicles Thousands of Years of History
Given its status as the most visited archeological site in Mexico, it has always been odd that Chichén Itzá has never had a museum like those at Tula, Xochicalco, or Monte Albán.
Regardless, the Gran Museo de Chichén Itzá is now open and features artifacts dating from the earliest occupation of the city to its heights under the rule of the Itzá.
Even before entering the museum, it is possible to observe a handful of artifacts, including a Chac Mool and the head of Kukulkán — the mighty feathered serpent.
As most people who pay any attention to Prehispanic art archaeology or art know, Chichén Itzá is likely the closest any city in the Maya region came to truly being an imperial capital. Its imposing and frankly intimidating architecture is full of skull motifs and symbols of war like the Almena.
The museum allows visitors to examine recently excavated artifacts and famous ones that have not seen the light of day for decades.
An example of the former is a stone disk adjacent to Chichén Itzá’s Casa Colorada Complex Ballcourt. This stone disk, described as a “Mayan scoreboard,” made waves across international headlines last year. The confusion over its utility as some kind of scoreboard likely stemmed from a translation error. The word marcador in INAH’s Spanish-language press release can mean “scorekeeper.” But the word can also be used to make reference to a particular location, as in “X marks the spot.”
Also on display is a carved stone lintel or beam found in Chichén Viejo’s Series inicial complex and held up by two “atlantes.” Lintels were often carved on multiple sides by the Maya, but what makes this particular artifact special is that among its glyphs is the date of its erection and placement, June 29, 869, which proves that the constructions at this part of the site far predate the vast majority of temples at the “main” site in Chichén Itzá.
Speaking of Chichén Viejo, another artifact on display at the new museum is a necklace discovered as an offering among the remains of human bodies underneath the site’s two-headed turtle platform.
Other examples of Maya jewelry can be found on display throughout the exhibit. Unlike the Zapotec region dominated by Monte Albán, the Yucatán has no natural deposits of gold or silver, so most jewelry is carved out of shells, semi-precious stones, or bone.
Though much less refined, the exhibit also displays archaic-era pottery, which could date as far back as the 8th or 9th century. This kind of pottery is important as it drives home the point that Chichén Itzá, then known by a name lost to time, had a considerable population and megalithic architecture, well over a millennia before the groups which would most forge its identity and look we are familiar with today, namely the Itzá from Guatemala, and the Toltec and Mixteca from the valley of Central Mexico.
At the museum, it is also possible to observe artifacts from distant lands such as Guatemala, which proves the Chichén Itzá was not only a hub of conquest and warfare but also trade.
It is often said that Chichén Itzá, or at least its most famous structures like the pyramid of Kukulkán, the Temple of a Thousand Warriors, and the Grand Ball Court, are more examples of Toltec architecture than truly Maya. There is undoubtedly truth to this. The influence of the Toltecs and other groups from central Mexico, like the Mixteca, are evident throughout the site.
Several artifacts and architectural features display animals sacred to the Maya, such as jaguars, turtles, rabbits, and birds.
No animal was more sacred to the ancient Maya than the mighty jaguar, symbolizing otherworldly power and awe. As a result, depictions of jaguars are ubiquitous in art and as symbols of power and status. In Mesoamerica mythology, the jaguar can traverse both the worlds of the living and the dead.
Aside from all of the original artifacts on display at the museum, there are also several interesting exhibits featuring reconstructions of areas of Chichén Itzá, now off-limits.
Before climbing the pyramid of Kukulkán and exploring its interior was disallowed nearly two decades ago, it was possible to explore an interior chamber famous for its red jewel-encrusted jaguar throne and Chac Mool.
Reproductions found in the interior of the temple aside, the most interesting part of this specific exhibit is the care with which archaeologists recreated the temple that houses them, allowing visitors to take in the beauty of its facade.
The amount of fascinating artifacts at the El Gran Museo de Chichén Itzá is too extensive to list, much less describe. But we can say with conviction that it will not disappoint.
If you go
While it is technically possible to visit the Gran Museo de Chichén Itzá via the Tren Maya, this option is, at the moment, much more difficult than one would expect.
Your best bet is to drive there yourself as there is plenty of parking. Taxis from Chichén Itzá and the nearby town of Pisté are not allowed into the area, though this will likely change.
Though the museum itself is open, the rest of the complex surrounding it is still under construction, so don’t expect to buy a snack or even water. Currently, the museum is not charging admission, but this will likely change and either require a stand-alone ticket or proof of purchase of a ticket to Chichén Itzá.
Several people at the museum mentioned that the plan is to connect the entire complex to Chichén Itzá itself through a path that would begin at the Sacred Cenote. As this path would cut straight through the jungle, the distance would be cut dramatically, making it possible to walk back and forth.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
