Martha López Huan
Mérida (Mexico), Feb 3 (EFE) – Mexican researchers and archaeologists are working these days to recover Chichén Viejo, one of the 13 groups that are found around the ceremonial center of the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá, one of the main tourist attractions of the Yucatan Peninsula.
The site, whose palaces, structures, housing complexes and walls mark the relationship of the ancient inhabitants with nature, has been 80% complete in research and exploration.
“We temporarily suspended the research work that was carried out at that site. But as soon as it is possible to resume the research project that was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, ”Eduardo López Calzada, delegate of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Yucatán, revealed to Efe this Wednesday.
The objective is to resume the management and operation plan of the Chichén Itzá archaeological zone and add the research work of Chichén Viejo to the ceremonial center as a whole, where the Kukulcán Castle, the Ball Game and the Temple of the Warriors are located. among other monuments in which the Mayans paid tribute to the gods of the Sun, the Moon, the Wind, the fire and the rain.
“In order to open the archaeological zone of Chichén Viejo, INAH will have to apply a different scheme to what has been experienced. We will be rigorous and institutional in the agreements so that no one is ignorant of that place, ”said López Calzada.
The head of the INAH-Yucatán Center specified that the research plan is progressing favorably in Chichén Viejo and the archaeologists Francisco Pérez Ruiz and José Osorio León, in charge of the work, “are happy.”
THE SECRETS OF CHICHÉN VIEJO
Chichén Viejo includes in its jungle Mayan palaces, altars and a perimeter wall that delimits the structures.
The housing complex belonged to a member of the Mayan elite, perhaps to someone close to the ruler where he lived with all his family and servants.
There is evidence that from 650 to 700 after Christ (AD) it began its development and reached its peak from 900 to 1,200 AD, said archaeologist Marco Antonio Santos, director of the Chichén Itzá archaeological zone.
The sac bé (white road in the Mayan language) that connects the ceremonial complex of Chichén Itzá with the Chichén Viejo area jealously guards a secret: atlantes (anthropomorphic figures), a turtle-shaped platform and the Palace of the Falos.
“Although in other places in the Yucatan Peninsula there are more than 100 phallic figures, Chichén Viejo is the only one that has a palace dedicated to the male member, because the pre-Hispanic inhabitants believed that this was how the land was fertilized,” José Antonio Keb explained to Efe. , custodian of the INAH in the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá.
The site’s night guardian said that this Palace of the Falos, and other constructions in the area, keep secrets of the Mayans and their sacred cult of fertilization and nature.
“It is an extraordinary place, it transports you to another dimension due to the beauty of its architecture and the way in which the buildings are linked with the trees,” said Keb, who for 23 years has worked as a custodian of INAH.
Of that period, 17 years has worked nights. “You cannot imagine all the astral movements I have seen,” he stressed.
In that place there is also the House of the Snails and the Temple of the Owls, the latter has sculptures of those birds with outstretched wings that alternate with human figures that carry long beaks and instruments of self-sacrifice.
There is also the Gallery of the Monkeys, which has reliefs and 16 panels, six of which represent great lords, Mayan priests or other members of the elite.
“The decorative elements of the fauna of the region, such as monkeys, owls, snails and turtles, confirm that the environment was also sacred to that pre-Hispanic culture,” the custodian, heir to the Mayan culture, proudly asserted.
MORE ATTRACTIVE TOURIST
The investigations began in 1998, a period in which it was open to the public. To enter, the visitor paid a special ticket to enjoy the architectural beauty and the decoration in the Puuc and Mayan-Toltec styles, which correspond to various periods.
But the investigations came to a standstill and it was closed to the public again shortly after due to a lack of budget. For years, most of the rehabilitation efforts were dedicated to Chichén Itzá.
The director of the Chichén Itzá Archaeological Zone, Marco Antonio Santos, confirmed to Efe that the rehabilitation works in Chichén Viejo are 80% complete.
“We hope that it can be opened soon, but with a different scheme, taking care of the number of people and highlighting the nature and archaeological values of the place,” he stressed.
Santos explained to Efe that the exploration work consists of removing soil and vegetation from the structures and then “making a meticulous record of the spaces to learn about their archaeological and cultural relationship.”
And he assured that Chichén Viejo will be a gold mine for the future Mayan Train, one of the main infrastructure works of the Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which seeks to develop tourism in the southeast of the country, traditionally lagging behind.
“We will open, but with a different scheme, since the place is large and if visitors wish they can go to a more exclusive place,” limiting the influx of national and foreign tourists to preserve the area, he concluded. EFE
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