ClassX Video Lessons The rise and fall of the Maya Empire’s most powerful city – Geoffrey E. Braswell
In 889 CE, Lord K’ak’ Upakal might have looked out from his grand palace at the thriving city of Chichen Itza, a place he helped flourish. This Maya city was in its golden age, a time of prosperity and growth. However, K’ak’ Upakal couldn’t foresee the challenges that would eventually come. A hundred years earlier, many Maya cities in Central America were abandoned due to wars and poor farming conditions. This led the Maya civilization to move north to the Yucatan Peninsula, a region that was hotter and drier.
In the early 800s, cities like Chichen Itza, Izamal, and Uxmal began to grow. But the Yucatan had its own difficulties. There was little surface water, and the limestone ground quickly soaked up rain. To survive, many cities collected rainwater in large storage tanks called cisterns. Chichen Itza, however, had an advantage. The land around it was full of sinkholes, which provided fresh groundwater. This resource helped Chichen Itza thrive during a severe drought in the early 900s, allowing it to become the most powerful city in the Maya world. People from far away moved to Chichen Itza, and at its peak, the city might have had a population of 50,000. It became a melting pot of different cultures and ideas.
After K’ak’ Upakal’s death in the 10th century, Chichen Itza’s government changed. Instead of being ruled by a single king, the city was governed by councils made up of the elite. Unlike traditional Maya kings who focused on wars and building monuments, these new leaders concentrated on economic growth. They used the city’s military strength to establish long-distance trade and political influence. Merchant-warriors traveled to coastal ports, bringing back valuable goods. Chichen Itza’s people crafted tools and ornaments from materials like obsidian, gold, copper, turquoise, and jade, sourced from various parts of Central and North America. They traded food, textiles, feathers, minerals, and metals, sometimes using cacao beans as money. Seafood from the coast was also brought in to complement the city’s local crops.
Farming was crucial for Chichen Itza’s survival. The city’s buildings and religious practices were designed to track time, celestial movements, and farming cycles. As the city expanded, its inhabitants constructed a large platform for new temples, pyramids, altars, ballcourts, and colonnades. A round temple was precisely aligned to mark solstices, equinoxes, and the movement of Venus, associated with K’uk’ulkan, the feathered serpent god. K’uk’ulkan became the central deity of Chichen Itza, turning the city into a major religious pilgrimage site. Architects built a 30-meter-high pyramid and temple dedicated to K’uk’ulkan, featuring four staircases with 365 steps, symbolizing each day of the solar year. During equinoxes, the setting sun casts shadows that resemble a snake slithering down the pyramid, representing the serpent god. Several structures depict Flower Mountain, a sacred paradise of gods and ancestors. Leaders from distant regions were inaugurated at Chichen Itza’s Great Ballcourt under the watchful eye of K’uk’ulkan, with thousands of spectators present.
Despite its success, Chichen Itza’s golden age didn’t last forever. Around 1020 CE, a severe drought struck and persisted for nearly a century. In hopes of ending the drought, people made offerings to rain gods in nearby caves and sinkholes, believed to be entrances to the watery underworld. Despite its natural advantages and the ingenuity of its people, Chichen Itza couldn’t sustain itself through the prolonged drought. The population dwindled in the 11th century, and many residents moved to coastal areas. After the drought, the city of Mayapan rose to prominence, replacing Chichen Itza as the leading city in Yucatan. However, Chichen Itza was never completely abandoned or forgotten. When the Spanish arrived centuries later, it remained a small local capital of a Maya province. Its original name was preserved, and its ancient stone structures still stand today, a testament to its remarkable history.
Research the key events in the history of Chichen Itza and create a timeline. Include important dates such as the rise of the city, significant leaders, major droughts, and the eventual decline. Use images and short descriptions to make your timeline visually appealing and informative.
Imagine you are an engineer in ancient Chichen Itza. Design a water collection and storage system suitable for the Yucatan Peninsula’s dry climate. Consider the use of cisterns and sinkholes. Present your design to the class, explaining how it would help the city survive droughts.
Divide into groups and role-play a council meeting in Chichen Itza. Each group member should represent a different elite council member. Discuss strategies for trade, governance, and dealing with environmental challenges. Present your decisions to the class and explain your reasoning.
Investigate how the Maya used astronomy in their religious and agricultural practices. Create a model or a digital presentation showing how the pyramid of K’uk’ulkan aligns with celestial events like solstices and equinoxes. Explain the significance of these alignments to the Maya people.
Imagine you are a resident of Chichen Itza during its decline. Write a diary entry describing your daily life, the challenges you face due to the drought, and your hopes or fears for the future. Share your entry with the class to discuss different perspectives on the city’s decline.
During an important calendrical celebration in 889 CE, Lord K’ak’ Upakal may have sat atop his ornate palace and observed the bustling hub he’d helped Chichen Itza become. The Maya city’s golden age would outlast K’ak’ Upakal’s own life, but he couldn’t have known the challenges that lay ahead. A century before, warfare and failing agriculture forced the Maya people to abandon numerous Central American settlements. This shifted the center of their civilization north to the hotter, drier Yucatan.
During the early 800s, cities like Chichen Itza, Izamal, and Uxmal expanded. However, Yucatan presented its own challenges. Surface water was scarce, and the region’s limestone bedrock rapidly absorbed rain. This forced many Yucatecan cities to collect rainwater in cisterns. The land surrounding Chichen Itza is marked by sinkholes, where collapsed bedrock reveals an abundant supply of fresh groundwater. Because of this freshwater access, when drought seized Yucatan in the early 900s, Chichen Itza survived to become the most powerful Maya city. People immigrated from hundreds of kilometers away, and at its height, Chichen Itza’s population possibly reached 50,000. The city came to reflect a diverse international culture in all spheres of life.
Its challenge then became sustaining a large population in an unpredictable environment. During the 10th century, following K’ak’ Upakal’s death, Chichen Itza’s government shifted from a focus solely on the king to a more flexible system that also included ruling councils of the city’s elite. Unlike traditional Maya kings, who reinforced their legitimacy with wars and costly monuments, the new rulers focused largely on economic growth. They channeled the city’s military might into establishing long-distance trade and political dominance. Merchant-warriors traveled from coastal ports and captured valuable goods. Using obsidian, gold, copper, turquoise, and jade from various parts of Central and North America, Chichen Itza’s inhabitants crafted sharp tools and precious ornaments. They traded food, textiles, feathers, minerals, and metals, sometimes using cacao beans as currency. They also transported seafood from the coast to supplement the city’s locally grown staple crops.
Farming was essential to Chichen Itza’s survival. The city’s architecture and religious practices reflected this importance by keeping track of time, the transit of celestial bodies, and agricultural cycles. As the city grew, its citizens built a vast platform to support new temples, pyramids, altars, ballcourts, and colonnades. Builders carefully aligned a round temple to mark solstices, equinoxes, and the passing of the planet Venus, an avatar of K’uk’ulkan, the feathered serpent god. K’uk’ulkan became Chichen Itza’s central deity, and his worship transformed the city into a center of religious pilgrimage. Architects designed a stepped pyramid and temple dedicated to K’uk’ulkan that towers 30 meters high and features four stairs with a total of 365 steps, each representing a day in the solar year. It’s oriented so that, around each equinox, the setting sun creates snake-like shadows that slither down the balustrades, evoking the serpent god. Several buildings feature representations of Flower Mountain, the sacred paradise realm inhabited by gods and ancestors. Rulers from far and wide were inaugurated at Chichen Itza’s Great Ballcourt under the auspices of K’uk’ulkan and in the presence of thousands of spectators.
However, Chichen Itza’s golden age wouldn’t last forever. Around 1020 CE, an intense drought hit and lasted nearly a century. In an effort to end the disaster, people made offerings to rain deities in nearby caves and sinkholes, which were seen as entrances to the watery underworld realm of the gods. Despite Chichen Itza’s natural advantages and the ingenuity of its people, the city couldn’t support itself through this extended drought. Population plummeted during the 11th century, and many people resettled on the coast. At the end of the drought, the new city of Mayapan emerged and replaced Chichen Itza as the principal city of Yucatan. Yet, Chichen Itza was never fully abandoned or forgotten. When the Spanish arrived centuries later, it was still a small, local capital of a Maya province. Chichen Itza’s original name was preserved, and its ancient stone constructions were still standing, as they do to this day.
Maya – A Mesoamerican civilization known for its advanced writing, art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. – The Maya civilization thrived in parts of present-day Mexico and Central America for centuries.
Chichen Itza – An ancient Mayan city located on the Yucatan Peninsula, known for its large pyramid, El Castillo. – Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico due to its historical significance.
Yucatan – A peninsula in southeastern Mexico that separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, known for its Mayan ruins and tropical climate. – The Yucatan Peninsula is home to many ancient Mayan cities, including Chichen Itza and Tulum.
Agriculture – The practice of cultivating the soil, growing crops, and raising animals for food, fiber, and other products. – Agriculture was a crucial part of the economy and survival for ancient civilizations like the Maya.
Trade – The exchange of goods and services between people or entities, often over long distances. – Trade routes allowed the Maya to exchange goods such as jade, obsidian, and cacao with neighboring regions.
Governance – The system or manner in which a society is organized and managed, often involving laws and leadership. – The governance of the Maya civilization included city-states ruled by kings and a complex social hierarchy.
Drought – A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. – Severe droughts are believed to have contributed to the decline of the Maya civilization.
Religion – A set of beliefs and practices often centered around spiritual ideas and worship of deities. – Religion played a central role in Maya society, influencing their architecture, art, and daily life.
Civilization – A complex society characterized by urban development, social stratification, and cultural achievements. – The Maya civilization is renowned for its contributions to writing, mathematics, and astronomy.
Culture – The beliefs, customs, arts, and way of life of a particular society or group. – The rich culture of the Maya is evident in their intricate art, elaborate ceremonies, and sophisticated calendar system.
