Statues of pre-Columbian Mayan gods

Statues of pre-Columbian Mayan gods

Human tombs and ceramic fragments. Little is known about the legend of this pre-Columbian deity A large structure depicting a full-length human body was excavated during archaeological work for the Maya Railway Project near the Chichen Itza site in the Yucatan Peninsula They estimated that the object may date back to the earliest days of Chichen Itza founded around 455 AD. In 1988 the sculpture was likely part of a series of feathered serpent sculptures adorned with a helmet resembling the face of a Mayan warrior It may also represent Kukulcan who descended from the sky annually during the vernal equinox of the Olmec and Aztec civilizations in the Yucatan Maya culture to energize the landscape with water and sunlight He is closely associated with the Chiche god Cucumatz and the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl

Templo de los Guerreros, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

The 1,500-kilometer railway route passes through the Yucatan Peninsula and five states connecting tourist attractions and archaeological sites The discovery of the head occurred as part of the Promeza (Project Improvement) which is currently underway for the construction of the Maya Railway The construction of the Maya Railway has been opposed by several indigenous communities in the region who are threatened with displacement According to Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) despite minor cracks the artifact remains in good condition UNESCO has designated the ancient city a World Heritage Site On Tuesday November 7 archaeologists in the eastern Yucatan Peninsula unearthed the head of a Maya warrior during excavations of a wall in Temple No.6 of the Maudsley

Maya Warrior Statue With Serpent Helmet Unearthed at Chichén Itzá

This structure is one of four structures surrounding the main courtyard of the site within the complex of buildings in the Maya archaeological zone of Chichen Itza The head is approximately 13 inches high and 11 inches wide The god Kukulkan is the leader of a mixed group of Mayan and non-Mayan deities closely associated with the state Itza in the northern Yucatán Peninsula Although the worship of Kukulkan originated in early Maya traditions the Itza people's worship of Kukulkan was heavily influenced by Quetzalcoatl in central Mexico Kukulkan with its distinct social and ethnic backgrounds although originally centered in the ancient city of Chichen Itza in what is now the Mexican state of Yucatán was the first Mesoamerican religion to transcend linguistic and ethnic divides from the Classic period The image of the feathered serpent is also present in other Mesoamerican cultures though it also has Mexican influences