Chichen Itza (from the Mayan Yucatec chich’en itza’ , “At the mouth of the well of the Itza “) is a pre- Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya people , located in the north-central part of the Yucatán Peninsula , present-day Mexico .

Chichen Itza was a major regional center in the Maya lowlands from the Late Classic through the Terminal Classic and into some Early Postclassic periods . The site contains a wide variety of architectural styles, ranging from the so-called “Mexican” and styles found in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The presence of Mexican styles has been interpreted as a direct migration or even conquest of central Mexico, but more recent views suggest that the presence of these non-Maya styles is more accurately a cultural diffusion .

Archaeological data, such as evidence of some structures or architectural complexes being burned, suggest that the fall of Chichen Itza was linked to violence. After the hegemony of Chichen Itza declined, another regional power, Yucatán, emerged as the new center of Mayapan .

According to the American Anthropological ᴀssociation , the ruins of Chichen Itza are currently federal property, and management of the site is under the jurisdiction of the Insтιтuto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) of Mexico. However, the land beneath the structures is privately owned, as most of these lands are inherited properties in Mexico. In the case of Chichen Itza, the archaeological site is owned by the Barbachano family. 

Chichen Itza is located in the eastern part of the state of Yucatán in Mexico.  The northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula is arid, and rivers flow underground. Since the northern Yucatán region has no rivers , three natural depressions ( ponds ) provided water year-round to Chichen and became a popular destination for the people. Two of the three ponds still exist today; the “Pool of Sacrifice” is the more famous, and it was dedicated to the Maya rain god Chaac . Various objects and materials, such as jade , pottery , and incense , were thrown into the ponds as offerings to Chaac. Some people (mainly tour guides) say that occasionally, especially during periods of prolonged drought , human sacrifices were made at the well . However, there is no evidence to confirm this, and archaeological dredging of the pond does not support it either.

Chichen Itza rose to regional prominence around the end of the Early Classic period (or, around 600 AD). However, by the late Postclassic and early part of the Late Classic it had become a true center, centralizing and dominating the political, sociocultural, economic, and intellectual life of the northern Maya lowlands. The rise of Chichen Itza coincided roughly with the decline and disintegration of other major centers in the southern Maya lowlands, such as Tikal .

Some ethnohistorical sources suggest that around 987 a Toltec king named Quetzalcoatl arrived with an army from central Mexico, and (with local Maya allies) made Chichen Itza his capital, along with another capital at Tula . Art and architecture from this period show a notable blend of Maya and Toltec styles. However, re-dating the decline of Chichen Itza (see below) suggests that Chichen Itza was primarily Late/Late Classic, while Tula was early Post-Classic (thus reversing the direction of possible influence).

Unlike other Early Classic Maya societies, Chichen Itza was not ruled by a single king or family . Instead, according to Sharer and Traxler (2006:581), the city’s political organization was based on a “multepal” system, characterized by governance through a council composed of elite members of the ruling families.

Chichen Itza was a major economic center of the northern Maya lowlands at its peak. Participating in the maritime trade route around the peninsula through its port at Isla Cerritos , Chichen Itza had access to resources not available locally from as far away as central Mexico ( obsidian) and southern Central America ( gold ) .

Maya chronicles record that in 1221 a rebellion and civil war broke out, and archaeological evidence also seems to confirm that the wooden roofs of the great market and the Temple of the Warriors were burned around this time. Chichen Itza began to decline as control of Yucatán fell to Mayapan .

However, these dates have been revised significantly in recent years. As archaeologists have gained a better understanding of changes in pottery making there, and carbon dating of Chichen Itza has pushed the end of the Maya capital back more than 200 years. Current archaeological data suggest that Chichen Itza fell around 1000 AD. This has left a puzzling gap between the decline of Chichen Itza and the rise of its successor, Mayapan. Current research at Mayapan may help resolve this dating conundrum.

Although the site was never completely abandoned, its population declined and new structures were never built following the collapse of its political status. However, the Sacred Pool remains a pilgrimage site.

In 1531 Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo arrived at Chichén Itzá and intended to make it the capital of Spanish Yucatán, but after a months-long uprising by the local Maya Montejo and his forces were forced to leave the area.