Chichen Itza — Bas Reliefs, Glyphs, and Stone Heads

Today we’ll look at some of the more detailed stonework available for view at Chichen Itza, beginning with the intricate Mayan bas-reliefs throughout much of the façades. But don’t ask me the significance, as I have no idea. Nevertheless, they are fascinating to photograph, and they’re all over the place:

This one appears to depict an eagle on the right, and some sort of reptile opposite:

Here it appears we have another bird, and perhaps a jaguar:

I would hazard that this next one may contain some astronomical significance:

After a bit if research, it appear that the stone head below represents the Mayan Dragon (Kukulkan) that gave birth to the world. This head recurs throughout Chichen Itza.

On Wednesday we’ll had back over to El Castillo, a.k.a, the Temple of Kukulcán, for a closer look. Until then, here it is: