The Serpent Comes Alive

Twice a year, on the spring and autumn equinoxes, the setting sun casts triangular shadows down the staircase of El Castillo pyramid. The shadows connect with a carved serpent head at the base, creating the illusion of a giant snake slithering down the pyramid. This is not an accident.

The El Castillo pyramid at Chichen Itza is a stone calendar. Every step, platform, and angle was placed to track the movement of the sky.