More Than a Temple

Chichen Itza was not just a religious site. It was a thriving commercial hub controlling trade routes across the Yucatan Peninsula:

• Population at its peak: an estimated 35,000 to 50,000 people
• It dominated trade in obsidian, jade, salt, and cacao for centuries
• The Sacred Cenote (a natural sinkhole) served as both water source and ritual site where offerings were thrown to the rain god Chaac

The city's power came from controlling the region's most valuable resource: fresh water. In the limestone-flat Yucatan, cenotes were the only reliable water source, and Chichen Itza had two major ones.