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The Temple of the Warriors at Chichén Itzá
The Early Postclassic Temple of the Warriors (Guerreros) at Chichén
Itzá was built by the Toltec conquerors of Yucatán in ca. 950-1000 AD. Similar to
the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (Pyramid B) at Tula, original home of the Toltecs,
the Guerreros Temple at Chichén
Itzá was constructed in four
tiers about 40 m. wide. The temple was approached through
a colonnaded building with a beam and mortar roof, of which some 80 square
columns remain, each covered with relief carvings of Toltec warriors. On
the temple's side panels are relief carvings of ballplayers, and typical
Toltec motifs of jaguars and eagles eating human hearts, mixed with Late
Classic Maya motifs including
Chac masks. On top of
the flattened pyramid structure is a reclining, life-sized
Chacmool sculpture
which
held offerings, and two bent, feathered rattlesnake columns (seen near
the top of the staircase) standing in front of the main temple altar.
[Fig.1: Temple of the Warriors, Chichén Itzá (photo:
Athena Review).]
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