Chichen Itza

Why in news?

• The circular piece, measuring just over 32 centimetres in diameter and weighing 40 kilograms displays hieroglyphic writing surrounding two players standing next to a ball that was discovered on this site.

About Chichen Itza:

• It was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatán peninsula. 
• This city was established during the Classic period close to two natural cavities (cenotes or chenes), which gave the town its name. 
• Mayan people ruled for over 1,000 years and left their mark on the city. 
• It is thought to have been a religious, military, political, and commercial centre that at its peak would have been home to 35,000 people. 
• It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

Key facts about the Yucatan peninsula

• It is a Northeastern projection of Central America which is lying between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and north and the Caribbean Sea to the east. 
• The peninsula is almost wholly composed of beds of coralline and porous limestone rocks.