Alien creatures built Chichen Itza

Among the Maya cities frequented by tourists nowadays, Chichen Itza has a special place. This city of temples located on the Yucatan Peninsula, and is easily accessible by asphalted road from Merida as well as the resort of Cancun. Anyone who has the necessary amount of money can arrive here in a small plane.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards Chichen Itza was one of the most important centers of the Maya in the Yucatan, and even today it is partially restored ruins are impressive. In the middle of worship is Kukulcan pyramid tridtsatimetrovaya, composed of nine located one above the other platforms. It towers over the square area with sides of 55.50 meters and a calendar. To each side of the pyramid is adjacent staircase, comprising ninety one stage. On the top platform where end stage, there is a small shrine with two columns. Since each step ladder contains 91, for a total 91 x 4 = 364, together with the upper stage turns 365 - the number of days per year. In addition, each side of the pyramid consists of twenty-five elaborately decorated with stone slabs. The number 25 corresponds to the calendar circle Maya.

At Chichen Itza can see the famous area for ball games. This game is called "current-to-talk." Usually it was played on a rectangular area of ​​length forty and fifty feet wide, bounded on both sides of the walls.

Maya, for that matter, and the Aztecs of the Mexican highlands, played hard ball molded rubber. In contrast to our football where the ball hit mostly legs and thighs, head and chest, a current-to-current it could all relate to anything except the hands and feet. Players roll the ball and beat off his shoulders, forearms, elbows and other body parts. On each of the walls at a height of four feet was fixed a stone ring. The aim of the game is to shoot the ball into the ring and the opposing team at the same time not to throw him into the ring. The team, which player touched the ball by hand or foot, received penalty points.

Conquistador Hernan Cortes brought from Mexico to Spain, an entire Aztec team players with a ball. The grandees of the court of King Charles V at first incredulously watched the Indians, but - as legend has it - soon caught their game. Never before had they seen anything like it. Heard screams, broken bones, and one player from the area claimed the dead. The rest were severely damaged knees, elbows and hips.

Scientists still argue over whether or not the players brought the losing team in sacrifice. I do not think they were killed because of good players and the Aztecs, Mayas, and certainly was not so much. In addition, hardly anyone could have fun playing with such brutal rules.