Thousand Columns
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Adjoining
the Temple of the Warriors on the eastern plaza of the central
plain of Chichen Itza, the group of the thousand columns was built
between 900 and 1200 A.D. and originally covered in plaster and
painted.
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The columns once supported a frieze and a roof which have since collapsed. The exact nature of the roof is not known. It may have been made of thatch or wood and mortar. It is believed that these were once great meeting halls. Remains of the painted frieze indicate that it was decorated with Chaac masks and other motifs representing an earlier priestly class who governed the city. However, the addition of warriors on the pillars must have made the citizens aware of the military-religious aspect of this site.
This vast space, which resembles the Temple of the Warriors, has a quadrangular floor plan. It is surrounded by several important structures including the Temple of the Warriors, the Mercado (marketplace) and some structures still to be reconstructed.
[Based on Let's Learn about Chichén-Itzá , Chichén-Itzá: The City of the Wise Men of the Water. by Roman Chan and All About the Mayas. by C. Dorese. published by Producción Editorial Dante (Mérida, Mexico). All available in paperback and highly recommended. Illustration of Maya ballgame based on drawing by J. Green Life in Ancient Mexico published by Dover Publications (New York).]
Catherwood drawing of the Thousand Columns from the mid 19th century.
Plan of the Thousand Columns and Temple of the Warriors.
Recontruction of the Plaza of A Thousand Columns & Temple of the Warriors. Click on the graphic for a larger view.