El Caracol,the Observatory, is a unique structure atpre-ColumbianMaya civilization site ofChichen Itza.El Caracol, which means 'snail' in Spanish, is so named due to the spiral staircase inside the tower.[1]
The structure is dated to around AD 906, the Post Classic period ofMesoamerican chronology, by thestele on the Upper Platform.[1]
It is suggested that the El Caracol was an ancient Mayanobservatory building and provided a way for the Mayan people to observe changes in the sky due to the flattened landscape of the Yucatán with no natural markers for this function around Chichen Itza.[2] The observers could view the sky above the vegetation on theYucatán Peninsula without any obstruction.[3]
Mayanastronomers knew from naked-eye observations thatVenusappeared on the western anddisappeared on the easternhorizons at different times in the year, and that it took 225 days to complete one cycle.[4]
They also knew that five of these Venus cycles equaled eight solar years.[4] Venus would therefore make an appearance at the northerly and southerly extremes at eight-year intervals.
Of 29 possible astronomical events (eclipses,equinoxes,solstices, etc.) believed to be of interest to theMesoamerican residents of Chichén Itzá, sight lines for 20 can be found in the structure. Since a portion of the tower resting on El Caracol has been lost, it is possible that other observations will never be ascertained.[4]
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)20°40′45″N88°34′15″W / 20.6792°N 88.5707°W /20.6792; -88.5707