Was Chichen Itza built for 2012?
In the 7th century A.D., Toltecs from Central Mexico and Maya from Yucatán came together and developed a hybrid culture around the city of Chichén Itzá, building one of the most identifiable landmarks in Mexico. Each year on March 21, thousands visit the Pyramid of Kukulcan, also called Castillo, where the equinox sun casts the shadow of a snake descending the steps, its tail pointed to the zenith at the sky’s center. Professor Enrique Juan Palacios identified the entire temple as a representation of a coiled snake, its rattle raised at the center (Adrian Gilbert, 2012 Mayan Year of Destiny). The pyramid’s 364 steps are equally divided between its four sides, pointing in the four cardinal directions. The 365th step, the ‘New Year’s Day’ of the sun’s zenith passage, is the top platform, pointing to the fifth cardinal point, the zenith itself. The Maya called the snake deity Kukulkan, the Toltecs, Quetzalcoatl. The skin-shedding snake was a powerful symbol of renewal and rebirth. The Yuc
