Chichen Itza The ruined ancient city occupying an area of 4 square miles (10 square km) in south-central state, . It is located some 90 miles (150 km) east-northeast of and 75 miles (120 km) east-southeast of the modern city of . The only source of water in the arid region around the site is from wells (cenotes) formed by sinkholes in limestone formations. Two big cenotes on the site made it a suitable place for the city and gave it its name, …showed first 75 words of 711 total…

…showed last 75 words of 711 total…became one of Mexico's prime archaeological zones. A legendary tradition at Chichén was the Cult of the Cenote, involving human sacrifice to the rain god, in which victims were thrown into the city's major cenote (at the northernmost part of the ruin), along with gold and jade ornaments and other valuables. In 1904 , an American who had bought the entire site, began dredging the cenote; his discovery of skeletons and sacrificial objects confirmed the legend.