The Cenote Sagrado (Sacred Cenote) itself has been the subject of archaeological investigation since the early twentieth century, including dredging operations and more recent underwater archaeology.

The objects recovered from the cenote are extraordinary in their variety and quality: jade objects of exceptional craftsmanship, gold and copper artifacts including items from distant regions of Mesoamerica, worked bone, rubber items, wooden objects, textile fragments, and the human skeletal remains that have attracted the most attention.

The human remains from the Sacred Cenote show a demographic profile that differs from the chultún: adults are represented alongside children, females are represented alongside males.

The specific character of what was deposited in the cenote versus what was deposited in the chultún suggests that these were not simply two instances of the same ritual practice but rather distinct ritual contexts operating within the broader ceremonial landscape of Chichén Itzá.