That the same civilization that built the Great Ball Court and aligned El Castillo with the equinox sun also maintained this specific practice in this specific underground space is not a contradiction.

It is evidence of the complexity of a civilization that deserves to be understood in its full dimension: its achievements, its practices, its cosmology, its social structures, and its continuing presence in the lives of the people who are its descendants.

The Article as Record and the Record as Responsibility

Any writing about the Chichén Itzá chultún — including this one — participates in the ongoing process of representing the ancient Maya to contemporary audiences.

That participation carries responsibilities.