The bottle-shaped form of many chultúns — wide at the base, narrowing toward the opening — makes them effective for storage, because the cooler underground temperature helps preserve perishable foods and because the narrow opening can be sealed.

The association of specific chultúns with ritual activity, including mortuary use, has been documented at sites across the Maya world and at multiple periods.

The specific character of the ritual use varies: some chultúns contain formal burials of specific individuals; others contain mixed and commingled material that suggests use over extended periods; others show evidence of specific ritual deposits distinct from ordinary burials.

The Chichén Itzá chultún, with its centuries of use as a repository for male children, represents a specific end of the spectrum of chultún use — a feature repurposed specifically for this ritual function, maintained across a long period, and associated with a consistent demographic selection pattern.