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Chichen Itza - Quiz
Contributed by: Mistry
  • 1. Where is Chichen Itza located?
A) Brazil
B) Peru
C) Guatemala
D) Mexico
  • 2. Which ancient civilization built Chichen Itza?
A) Inca
B) Aztec
C) Maya
D) Olmec
  • 3. What is the name of the famous pyramid in Chichen Itza?
A) The Temple of the Moon
B) El Castillo
C) Machu Picchu
D) Teotihuacan
  • 4. What does the name 'Chichen Itza' mean in English?
A) City of Gold
B) Sacred Place
C) At the mouth of the well of the Itza
D) Lost City
  • 5. What is the name of the sacred cenote at Chichen Itza?
A) Cenote Dos Ojos
B) Cenote Sagrado
C) Cenote Ik Kil
D) Cenote Azul
  • 6. Which astronomical event is associated with Chichen Itza's Kukulcan pyramid?
A) Solstice
B) Equinox
C) Meteor shower
D) Eclipse
  • 7. When was Chichen Itza designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A) 2003
B) 1975
C) 1988
D) 1996
  • 8. What type of architectural feature is the Platform of the Skulls in Chichen Itza?
A) Marketplace
B) Aqueduct
C) Tzompantli
D) Palace
  • 9. Which architectural styles are evident at Chichen Itza?
A) Central Mexican styles, Puuc, and Chenes styles
B) Only Central Mexican styles
C) Only Mayan styles
D) Only Puuc and Chenes styles
  • 10. Who maintains the stewardship of Chichen Itza?
A) The state of Yucatán
B) The United Nations
C) Private owners
D) Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
  • 11. When did the state of Yucatán purchase the land under the monuments?
A) 31 December 2005
B) 1 January 2000
C) 29 March 2010
D) 15 August 2015
  • 12. How many tourists visited Chichen Itza in 2017?
A) Over 1 million
B) Over 500,000
C) Over 2.6 million
D) Over 3 million
  • 13. What does 'Itzá' mean in the context of the Itzá ethnic-lineage group?
A) Sorcerer
B) Priest
C) Warrior
D) Leader
  • 14. What is one possible earlier name for Chichen Itza?
A) Uuc Yabnal
B) Tollan
C) Maya
D) Itzá
  • 15. Which book records the earlier name of Chichen Itza?
A) Chilam Balam de Chumayel
B) Codex Borbonicus
C) Popol Vuh
D) Codex Mendoza
  • 16. What does the first word of the earlier name for Chichen Itza mean?
A) Seven
B) Great
C) House
D) Place
  • 17. In which state of Mexico is Chichen Itza located?
A) Yucatán
B) Veracruz
C) Guerrero
D) Chiapas
  • 18. What type of geological feature characterizes the northern Yucatán Peninsula?
A) Volcanic
B) Mountainous
C) Karst
D) Desert
  • 19. What natural feature at Chichen Itza provided plentiful water year-round?
A) Lakes
B) Cenotes
C) Rivers
D) Springs
  • 20. To which deity were sacrifices made into the Cenote Sagrado?
A) Ix Chel
B) Kukulkan
C) Chaac
D) Itzamna
  • 21. Who dredged the Cenote Sagrado from 1904 to 1910?
A) Frederick Catherwood
B) Edward Herbert Thompson
C) John Lloyd Stephens
D) Tikal
  • 22. What did the study of human remains from the Cenote Sagrado reveal?
A) Marks of ritual scarification
B) Wounds consistent with human sacrifice
C) Signs of disease
D) Evidence of natural death
  • 23. Which theory about Chichen Itza's political organization has been called into question in recent years?
A) The theory of a theocratic system.
B) The theory of a democratic system.
C) The multepal system theory.
D) The theory of a single dynastic lineage.
  • 24. What was the primary economic activity that contributed to Chichen Itza's power?
A) Participating in the water-borne circum-peninsular trade route.
B) Agriculture and farming.
C) Textile production.
D) Mining and metalwork.
  • 25. What was the earliest hieroglyphic date discovered at Chichen Itza?
A) 750 AD.
B) 832 AD.
C) 900 AD.
D) 600 AD.
  • 26. What was the last known hieroglyphic date recorded at Chichen Itza?
A) 998 AD.
B) 900 AD.
C) 1200 AD.
D) 1050 AD.
  • 27. Who prophesied his own rise to power according to the Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel?
A) Hunac Ceel
B) Francisco de Montejo
C) Augustus Le Plongeon
D) Teobert Maler
  • 28. What name did Francisco Montejo The Younger give to Chichen Itza after he arrived there?
A) Ciudad Real
B) Montejo
C) Xaman Haʼ
D) Campeche
  • 29. In which year did Francisco Montejo The Younger abandon Chichen Itza?
A) 1534
B) 1527
C) 1531
D) 1535
  • 30. Who published the first long-form description of Chichen Itza in 'Biologia Centrali-Americana'?
A) Frederick Catherwood
B) Désiré Charnay
C) Alfred Maudslay
D) John Lloyd Stephens
  • 31. Who excavated a statue at Chichen Itza in 1875 and named it 'Chacmol'?
A) Alfred Maudslay
B) Edward Herbert Thompson
C) Teobert Maler
D) Augustus Le Plongeon
  • 32. Which institution conducted long-term archaeological research at Chichen Itza starting in 1913?
A) National Geographic
B) INAH
C) Carnegie Institution
D) Peabody Museum
  • 33. In which year did the Mexican Supreme Court rule that Edward Thompson had broken no laws regarding the artifacts?
A) 1913
B) 1944
C) 1932
D) 1923
  • 34. Who began excavations adjacent to El Castillo in 2009 to investigate construction that predated it?
A) Edward Herbert Thompson
B) Sylvanus G. Morley
C) Fernando Barbachano Peon
D) Rafael (Rach) Cobos
  • 35. Which Maya city was established as a capital by Francisco de Montejo?
A) Mayapan
B) Chichen Itza
C) Campeche
D) Xaman Haʼ
  • 36. What was the primary reason the Spanish chose the region around Chichen Itza to locate a capital?
A) The abundance of natural resources
B) The relatively high population density
C) The strategic military location
D) The presence of gold mines
  • 37. Who was the first to publish photographs of Chichen Itza?
A) John Lloyd Stephens
B) Alfred Maudslay
C) Désiré Charnay
D) Frederick Catherwood
  • 38. Which architectural style is concentrated in the Old Chichén area and also seen in the Nunnery Group?
A) Toltec style
B) Puuc-style architecture
C) Río Bec style
D) Chenes-style architecture
  • 39. Which complex includes the Temple of Kukulcán (El Castillo) and the Great Ball Court?
A) The Group of the Initial Series
B) The Central Group
C) The Great North Platform
D) The Osario Group
  • 40. Which architectural style features ornate façades and masked doorways?
A) Toltec style
B) Puuc-style architecture
C) Chenes-style architecture
D) Río Bec style
  • 41. How many original pieces from various institutions are displayed in the Great Museum of Chichen Itza?
A) 1,000 originals
B) 400 originals
C) 600 originals
D) 200 originals
  • 42. What was discovered under the north side of the pyramid during the 1930s excavation?
A) A staircase leading to another temple
B) A series of tunnels
C) A hidden treasure
D) A large chamber filled with artifacts
  • 43. When is Old Chichén planned to reopen to visitors?
A) 2024
B) 2025
C) 2023
D) 2022
  • 44. Who popularized the Maya Yucatán in the public's imagination with his book 'Incidents of Travel in Yucatan'?
A) Francisco Gomez Rul
B) John Lloyd Stephens
C) Baron Emanuel von Friedrichsthal
D) Benjamin Norman
  • 45. How many individuals were analyzed in the genome-wide association study at Chichen Itza?
A) 72
B) 64
C) 80
D) 50
  • 46. What is located at the southern end of Akab Dzib?
A) One entrance
B) A cenote
C) Two entrances
D) A staircase
  • 47. How many ballcourts have archaeologists identified in Chichen Itza?
A) Fifteen
B) Thirteen
C) Ten
D) Eight
  • 48. What is the color of the throne found in the temple chamber?
A) Green
B) Red
C) Blue
D) Yellow
  • 49. What was the earlier name of Akab Dzib according to the Casa Colorada glyphs?
A) Las Monjas
B) Cenote Sagrado
C) El Caracol
D) Wa(k)wak Puh Ak Na
  • 50. What does the name Akab Dzib mean in Yucatec Mayan?
A) Bright Writing
B) Dark Writing
C) Mystical Writing
D) Sacred Writing
  • 51. What is the Spanish name for the building known as El Caracol?
A) The Church
B) The Snail
C) The Nunnery
D) The Observatory
  • 52. In what year was Akab Dzib restored by INAH?
A) 2007
B) 2010
C) 1999
D) 2000
  • 53. Who discovered a false wall in the Caves of Balankanche in 1959?
A) Edward Thompson
B) E. Wyllys Andrews IV
C) A.S. Pearse
D) José Humberto Gómez
  • 54. What language does the gastronomic center in the museum promote?
A) The French language.
B) The Mayan language.
C) The Spanish language.
D) The English language.
  • 55. What material was used for the spots on the throne?
A) Inlaid jade
B) Gold
C) Bronze
D) Silver
  • 56. During which time period were the individuals discovered at Chichen Itza dated back to?
A) 300-500 CE
B) 1200-1500 CE
C) 1000-1200 CE
D) 500-900 CE
  • 57. Which façade of Akab Dzib is considered the front of the structure?
A) The southern façade
B) The northern façade
C) The eastern façade
D) The western façade
  • 58. Who was the first person to photograph Chichen Itza?
A) Baron Emanuel von Friedrichsthal
B) Edward Thompson
C) Benjamin Norman
D) John Lloyd Stephens
  • 59. What type of sculptures are displayed in the Great Museum of Chichen Itza?
A) Chac Mool sculptures
B) Aztec deity sculptures
C) Mayan warrior sculptures
D) Incan ruler sculptures
  • 60. What is the angle at which the sides of the pyramid rise?
A) 70°
B) 53°
C) 45°
D) 60°
  • 61. What material was primarily used in the construction of the North Temple of the Great Ball Court?
A) Marble
B) Limestone
C) Granite
D) Sandstone
  • 62. What type of masonry is characteristic of the Puuc-style architecture at Chichen Itza?
A) Adobe bricks
B) Block masonry walls
C) Stone slabs
D) Fine veneers
  • 63. What was the name of the hotel that opened in 1930 near Chichen Itza?
A) Carnegie Hotel
B) Yucatán Resort
C) Hacienda Chichén Hotel
D) Mayaland Hotel
  • 64. What is the angle of the protruding stairways on the pyramid?
A) 75°
B) 45°
C) 30°
D) 60°
  • 65. What was revealed by the 3D modeling and multimodal scanning in 2025?
A) A new staircase leading to the top
B) An earlier pyramid substructure called 'Castillo-sub' within the larger 'El Castillo' pyramid
C) A series of underground tunnels
D) A hidden chamber filled with artifacts
  • 66. Where is the Casa Colorada located in relation to the Osario Group?
A) North
B) South
C) East
D) West
  • 67. In which year did Edward Thompson purchase the Hacienda Chichén, which included Chichen Itza?
A) 1944
B) 1923
C) 1910
D) 1894
  • 68. Who urged Governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto to build roads to the more famous monuments, including Chichen Itza?
A) Francisco Gomez Rul
B) Edward Thompson
C) Benjamin Norman
D) Hans Juergen Thies Barbachano
  • 69. How many thematic axes does the museum offer to explore the history of Chichen Itza?
A) 14 thematic axes
B) 10 thematic axes
C) 12 thematic axes
D) 20 thematic axes
  • 70. What is the primary theory about the function of El Caracol?
A) A marketplace
B) A temple
C) A proto-observatory
D) A palace
  • 71. What is the size of the ceremonial center at Chichen Itza?
A) About 3 square kilometers
B) About 5 square kilometers
C) About 7 square kilometers
D) About 10 square kilometers
  • 72. What is depicted in the center of the rings carved on the walls of the platforms?
A) Birds
B) Intertwined feathered serpents
C) Jaguars
D) Human figures
  • 73. What is the Spanish name for the Las Monjas complex at Chichen Itza?
A) The Nuns
B) The Palace
C) The Observatory
D) The Temple
  • 74. How many square terraces does the Temple of Kukulcán have?
A) Ten
B) Eight
C) Nine
D) Seven
  • 75. What is the base length of the sides of the pyramid?
A) Approximately 60 meters
B) Approximately 55.3 meters
C) Approximately 45 meters
D) Approximately 50 meters
  • 76. Which ruler is frequently mentioned in the hieroglyphic texts at Las Monjas?
A) Kʼinich Kan Bʼalam
B) Pacal the Great
C) Kʼakʼupakal
D) Kʼinich Janaab Pakal
  • 77. What are the two small buildings south of the Osario believed to be?
A) Marketplaces
B) Residences for important personages
C) Ball courts
D) Temples
  • 78. Who was a key member of the archaeological expedition and restoration of the Temple of the Warriors?
A) Howard Carter
B) Mary Leakey
C) Zahi Hawass
D) Earl H. Morris
  • 79. What is a stone table with reliefs of captives called in the Great Museum of Chichen Itza?
A) Chac Mool
B) Incan monument
C) Mayan throne
D) Aztec altar
  • 80. In what year was the gamma-ray spectrometry analysis of the North Temple of the Great Ball Court conducted?
A) 2026
B) 2025
C) 2024
D) 2023
  • 81. What does the Maya name 'Chichanchob' possibly mean?
A) Sacred place
B) Small holes
C) Ancient ruins
D) Big house
  • 82. What motif is found on the columns guarding the entrance to the Upper Temple of the Jaguar?
A) Human figure
B) Jaguar
C) Eagle
D) Feathered serpent
  • 83. Who began Yucatán's first official tourism business in the early 1920s?
A) Felipe Carrillo Puerto
B) Edward Thompson
C) Fernando Barbachano Peon
D) Francisco Gomez Rul
  • 84. What is depicted in the mural inside the Upper Temple of the Jaguar?
A) A religious ceremony
B) A market scene
C) A ball game
D) A battle scene
  • 85. What were decapitated heads likely used for in Maya ceremonies?
A) Used as weapons
B) Used as food
C) Used as tools
D) Displayed as sacred items
  • 86. What did DNA testing reveal about the gender of the children's remains?
A) The remains were from both males and females
B) The gender of the remains could not be determined
C) The remains exclusively came from males
D) The remains exclusively came from females
  • 87. What is the condition of most buildings in the Casa Colorada Group, with one exception?
A) Well-preserved
B) Fully restored
C) Under construction
D) Decrepit mounds
  • 88. What was the relationship between Fernando Barbachano Peon and Francisco Gomez Rul?
A) Son-in-law
B) Business partner
C) Cousin
D) Brother
  • 89. What was the original belief about the purpose of El Mercado?
A) A residential area
B) A marketplace
C) A ball court
D) A ceremonial site
  • 90. What is found above the doorway on the opposite wall inside the southern end of Akab Dzib?
A) A mural
B) A cenote
C) A stone spiral staircase
D) Intricately carved glyphs
  • 91. What is the Las Monjas complex believed to have been used for?
A) A governmental palace
B) A marketplace
C) A temple
D) A residential building
  • 92. Which architectural group includes the pyramid of the same name and the Temple of Xtoloc?
A) The Group of the Lintels
B) The Central Group
C) The Osario Group
D) The Great North Platform
  • 93. Which celestial body is El Caracol theorized to be aligned with?
A) The Moon
B) Venus
C) The Sun
D) Mars
  • 94. In which year were the remains of more than 100 children discovered in Chichen Itza?
A) 1975
B) 1980
C) 1967
D) 1990
  • 95. What was done to the terrain of Chichen Itza to facilitate construction?
A) The terrain was covered with sand
B) The terrain was left as is
C) The broken terrain was artificially levelled
D) The terrain was excavated to create terraces
  • 96. What is the name of the building that is half standing and named after a deer painting?
A) La Casa del Sol
B) La Casa de los Pintores
C) La Casa del Venado
D) La Casa de los Ritos
  • 97. What is the condition of the bas-relief carvings inside the Lower Temple of the Jaguar?
A) Nonexistent
B) Damaged beyond recognition
C) Elaborate
D) Simple
  • 98. Which organization restored a small ball court in 2009?
A) National Geographic
B) INAH
C) Smithsonian Institution
D) UNESCO
  • 99. What unique feature is found inside one of the chambers at Akab Dzib?
A) A mural
B) A painted hand print
C) A cenote
D) A stone spiral staircase
  • 100. In which year did Mexico enact the Ley Federal Sobre Monumentos y Zonas Arqueológicas, Artísticas e Históricas?
A) 1944
B) 1980
C) 1972
D) 2007
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