The Maya site of Chichén Itzá (chee-CHEN eeet-ZA) is one of the most important and well-known archaeological sites in the New World; and one of the reasons it is such an interesting site is that it has a split personality.

While the history of the site isn't particularly well-known, it is clear that the Northern Yucatán peninsula site was founded about 700 AD by people emigrating from the Puuc (pronounced Pook) region of southern Yucatán, and that beginning about 950 AD, there was an influx of population of Toltec people from the town of Tula in what is now Hidalgo state, Mexico. The resulting architecture is a delightful mix of styles, probably representing a cosmopolitan mix of rulers and population.

The Walking Tour of Chichén Itzá uses photographs from five talented Flickr pals of mine to illustrate the Puuc Maya and Toltec forms of architecture at Chichén Itzá, as well as the mixed bag you can find there and other highlights of this fascinating site, such as the Observatory and the Sacred Cenote.

• Walking Tour of Chichén Itzá
• Maya Civilization Timeline
• Tula