An international team of archaeologists are preparing to use advanced muography technology to search for hidden chambers in the El Castillo pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico.
El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan, was constructed during the 8th and 12th centuries AD in dedication to Kukulcán, the Yucatec Maya Feathered Serpent deity.
Previous studies in 2018 using electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) determined that El Castillo was constructed over a large water filled cavity (cenotes) extending to a depth of 70 feet. The Maya regarded cenotes as sacred sites—portals to the underworld known as Xibalba and dwelling places of Chaac, the god of rain.
In a new study led by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), researchers will now apply muography technology to identify hidden architectural features within the monument.
Muography is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses naturally occurring cosmic-ray muons to reveal the internal density of large objects and structures, as well as naturally occurring geological formations.
The technique will first be used to detect two known interior chambers discovered in the 1930s, when archaeologists excavated an access tunnel. Successfully identifying these spaces will determine whether muography can then be applied to the wider structure to search for previously unknown chambers.
Beyond confirming known features, the project could help evaluate long-standing archaeological hypotheses, including the possibility that an earlier substructure within El Castillo served as a royal burial site. If successful, the study would mark a significant advance in the non-invasive exploration of Mesoamerican monumental architecture.
The study is endorsed by the Archaeology Council of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in collaboration with various departments of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Chicago State University, Dominican University and Virginia University, as well as the Fermi National Laboratory.
Header Image Credit : iStock
Sources : INAH
