Why go
The Temple of the Three Lintels and the ruined Temple of the Four Lintels reveal a more intimate, inscription-rich part of Chichen Itza. Their architecture and nearby stone-lined well add detail to the city’s story, but their historical description does not establish current public access.
What to look for
- The Temple of the Three Lintels has three rooms and inscribed stone door beams.
- Its Puuc-style façade includes corner Chaac masks, cross-stone bands and small columns.
- Two inscribed doorways survived at the collapsed Temple of the Four Lintels.
The full story
This southern group lies about 2.3 kilometres from El Castillo along sacbé 7, an ancient raised road. The route once carried a visitor horse tram installed by Edward Thompson, and its rails left traces along the road. Nearby, a deep limestone sinkhole stopped short of groundwater. A rubble-stone well built at its lowest point served local water needs. The Temple of the Three Lintels, known archaeologically as 7B3, has three rooms in a row. Its façade uses a Chichen Itza variant of Puuc architecture: a high base with a recessed cross-stone band, large Chaac masks at the corners, and small groups of plain columns above the doors. The stone beams over those doors bear hieroglyphs. At the Temple of the Four Lintels, 7B4, the collapsed building has two standing inscribed entrances. These are distinct monuments from the Initial Series Group also called Chichén Viejo in some visitor material. Current visitor access to these lintel temples remains uncertain.