Why go
Stop close enough to study the repeated skull reliefs on this low platform, then look back toward the ballcourt and the larger pyramids. Its compact form and unsettling imagery reveal another ceremonial use of the Great Plaza that a quick pyramid-only visit would miss.
What to look for
- Repeated skull reliefs cover the low platform
- The platform stands near the Great Ballcourt
The full story
The platform stands near the eastern side of the Great Ballcourt. Its modern name, Tzompantli, is a Nahuatl term for structures associated with displaying the skulls of sacrificed people, well documented at Tenochtitlán. At Chichen Itza, the large platform rises a little over 1.5 meters and has a T-shaped plan. Its walls carry repeated rows of skulls, along with carved representations of the posts of a wooden framework. A square projection to the east changes the imagery: warriors appear with outsized eagles holding human hearts, while serpent bands run across the friezes and feathered-serpent heads project at the corners. The carvings invite a careful account of violence and ritual rather than a guess at an individual victim or ceremony. Compare this program with the nearby Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars, where related images appear without the skull rows.
Useful to know
- View from the public visitor path; do not climb or enter protected structures.
Your next visit
Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.
Outdoor visit · 10–20 min
World planning estimate; admission, opening, visit duration and access need checking.