USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Sacred Cenote (Spanish: cenote sagrado, American Spanish: [ˌsenote saˈɣɾaðo], “sacred well"; alternatively known as the “Well of Sacrifice") is a water-filled sinkhole in limestone at the pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site of Chichen Itza, in the northern Yucatán Peninsula.

Detailed explanation-2: -A cenote is a deep, water-filled sinkhole formed in limestone. It is created when the roof of an underground cavern collapses. This cavern is then filled with rain and water flowing from underground rivers. The word cenote comes from the Mayan word dzonot, which means “well” in English.

Detailed explanation-3: -These wells owe their name to the Mayans, who baptized them with the word Dz’onot, which means ‘cavern with water’, and from there it derived its current name: cenotes.

Detailed explanation-4: -A cenote is said to be quite significant to the Mayan people. Whilst cenotes were their main water source, they were also considered it to be the entrance to the Xibalba, translated to the underworld, and a place where the Mayan gods would visit, especially Chaac, the Mayan god of rain, lightning, and thunder.

Detailed explanation-5: -Cenotes were the main source of fresh water for the ancient Mayan civilization. Mayans believed the cenotes to be sacred and sometimes used them for sacrificial offerings. Valuable objects such as gold, jade and copper were thrown into the cenotes as an offering to the Mayan rain god, Chaac.