El Castillo at Chichén Itzá has long captivated visitors with mathematical precision and the equinox serpent shadow. But a 2018 Scientific Reports study used non-invasive electrical-resistance geophysics to map what sits below. Researchers detected a large karst cavity resembling a cenote, implying the Maya temple was built over a natural sinkhole in limestone terrain. No excavation followed, yet the finding is reshaping interpretations of how El Castillo’s underground setting may have influenced its construction and symbolism.
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