Episode 2 - Secrets of the Maya Pyramid
BLOWING UP HISTORY investigates the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza and its iconic pyramid, El Castillo. Blowing apart this magnificent monument – stone by stone – we’ll unearth the mysteries of this lost civilization.
Located deep in Mexico’s Yucatan jungle, Chichen Itza is the best-preserved Maya city in existence. We meet archaeologists working to unravel Chichen Itza’s secrets, revealing how these vast structures were built, how this society lived and how religion shaped this city.
We explore how the Maya were able to survive in the jungle for almost 3000 years – and investigate what cascade of events caused this civilization to inexplicably collapse.
We’ll blow apart Chichen Itza’s most iconic building - the 80 foot ‘Castillo’ - to reveal hidden cavities including an awe-inspiring throne room and the structures of two earlier pyramids that lie within. CGI will blast the Castillo into the skies, revealing a newly discovered underground lake, a ‘cenote’, lying beneath. We meet the geologists who found it, who believe the Maya built on this spot for its sacred importance. We also follow the dive teams who explore other cenotes across the region. Their findings, human skeletons and offerings, provide clues about the myths and beliefs of the ancient Maya.
This film deciphers the clues contained within Chichen Itza’s mysterious structures to reveal the secrets of the Maya culture - their expertise in astronomy and engineering and their sometimes bloodcurdling religious rites.