Mexican and American archaeologists in the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza discovered a pyramid inside the Kukulkan temple. It is reported by the Terra edition.
It reaches 10 meters in height. The inner pyramid dates back to AD 500-800. It probably has a staircase and an altar at the top. Inside the Temple of Kukulkan, a set of several small pyramids may exist, according to anthropology professor Joffrey Braswell of the University of California, San Diego.
Earlier, scientists found two more pyramids nested inside each other inside Kukulkan. The open structure is the third and smallest. Archaeologists have known about the presence of a second pyramid inside the temple since the 1940s. In 2015, researchers discovered an underground lake under the Kukulkan pyramid.
The pyramid of Kukulkan (the god of wind, water, fire and air) was built by the Maya in the period from the 9th to the 12th century. It served for cult purposes (at its top there was a temple in which believers performed human sacrifices - they ripped open their bellies and pulled out hearts), and also as a calendar.
The city of Chichen Itza, in which the pyramid is located, was founded in the 6th century, and at the end of the 12th century it was deserted. In 1988, the ancient city was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is visited by over a million tourists annually.