What appears on El Castillo's stairs at the equinoxes?

A shadow like a descending serpent

Which honor did Chichén Itzá receive in 2007?

Named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World

El Caracol Quiz: Chichén Itzá's Maya Observatory

The Spanish called the round tower the snail because of the winding staircase inside, and this El Caracol quiz explores how Maya astronomers may have used it to track Venus. Play 10 interactive questions on Chichén Itzá, window alignments, the 584-day Venus cycle, the Dresden Codex, equinox sunsets and the serpent shadow at El Castillo.

Start El Caracol Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Name
What does el caracol mean in Spanish?
Site
In which Mexican state is Chichén Itzá?
Planet
Which planet are El Caracol's windows thought to track?
Cycle
How many days long is the Venus cycle the Maya recorded?
Codex
Which Maya book contains detailed Venus tables?
Shape
What makes El Caracol unusual among Maya buildings?
Date
Roughly when was El Caracol built?
Equinox
Which other event may be marked by an El Caracol alignment?
Castillo
What appears on El Castillo's stairs at the equinoxes?
Honors
Which honor did Chichén Itzá receive in 2007?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What does el caracol mean in Spanish?
Answer: The snail
The name refers to the spiral staircase that winds up inside the building.
Q2: In which Mexican state is Chichén Itzá?
Answer: Yucatán
The city flourished on the Yucatán Peninsula between about 600 and 1200 CE.
Q3: Which planet are El Caracol's windows thought to track?
Answer: Venus
Openings appear aligned with the northern and southern extremes of Venus on the horizon.
Q4: How many days long is the Venus cycle the Maya recorded?
Answer: About 584
Venus returns to the same position relative to the Sun about every 584 days.
Q5: Which Maya book contains detailed Venus tables?
Answer: The Dresden Codex
The Dresden Codex predicts Venus's appearances with remarkable accuracy.
Q6: What makes El Caracol unusual among Maya buildings?
Answer: It is round
Most Maya structures are rectangular, so its circular tower stands out.
Q7: Roughly when was El Caracol built?
Answer: Around 900 CE
It dates to the height of Chichén Itzá's power in the late Classic and early Postclassic periods.
Q8: Which other event may be marked by an El Caracol alignment?
Answer: Sunset at the equinoxes
Some researchers see alignments with equinox sunsets as well as Venus.
Q9: What appears on El Castillo's stairs at the equinoxes?
Answer: A shadow like a descending serpent
Triangles of light and shadow create the image of the feathered serpent Kukulcán.
Q10: Which honor did Chichén Itzá receive in 2007?
Answer: Named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World
It had already been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

El Caracol Quiz – The Maya Observatory

El Caracol is a round tower at Chichén Itzá on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, built around 900 CE. Its name, Spanish for the snail, comes from the spiral staircase inside.

Many researchers believe El Caracol served as an observatory. Its windows appear aligned with the extreme positions of Venus on the horizon and possibly with equinox sunsets. The Maya tracked Venus's 584-day cycle, as shown in the Dresden Codex.

Nearby, El Castillo, the Temple of Kukulcán, shows a serpent-shaped shadow on its stairs at the equinoxes. Chichén Itzá became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and one of the New Seven Wonders in 2007.

What This Quiz Teaches

History fans and travelers will enjoy these questions.

Why it is called the snail
Which planet it tracked
How long the Venus cycle is
Which codex records it
What happens at El Castillo

Did You Know?

Venus was linked to war in Maya belief.
Parts of El Caracol's tower have collapsed.
Chichén Itzá has a large sacred cenote.
The Great Ball Court is the largest in Mesoamerica.
Visitors can no longer climb El Castillo.