Site coverage68%7 of 8 zones modeled
Chichén Itzá HeritageView Project
Chichén Itzá
Site Development Workbench
Building a validated, experiential heritage model of Chichén Itzá.
This workbench brings together archaeological evidence, spatial documentation, 3D reconstruction, virtual storytelling, and field validation to develop a historically grounded, interactive HeritageView experience.
Project statusResearch in progressPilot siteChichén Itzá, YucatánLast updatedMay 20, 2025
Model progress54%Average across all zones
Validation progress42%Field checks completed
Open questions27Across all zones
Student contributors19Active this semester
1 Evidence corpus
- Archaeological reports 42
- Historical accounts 18
- Photogrammetry sets 236
- LiDAR scans 15
- Maps & drawings 31
2 Scan assets
- Terrestrial laser scans 12
- Aerial LiDAR flights 4
- 360° panoramas 128
- Photogrammetry models 87
- GIS layers 23
3 Reconstruction decisions
- Documented decisions 64
- Pending reviews 9
- Alternative hypotheses 14
4 Site master plan & zone workbench
ZonesPathsVegetationTopography
5 Zone development overview
1El Castillo
Status In progress
- Modeling
- 68%
- Validation
- 54%
Open questions 7 · Students 3
2Great Ball Court
Status In progress
- Modeling
- 55%
- Validation
- 42%
Open questions 6 · Students 4
3El Caracol
Status In progress
- Modeling
- 52%
- Validation
- 38%
Open questions 5 · Students 5
4Temple of the Warriors
Status In progress
- Modeling
- 48%
- Validation
- 35%
Open questions 4 · Students 6
5Sacred Cenote
Status In progress
- Modeling
- 30%
- Validation
- 22%
Open questions 3 · Students 3
6Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars
Status In progress
- Modeling
- 28%
- Validation
- 20%
Open questions 2 · Students 4
7Las Monjas
Status Planned
- Modeling
- 12%
- Validation
- 5%
Open questions 1 · Students 5
6 Character requirements
- Archaeologist Guide Approved
- Maya Citizen In review
- Yucatec Merchant In review
- Priest (Itzamna) Planned
- Ballplayer Planned
7 Script status
- Intro sequence Approved
- El Castillo experience In progress
- Great Ball Court In progress
- Cenote ritual Draft
- Daily life at Chichén Itzá Planned
8 Spatial trigger plans
- Trigger zones defined 23
- Audio trigger points 87
- Haptic / visual triggers 34
- Pathways mapped (km) 7.6
9 Upcoming field-validation tasks
- El Castillo Summit visibility check
- Great Ball Court Acoustic test
- Cenote Hydro scan
- Temple of the Warriors Surface scan
- Caracol Solar alignment study
10 Systems integration
- HeritageView Glasses V1
- Location-locked delivery
- No gesture / eye tracking
- 16+ hour field operation
11 Methodological note
Iterative interpretation of evidence, modeling, and field validation. Our process aligns archaeological evidence, spatial data, and oral traditions within an iterative loop of modeling and on-site validation.
12 Research community comments View all comments
MDr. Marisol Canul Excellent alignment with epigraphic data and urban layout. The Caracol reconstruction is particularly strong.
DProf. David J. Webster Consider additional evidence for the north stair orientation at El Castillo.
13 Open questions across all zones View all in log
| Question | Zone | Priority | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| What was the original superstructure roof scheme? | El Castillo | High | Open |
| Ball court ring acoustics—material evidence? | Great Ball Court | Medium | Open |
| Was the cenote platform carved or built? | Sacred Cenote | High | In review |
| Warrior columns—paint traces? | Temple of the Warriors | Medium | Open |