Abstract :
images of Adela Breton’s copies of the murals. Following discussion of the construction date of the building and previous interpretations
of the murals, examination of costume, setting, and house form suggests that rather than depicting mythic or symbolic episodes, these
murals illustrate actual military encounters between Chichen and its enemies. The occasion for their production seems to be the utilizationThis paper reexamines the art and architecture of the Upper Temple of the Jaguars, Chichen Itza, in light of new unpublished digital
of the Upper Temple of the Jaguars by a specific sector of Chichen Itza’s military, perhaps for rites of investiture. This sector is
argued to have been associated with the Cloud Serpent, either as the title of its leader or as a patron deity, and the structure itself is perhaps
related to later Nahua buildings associated with penitential rites involving warfare and investiture
