La Piramide, known as the Temple of Kukulcan, is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatan. Built by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD, the pyramid served as a temple to the deity Kukulcan. The pyramid consists of a series of square terraces with stairways up each of the four sides to the temple on top. Sculptures of plumed serpents run down the sides of the northern balustrade. Human sacrifice, a feature of all Meso-American and Andean religions, has often given rise to the portrayal of the American civilizations as particularly cruel and backward, and it has to be admitted that the practice is so alien to our way of thinking that an objective assessment is very difficult. Blood was viewed as a potent source of nourishment for the Maya deities, and the sacrifice of a living creature was a powerful blood offering. By extension, the sacrifice of human life was the ultimate offering of blood to the gods, and the most important Maya rituals culminated in human sacrifice. Heart extractions and sacrifice have been viewed as a supreme religious expression among the ancient Maya". The removal of the still-beating heart, or sometimes self-immolation was considered a great offering and meal for the gods. Mexico, Chichen Itza Please don't use my images without my permission. All images © Aivar Mikko.