Interior Imaging of El Castillo Pyramid, Chichen Itza, Mexico, Using ERT-3D Methods: Preliminary Results

Preliminary results from a study using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) reveal the existence of at least two substructures within El Castillo pyramid, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The first substructure was discovered during restoration in the 1930s, while a second, previously unknown structure has been inferred from resistivity data. This inner chamber is estimated to be around 10 meters high with a base measuring approximately 23 meters per side and may contain an intact rectangular room 3 meters tall. The study employed a novel ERT-3D method, deploying electrodes across the pyramid's nine levels and its base to generate 37,520 observations, with five of ten observation levels processed so far. These findings suggest a more complex architectural history for El Castillo than previously understood.

E. Chavez, R., Tejero, A., Tejero, A., L. Argote, D., L. Argote, D., Cifuentes, G., Cifuentes, G., Hernández-Quintero, J. E., Hernández-Quintero, J. E., García-Serrano, A., & García-Serrano, A. (2017). Interior Imaging of El Castillo Pyramid, Chichen Itza, Mexico, Using ERT-3D Methods: Preliminary Results. Geofísica Internacional, 56(2). https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2017.56.2.1766