Despite reports to the contrary, INAH Yucatán announced that Dzibilchaltún would grant visitors access to view the Spring Equinox at the site today and Saturday.
News of the decision came yesterday at 7 p.m., frustrating people who intended to see the celestial event.
Adding to the frustration is the MX$730 (about US$41) entrance fee for the site, regardless of nationality or residence. Cash only.
This detail was widely criticised on social media, where some locals pointed out that the amount was equivalent to nearly a week’s wages.
“So now cultural heritage is only for the rich? I used to always go, but I guess, like everything else, this is now just for the few. Disgusting,” Mérida resident Manuel Romero posted on Facebook.
A few hours after the original post announcing the decision went live, INAH edited it to clarify that the 730-peso entry fee was not arbitrary but reflected a new policy for accessing archaeological sites outside normal hours.
INAH’s Facebook post also notified visitors that the use of professional cameras would be possible only with prior authorization, which had never been the case before and was effectively impossible given the post’s last-minute nature.
As of deadline, there was no information on how many paid to view the stellar phenomena at Dzibilchaltún this morning.
The equinox at Dzibilchaltún is observed when the sun passes through the main doorway of the Temple of the Seven Dolls at sunrise, creating an impressive effect that demonstrates the Maya’s advanced astronomical knowledge.
During the Spring Equinox, other astronomical alignments are relatively common across the Maya world and Mesoamerica at large, with the most famous being the so-called descent of Kukulcán down El Castillo at Chichén Itzá.
Other examples of equinox phenomena at archaeological sites include the alignment through an arch at Oxkintok and the “taking in of energy” at Teotichuacán in the state of Mexico, near Mexico City.
All of these “celestial events” are typically attended by a wide range of people, including folks interested in Mesoamerican astronomy, New Age believers, and curious onlookers.