Interesting Acoustic Properties at Chichen Itza (4 seconds)

The Pyramid of Kukulkan produces an interesting acoustic response to hand clapping that many describe as a bird call.
Zifnabsays...

I remember doing that when I was there. The ball court also has some interesting acoustic properties, you can talk at one end and be heard clearly at the other.

deathcowsays...

> you can talk at one end and be heard clearly at the other

Thats no big deal, our local football field does that, but you do have to yell.

jimnmssays...

>> ^Zifnab:
The ball court also has some interesting acoustic properties, you can talk at one end and be heard clearly at the other.


That's nothing. I live in a smallish town, you can talk about someone at one end of town, and by the end of the day hear about it on the other end of town.

Paybacksays...

I've been there, wicked cool shit in person. The side of that stairway at noon makes a shadow of snake bodies for the snake heads at the base.

The sound is from the clap bouncing off each individual step.

Morganthsays...

I spent a summer living in Merida so I've been there a number of times. On the Spring and Autumn equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent - Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl - along the west side of the north staircase. On these two days, the shadows from the corner tiers slither down the northern side of the pyramid with the sun's movement to the serpent's head at the base. There are also 91 steps on each side and then the one platform at the top to account for the 365 days of the year (the fact that they knew this in the ~11th century is damn impressive).

They also built this 30 meter-tall pyramid without any load bearing animals, metal tools, pulleys, or the wheel.

EDDsays...

I went there and some asshole was making a big deal out of a bunch of dudes simply having a joint in the top chamber of the pyramid.

Farhad2000says...

I can only imagine how it would sound with hundreds of thousands of people clapping since it's pretty clear this was done by design and not accident.

cybrbeastsays...

>> ^turboj0e:
i have smoked marijuana in the top chamber of that pyramid.


27 votes now. Uhm why is this so awesome? It's not that I don't like smoking marijuana but I never knew smoking it in cool places made you deserve extra power points.

nanrodsays...

Interesting statistic, absolutely true, I read it somewhere. For every moron who has smoked a j in the top chamber of that pyramid there are ten others rotting in some Mexican jail.

kulpimssays...

can somebody come and bail me out of this rotting mexican jail? there's nine other assholes around and someone just tried to smoke my hair. hurry, please!

Send this Article to a Friend



Separate multiple emails with a comma (,); limit 5 recipients






Your email has been sent successfully!

Manage this Video in Your Playlists




notify when someone comments
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
  
Learn More