AMAZING STRUCTURES For thonsands of years, people have been inspired to create giant Th monuments. Here are ewo great architectural achievements, located on opposite sides of the world. CHICHEN ITZA CChichtn i was maori ofthe Maya Emp from A.D. 750 to 1200, Made of stepped pyramids, emples, and other stone structures, the ancient city is now one of Mexico's most visited tourist destinations. The largest building in Chichén Itza is the ey reco akan eel i 365 pope A Kl of caar d sl the change of seasons. On the spring and autumn equinoxes' each year, a shadow falls on the pyramid inthe shape ofa snake, As the sun st, this shadowy snake ee es wnt apa eval fin carved mal had ‘The Mayans constructed the pyramids with carved stone. Amazingly, they ‘worked without wheels or metal tools. To build a pyramid, Mayan workers ¢ created a base and added smaller and smaller levels as the structure rose. Building the pyramids required many workers. Some pyramids took hundreds of years to complete. Chichén Itza was both an advanced city center and a religious site. Spanish records show that the Mayans made human sactifices* to a rain god here. Archaeologists have found bones, jewelry, and other objects that people wore when they were sacrificed. Experts also know that the ‘Mayans were knowledgeable astronomers.’ ‘They used the tops of the pyramids to view Venus and other planets. ei Ae “an equinox i time inthe year when day and night are of equal lenge. 2A sacrifice is a eligous ceremony in ‘which people or animals are killed. °An astronomer i a person who studies seas, planets, and other ‘objects in space.) GOBEKLI TEPE Gébekli Tepe, in southeastern Turkey, is one of the oldest man-made structures on Earth. Experts believe it was built about 12,000 years ago. The structure £ consists of dozens of stone pillars arranged in rings. Many pillars are covered with carvings of animals. The tallest pillars are 18 feet (5.5 meters) in height and weigh 16 tons (more than 14,500 kilograms). At the time that Gébekli Tepe was built, there was no writing system, and people did not use metal. Even wheels did not exist. Amazingly, though, the builders F were able to cut, shape, and transport 16-ton stones. Archaeologists found Stone Age‘ tools such as knives at the site. They think hundreds of workers carved and put the pillars in place.Archaeologists are still debating the purpose of Gobekli Tepe. Klaus Schmidt—the archaeologist who originally excavated’ the site—believed that Gébekli G Tepe was a holy meeting place. According to his theory, the T-shaped pillars represent human beings. The pillars face the center of the circle and perhaps represent a religious ceremony. New evidence suggests that large feasts took place at the site. Archaeologists found thousands of small animal bones nearby, with stone containers large enough to hold more than 40 gallons (150 liters) of liquid. They also found smaller pillars similar to Gébekli Tepe’s in areas over 125 miles (200 kilometers) away. It’s as though Gobekli Tepe were a cathedral and the other structures were local churches. “The Stone Age was a prehistoric period when tools were made of stone, not metal. sWhen people excavate a site, they remove earth to find items buried underground. Gébekli Tepe, Turkey @)(B choose the best alternative title for the reading passage. ‘2, Mysterious Modern Structures b. Architectural Wonders of the Ancient World . Religious Architectural Styles (B) what do chichén ttz4 and Gobekli Tepe have in common? Check (v) the sentences that are true. (J 1. Both structures are located in the Americas. CJ 2. Both structures were built from stone. Cl 3. Carvings of animals appear on both structures. Cl 4. Both structures were built using metal tools. Cl 5. Both structures were constructed amazingly quickly. Cl 6. Both structures likely served a ligious purpose. {© According to the writer, what was the purpose of each structure? What evidence does the writer give? Scan the reading passage again and note your answers. Chichén Itz Purpose(s): Evidence: GdbekliTepe Purpose(s): Evidence: