Getting out the vote
By Kathleen Blake Bohné, June 8, 2007

On July 7, 2007, the new Seven Wonders of the World will be announced in Lisbon, after tallying votes from internet-users around the globe.

Founded in 2001 by Bernard Weber—a Swiss filmmaker, adventurer and museum curator—the New Seven Wonders Foundation (www.new7wonders.com) proclaims a mission to protect precious man-made sites, adhering to their motto, “our heritage is our future.” All are encouraged to vote for free on their website for seven landmarks out of 21 diverse finalists—Chichen Itza made the final round, one of five in the Americas. Weber asserts that the “internet is perhaps the only democratic means of distributing information around the world” and he believes we should use it to 

“pay tribute to our collective global heritage.”

Philon of Byzantium is often credited for compiling the ancient list of Seven Wonders in 200 BCE, but other Hellenistic scholars (including a chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria) wrote similar works singing the praises of these famed sites of antiquity: the Temple of Artemis, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Lighthouse at Alexandria, the Pyramids of Giza and the Statue of Zeus. Unfortunately, six out of the seven were destroyed or are in ruins, leaving only the most ancient, the Pyramids of Giza, still intact. All seven were considered architectural marvels of times past, many built centuries before they were named “orbis spectaculis” or “spectacles” by Philon. Weber and his team are determined to help prevent the same loss of human achievement from recurring; they fundraise to restore and protect these treasures from the damages of time, natural disasters and human folly. They are currently engaged in reconstructing the Bamiyan Buddha in Afg
hanistan, which was tragically demolished by the Taliban regime in March 2001. Their goal is to rebuild the enormous 4th century CE monument in its original location.

So, which wonders are competing for the world’s votes? Seven are from Europe (the Acropolis, the Kremlin/St. Basil’s, the Colosseum, Neuwanschstein Castle, the Eiffel Tower, Stonhenge, and the Alhambra), five are from Asia (the Hagia Sophia, the Great Wall of China, Kiyomizu Temple, Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal), one is from the Middle East (Petra), two are from Africa (Timbuktu and the Pyramids of Giza), and five are from the Americas (the Statue of Christ Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the statues of Easter Island, Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza and the Statue of Liberty). These 21 were selected from 77 nominees at the end of 2005 by the New Seven Wonders panel.

Mexico’s wonder (one of many), Chichen Itza in the state of Yucatan, was a major Maya center of worship and learning from about 750–1200 CE. Its magnificent temples—including the most recognizable, “El Castillo”, built to honor Kukulcan (aka Quetzalcoatl)—inspire awe and reflect a rich legacy of Mayan civilization. Thousands still gather every spring and fall equinox as the writhing shadow of a serpent is cast on the pyramid steps at sunrise. There are three natural cenotes (underground sinkholes) nearby, which would have probably provided a steady source of water. One was named the Sacred Cenote and was apparently used to honor and make sacrifice to the rain god Chaac. Human remains have been discovered in this and other cenotes, which correlates with Spanish accounts of sacrificial victims’ bodies being tossed into the deep watery holes. American adventurer Richard Halliburton wrote in his dashing travel narrative, New Worlds to Conquer (1929), about his visit to Chichen Itza and his dive into the Sacred Ce

note—he fared far better than his Mayan predecessors, going on to enjoy the waters off Cozumel and later hunt for Inca gold in Peru.

Chichen Itza was not only a religious center—there is a unique observatory at the site (“El Caracol”) and the largest Mesoamerican ballcourt ever found. The observatory was used to help make calculations for the intricate and remarkably accurate Mayan calendrical system, and the enormous ballcourt is lined with reliefs depicting the popular, still mysterious, game played across pre-Columbian Latin America. A ritual beheading found in these stone works of art is still the subject of debate: many thought the captain of the losing team lost his head at the end of a match, but some archaeologists now argue the opposite may have occurred because of the Mayan belief in the incomparable honor of sacrifice. There are many other beautiful and mystical structures in Chichen Itza, such as the “Nunnery,” the Ossuary, the Temple of the Jaguars and the Temple of the Warriors. Even a cursory examination reveals glimpses of a world too long forgotten, and a wonder we should honor and preserve forever.

The upcoming announcement of the New Seven Wonders of the World is a perfect opportunity to reflect and appreciate the breadth of human achievement. These monuments help us connect not only to others’ souls across borders and continents, but across a vast span of time. They remind us that not all mystery has faded from our graphically interlinked world and that regardless of our differences, we can all silently revel in the beauties wrought by human hands and minds.

Take a moment to vote at www.n7w.com. The final results will be announced July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal.