TikalAncient City of the Maya

Tikal, The Maya City

Introduction

• The ancient Maya city of Tikal is located deep in the heart of Guatemala`s El Peten rainforest.

• Tikal was once the major cultural and population center of the Maya civilization

• Today Tikal National Park is a sanctuary for the archaeological monuments, and for endangered wildlife such as ocelots, monkeys, toucans, parrots, and jaguars.

• Tikal is one of the largest ancient Maya sites, covering 60 square miles

Location

Tikal is located in modern day Guatemala

• Some of the earliest temples at Tikal date back to 4th century BC

• Tikal is the modern name for the site. Hieroglyphic inscriptions show that the ancient Maya called the site “Yax Mutal”

A panorama time lapse at sunset overlooking the Great Plaza from the North Acropolis.

Location

• Tikal’s location between two rivers allowed Tikal to become a great trade, religious, and political center that dominated the region at times during the Classic Period (200 AD to 850 AD.)

• Tikal reached its peak population of approximately 55,000 people around AD 700.

• The city itself contained many different structures inside its boundaries. These structures included temples, pyramids, shrines, ball courts, cermonial structures and resident areas.

Tikal Abandoned

• Site abandoned by the end of the 10 the century

• Possible reasons for the abandonment include overpopulation, environmental degradation, drought and the Maya's long history of warfare

• After site abandonment Tikal was overgrown by the jungle

• Tikal was largely forgotten, except as a legend about a lost city of the Maya

Site Re-discovery

• Site was re-discovered in 1846 by a gum-collector named Ambrosio Tut

• Ambrosio spotted Tikal’s temple roof combs rising out of the jungle

• The discovery of the site was published in the 1853 by the Berlin Academy of Science

• Many expeditions to study the site soon followed

Temples I and II rising out of the jungle

First Archaeological Study of Tikal

• In 1956 The University of Pennsylvania began the first archaeological study and excavation of Tikal

• Before the excavation, much of the site was covered by the jungle• Archaeologist created a map of Tikal’s 4,000 structures• Structures include: temples, ball courts, palaces, residential

complexes and causeways.

Map of Tikal

• Map of the the site

Panorama of the grand Plaza

Panorama photograph of the Great Plaza and Central Acropolis

Pyramids• Tikal feature 6 large

step pyramids, Temples I-VI

• Some of the pyramids are over 60 meters (200 feet) tall

Temples served many purposes

-Platforms used in religious rituals

-Observatories

-Tombs for rulersTemples constantly added toWhenever a new ruler came in to power, he would build a new layer on an existing pyramid or built a new pyramid

Maya Pyramids vs Egyptian Pyramids

Built of small cut stones on a rubble core

Served many functions-temple, tombs, platform for public ceremonies

Often built on top of older, existing temples and pyramids

Built of large blocks of cut stone

Built as as a tomb for pharaohs

Technology

• Maya buildings were typically made from limestone

• Stone was cut in quarries and then moved to the sites

• Limestone in its bed is soft enough to be cut by stone tools. Limestone hardens in the sun.

• Pyramids build without metal tools, pulleys or wheels

Maya pyramids have very steep steps

3-D Tour of Grand Plaza

• 3-D tour of the Grand Plaza

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Movie: 3-D Tour of the Grand Plaza

Temple I

Temple 1, or Temple of the JaguarTemple I was built for the 26th ruler of Tikal, Jasaw. The building date is unknown as it is unclear if Jasaw built it for himself or if his son, Yik`in, constructed it in honor of his deceased father.

Large carved piece of stone, or stelae often depicted historical events or religious stories

Temple II

Temple II is dedicated to King Jasa’s wife, Lady Twelve Macaw (died 704 A.D.)

Lady Twelve Macaw is buried inside this temple.

Temple II, or Temple of the MoonBuilt in the eighth-century Tikal ruler Jasaw Chan K`awiil

• Temple IV is the tallest structure at Tikal.

• Temples IV is 70 meters in height and is the second tallest structure built by the Maya.

• Built by Yik`in Chan Kawil, son of Jasaw, in the mid-8th century.

• Temple contains a tomb, however, archaeologists have not identified the owner of the tomb Temple IV is currently undergoing

restoration. It has not been fully excavated. In this picture you can see the jungle still covering part of the temple

The Central Acropolis

• The Central Acropolis Central Acropolis

The Central Acropolis, on the rightTemple II to the left

Most of its buildings are of the so-called palace type, probably used for daily functions of the royal court.

The North Acropolis

• The North Acropolis was the focus of the city`s religious architecture and the preferred place of burial for rulers

• Dozens of tombs dating back well into the Preclassic period.

Maya architectural features

Roof CombDecorative structure that sit on

top of a building

Roofcombs were elaborately decorated with images important to the Maya people

Roof combs acts as billboards projecting poltical and religious messages to the people

The roof comb of Temple II, also known as the Temple of the Mask has a very large roof comb. The roof comb still contain traces of the oringal jaguars, mask etc

Ball courts

Tikal has five ball courts.

Ball games played as a a sacred ritual and had an important role in Maya religion and culture

Ball courts are often located in or adjacent to important ceremonial and monumental areas.

• Ballgames played as an important ritual ceremony

• Exact rules of the game are unknown, but some rules have been learned from images of the ballgame on carved stone and painted on pottery

• Game played with a heavy solid rubber ball

• Object of the game was probably to keep the ball in play using hips and forearms

• Courts had stone rings which may have been used as goals