Tikal - Tikal in the Classic era, The site, Ancient history of Tikal, Modern history of Tikal

An ancient Mayan city in the Petén rainforest of N Guatemala, settled by 250 BC, at its peak in the 7th–8th-c AD, but abruptly abandoned c.900. In area 16 km²/6 sq mi, it contained an estimated 3000 buildings with a population of c.20–30 000. Monuments include palaces, plazas, ten reservoirs, and six temple pyramids, the largest 70 m/229 ft high. It is a world heritage site.

Tikal (or Tik’al, according to the more current orthography) is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization.

The closest large towns are Flores and Santa Elena, about 30 kilometers away.

The ruins lay on lowland rainforest.

Tikal in the Classic era

Tikal was one of the major cultural and population centers of the Maya civilization.

The name "Tikal" means "Place of Voices" or "Place of Tongues" in Maya, which may be an ancient name for the city, although the ancient hieroglyphs usually refer to it as Mutal or Yax Mutal, meaning "Green Bundle", and perhaps metaphorically "First Prophecy".

Scholars estimate that at its peak its population was between 100,000 -- 200,000.

The site

The site presents hundreds of significant ancient buildings, only a fraction of which have been excavated in the decades of archaeological work.

The most prominent surviving buildings include six very large Mesoamerican step pyramids supporting temples on their tops.

The ancient city also has the remains of royal palaces, in addition to a number of smaller pyramids, palaces, residences, and inscribed stone monuments.

The residential area of Tikal covers an estimated 60 square km (23 square miles), much of which has not yet been cleared or excavated.

Some of the pyramids of Tikal are over 60 meters high (200 feet).

A huge set of earthworks has been discovered ringing Tikal with a 6 meter wide trench behind a rampart.

Recently, a project exploring the earthworks has shown that the scale of the earthworks is highly variable and that in many places it is inconsequential as a defensive feature.

View of pyramids.	Engraved altar.	Engraved stelae.	Pyramid steps.
Partially excavated pyramid.	Pyramid steps.	Stone engravings.	Large stone mask.
View of central plaza.

Ancient history of Tikal

Tikal dominated the central Maya lowlands, but was often at war.

Rulers

Known rulers of Tikal include:

King of Tikal from wooden lintel in Temple III
Depicting either "Yax Nuun Ayin II" or "Dark Sun"

Yax Ehb' Xook c. Nun Yax Ayin a noble from Teotihuacan, was installed on Tikal's throne in 379 by Siyah K'ak', ruled to 411 Siyah Chan K'awil II ("Stormy Sky II") 411-456 K'an-Ak ("Kan Boar") 458-486 Ma'Kin-na Chan late 5th century Chak Tok Ich'aak (Bahlum Paw Skull) 486-508 married "Lady Hand" Ix Yo K'in ("Lady Tikal") 511-527 Kalomte' Balam ("Curl-Head", "19th Lord") c. 511-527 Wak Chan K'awil ("Double-Bird") - 537-562 "Lizard Head II" - lost a battle with Caracol in 562 K'inich Waaw 593-628 K'inich Wayaan - early/mid 7th century K'inich Muwaan Jol II - early/mid 7th century Jasaw Chan K'awiil I (a.k.a. 810 "Jewel K'awil" 849 Jasaw Chan K'awiil II 869-889

(English language names are provisional nicknames based on their identifying glyphs, where rulers' Maya language names have not yet been definitively deciphered phonetically.)

Modern history of Tikal

As is often the case with huge ancient ruins, knowledge of the site was never completely lost in the region. Some second- or third-hand accounts of Tikal appeared in print starting in the 17th century, continuing through the writings of John Lloyd Stephens in the early 19th century.

In 1951 a small airstrip was built at the ruins, which previously could only be reached by several days travel through the jungle on foot or mule. Tikal is a level of the game of Fantastic Four Tikal is the name of a board game by Rio Grande Games.