| Tikal (or Tik’al, according to the more
current orthography) is the largest of the ancient ruined cities
of the Maya civilization. It is located in the El Petén
department of Guatemala at 17°13?19?N, 89°37?22?W. Now
part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park, it is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and a popular tourist spot. The closest large
towns are Flores and Santa Elena, about 30 kilometers away.Tikal's
Temple V (photographed by Leonardo C. Fleck)
Tikal was one of the major cultural and population centers of
the Maya civilization. Though monumental architecture at the
site dates to the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its apogee during
the Classic Period, ca. 200 AD to 850 AD, during which time
the site dominated the Maya region politically, economically,
and militarily while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica,
such as central Mexican center of Teotihuacan. There is also
evidence that Tikal was even conquered by Teotihuacan in the
4th century A.D. Following the end of the Late Classic, no new
major monuments were built at Tikal and there is evidence that
elite palaces were burned. These events were coupled with a
gradual population decline, culminating with the site’s
abandonment by the end of the 10th century.
|
Tikal
