Tikal is the ruin of an ancient Maya city, likely once called Yax Mutal, in a rainforest in the Petén Basin of northern Guatemala, one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization; the site forms part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Tikal contains six major pyramid structures, each supporting a temple on its summit, some rising more than 60 meters, and each of the major temples is estimated to have been built in as little as two years. Temple I, the Temple of the Great Jaguar, was completed around 740 to 750 CE as a funerary monument for the ruler Jasaw Chan Kawil, rising 47 meters, while Temple IV, the tallest at Tikal at 70 meters, dates to about 741 CE and marks the reign of Yikin Chan Kawil; Temple VI, the Temple of the Inscriptions, was dedicated in 766 CE and carries a 12 meter roof comb covered in hieroglyphic panels.
Facts
Building Type LocationPetén Department, Guatemala 1 Height (m)Height of Temple IV, the tallest temple-pyramid at the site, measured from the plaza floor to the top of its roof comb. Tikal itself is an ancient city built up over many centuries with no single overall building height or completion year; completed-year is left unset for this entity, gap recorded. Classification
Standing Status Building Type
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One of the largest Maya city-states, its temple-pyramids a defining example of Classic Maya architecture.
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Source Wikipedia: Tikal
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1. Wikipedia: Tikal
Wikipedialead paragraph, summary extract
One of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, it is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now the Petén Department in northern Guatemala.
lead paragraph, summary extract, same sentence as building-type
One of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, it is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now the Petén Department in northern Guatemala.
Architecture section, Temple IV description
Temple IV is the tallest temple-pyramid at Tikal, measuring 70 meters (230 ft) from the plaza floor level to the top of its roof comb.
- Wikipedia "Tikal" intro (read live, w-fk-arch-rel2-0927c, R-K)
Lead section
One of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, it is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now the Petén Department in northern Guatemala. The site is part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Uses Element: Limestone, Wikipedia article
The architecture of the ancient city is built from limestone and includes the remains of temples that tower over 70 meters (230 ft) high, large royal palaces, in addition to a number of smaller pyramids, palaces, residences, administrative buildings, platforms and inscribed stone monuments.
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