Tikal

Tikal (or Tik' Al which is the most current orthography) is one of the principal archeological sites Mayas. It is located at the Guatemala, in the area of the Petén.

History

Tikal was one of the principal arts centres of Maya civilization. Its monumental architecture started to be built around fourth century BC. The city knew its apogee for the Traditional Period Maya, between the 3rd century and 9th century after J.C. ; more no major monument was built thereafter, of the palates were set fire to and the population declined little by little until the total abandonment of the site towards the end of the 10th century.

The name of " Tikal" mean " Place of Voix" , " Place of Langues" , or " Place of the échos" in Maya; the Mayas of the traditional Time referred to the city under the name of Mutal or Yax Mutal , i.e. " Vert" package; , or perhaps métaphoriquement " First Prophétie".

The academics estimate that the population of the city could go up until 100 000, even 200 000 inhabitants.

Tikal dominated the Maya low-grounds, but while being constantly in war. The inscriptions give a report on many alliances and conflicts with other Mayas City-States, like Uaxactun, Caracol, Naranjo or Calakmul.

Kings

Kings de Tikal known to date are:

Lintel out of wooden of Temple III representing the king " Yax Nuun Ayin II" or " Noir" sun;

Yax Ehb' Xook (towards 60 - founder of the dynasty)

Siyaj Chan K' awil Chak Ich' aak (" Sky of I" Storm; 2nd century)

Yax CH' aktel Xok (towards 200)

Balam Ajaw (" Jaguar Decorated " - 292)

K' inich Ehb' (towards 300)

Ix Une' B' alam (" Jaguar" queen; - 317)

" Leyden Ruler" Punt; (320)

K' inich Muwaan Jol (death in 359)

Chak Toh Ich' ak I (" Leg of I" Jaguar; - towards 360-378). He died the day-even when Siyah K' ak' arrived at Tikal. Its palate, contrary to the others, modified forever by the following kings, and on the contrary was maintained during centuries like a monument obviously crowned.

Nun Yax Ayin noble of Teotihuacán, succeeded on the throne of Tikal Siyah K' ak' in 379, and controlled until 411.

Siyah Chan K' awil II (" Sky of II" Storm; - 411-456)

K' year-Ak (" Kan" wild boar; - 458-486)

Ma' Kin-Na Chan (fine of the 5th century)

Chak Tok Ich' aak (Skeleton of Bahlum Leg - 486-508 married to " Ram Main")

Ix Yo K' in (" Ram Tikal" - 511-527)

Kalomte' Balam (" Frisée" head; , " 19° Seigneur" - towards 511-527)

Wak Chan K' awil (" Double Oiseau" - 537-562)

" Lizard Head II" (it lost a battle against Caracol into 562)

K' inich Waaw (593-628)

K' inich Wayaan (first half of the 7th century)

K' inich Muwaan Jol II (first half of the 7th century)

Hasaw Chan K' awil (" Double Lune" , " Chocolat" lord; - 682-734). He triumphed in the war against Calakmul into 711. Buried in large temple-pyramid I; its queen Dame Twelve Macaw (dead in 704) was buried in temple-pyramid II.

Yik' in Chan Kawil (734-766)

" King of the VI" Temple; (766-768)

Yax Nuun Ayiin II (" Chitam") (768-790)

" Noir" sun; (towards 810)

" Jewel K' awil" (849)

Jasaw Chan K' awiil II (869-889)

(The names which does not appear in Maya are provisional nicknames based on their glyphe personal, for the kings whose name in Maya was not phonetically deciphered yet in a final way.)

Two steles of the north of the Acropolis

The site

The site present of the hundreds of important old buildings, of which only a part could until now being put at the day by the archeologists.

The most eminent buildings include Pyramide S on 6 floors supporting a temple at the top. They were numbered geographically by the first explorers. They were built during the apogee of the city, the end of the 7th century and at the beginning of the 9th century. Temple I (Temple of the large jaguar) was built around 695; temple III in 810; largest, Temple IV, high of 72 meters, was built in 720. The temple V is of 750. Temple VI was set up in 766.

The old city comprises also the vestiges of royal palaces, in addition to small pyramids, de luxe hotels, residences and monuments out of engraved stone. There exists even a building which seems to have been a prison, with bars out of wooden with the windows and the doors in the beginning. There exist also several grounds of play of ball.

The residential zone of Tikal covers 60 km ², including one great part was not excavated.

A big number of foundations was discovered around Tikal, behind a rampart and a ditch of 6 meters.

Modern history of Tikal

As it is often the case for the monumental ruins, the forever completely forgotten site. Some mentions of Tikal appear at the beginning of the 17th century and continue with the writings of John Lloyd Stephens at the beginning of the 19th century.

Nevertheless, because of its distance of the modern cities, no scientific exhibition visited Tikal before 1848. Several other forwardings thereafter explored, charted and photographed Tikal at the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1951 a surface of atterissage was built close to the ruins, which could not, hitherto, being reached that at the end of several days of voyage through the jungle, with foot or back of mule. Of 1956 with 1970 of more thorough archaeological research were carried out by the Université of Pennsylvania. In 1979 the Guatemalan government started of new excavations which continue still nowadays.

The ruins of Tikal belong to the Sites of the world heritage of Humanity and can be visited by the public.

They were used as backdrop with the rebellious base of Yavin in the film the Star Wars (Star Wars Episode IV) of George Lucas.

See too

Maya Civilization
Maya People
List of the Maya sites
Chichén Itzá

External bonds

Maya civilization
history of the Mayas
National park of Tikal
virtual Turn QuickTime in 360° of Tikal

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