Middle to Late Classic Tikal

1
Middle to Late Classic Tikal
2

• 556 AD Tikal initiates an axe war against its
  former client kingdom Caracol.
• AD 562 Caracol retaliates against Tikal with a
  star war.

3

• AD 592 Tikal is defeated by Calakmul, aided by
  Caracol. A 130 year hiatus in inscribed
  monuments ensues.
• AD 648 A disaffected group of Tikal nobility
  under Balaj Chan Kawiil flees west and founds
  Dos Pilas.
• AD 672 Tikal defeats Dos Pilas in a star war.
• AD 695 Jasaw Chan Kawiil defeats Calakmul. He
  and his son undertakes massive building projects.

4

• Tikals decline
• The decline of Tikal begins c. 810 AD.
• AD 859 Centers formerly under Tikals domination
  set up stela honoring their own rulers.
• AD 869 Jasaw Chan Kawiil II erects the last
  monument, marking him as the last king.
• The most viable explanation for the collapse is
  overpopulation, leading to deforestation, soil
  erosion and nutrient loss.