Tikal The Ancient City of the Maya

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TikalThe Ancient City of the Maya
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Introduction to Tikal
Image source http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageT
ikal-Plaza-Mayor-Panorama.jpg

• The ancient Maya city of Tikal is located deep in
  the heart of Guatemalas El Peten rainforest.
• Tikal was once the major cultural and population
  center of the Maya civilization
• Today Tikal National Park is a sanctuary for the
  archaeological monuments, and for endangered
  wildlife such as ocelots, monkeys, toucans,
  parrots, and jaguars.
• Tikal is one of the largest ancient Maya sites,
  covering 60 square miles

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Location
Image source http//www.famsi.org/maps/index.html
Tikal is located in modern day Guatemala
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Tikals Beginnings
Click here to watch the movie in an Internet
browser

• Some of the earliest temples at Tikal date back
  to 4th century BC
• Tikal is the modern name for the site.
  Hieroglyphic inscriptions show that the ancient
  Maya called the site Yax Mutal

A panorama time lapse at sunset overlooking the
Great Plaza from the North Acropolis.
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Tikal A Cultural Center of the Maya
Photo Tara Todras-Whitehill for The New York
Times http//www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/12/16
/travel/20071216_TIKAL_SLIDESHOW_index.html

• Tikals location between two rivers allowed Tikal
  to become a great trade, religious, and political
  center that dominated the region at times during
  the Classic Period (200 AD to 850 AD.)

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Tikal at Its Peak

• Tikal reached its peak population of
  approximately 55,000 people around AD 700.
• The city itself contained many different
  structures inside its boundaries. These
  structures included temples, pyramids, shrines,
  ball courts, ceremonial structures and resident
  areas.

Photo Tara Todras-Whitehill for The New York
Times http//www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/12/16
/travel/20071216_TIKAL_SLIDESHOW_4.html
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Tikal Abandoned

• Site abandoned by the end of the 10 the century
• Possible reasons for the abandonment include
  overpopulation, environmental degradation,
  drought and the Maya's long history of warfare
• After site abandonment Tikal was overgrown by the
  jungle
• Tikal was largely forgotten, except as a legend
  about a lost city of the Maya

Image credit http//www.flickr.com/photos/riodul
cechisme/319658936/
The jungle grows very quickly and rapidly covers
a building is no one tend to it.
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Site Re-discovery

• Site was re-discovered in 1846 by a gum-collector
  named Ambrosio Tut
• Ambrosio spotted Tikals temple roof combs rising
  out of the jungle
• In 1956 The University of Pennsylvania began the
  first archaeological study and excavation of
  Tikal
• Before the excavation, much of the site was
  covered by the jungle

Temples I and II rising out of the jungle
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Map of Tikal

• Map of the the site

The site of Tikal is very large and is made of
many different temples and areas Structures
include temples, ball courts, palaces,
residential complexes and causeways.
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Panorama of the Grand Plaza
Panorama photograph of the Great Plaza and
Central Acropolis
Click here to play the panorama in an internet
browser
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Imagining the Past
Image source http//www.authenticmaya.com/images/
ancient-tikal.gif
An artists drawing of what Tikal may have looked
like. What do you think Tikal looked like in the
1500 years ago?
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Pyramids

• Tikal feature 6 large step pyramids, Temples I-VI
• Temples served many purposes
• -Platforms used in religious rituals
• -Observatories
• -Tombs for rulers

Temples constantly built upon and
renovated Whenever a new ruler came in to power,
a new layer would be built on an existing
pyramid Some rulers would also build pyramids for
themselves, for their living family or as a
tribute to their dead relatives
Image source http//www.authenticmaya.com/images/
fig_21.jpg
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Pyramid Features

• Temple at top of pyramid with very steep stairs
  leading to temple
• Some pyramids also had a small burial chamber
• During ceremonies priests would ascend the
  pyramid from the earth to the sky by means of
  staircases.  They believed that this brought them
  closer to the gods.
• Exterior decorated with elaborate stucco
  decorations and stone carving.
• Exteriors also covered with white lime and red
  paint.
• Interiors decorated with mural paintings.

Image source http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageT
ikal_Temple1_2006_08_11.JPG
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Technology

• Maya buildings were typically made from limestone
• Stone was cut in quarries and then moved to the
  sites
• Limestone in its bed is soft enough to be cut by
  stone tools. Limestone hardens in the sun.
• Pyramids build without metal tools

Maya pyramids have very steep steps
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Maya Pyramids vs Egyptian Pyramids
Built of small cut stones on a rubble core
Served many functions-temple, tombs, platform
for public ceremonies Often built on top of
older, existing temples and pyramids
Built of large blocks of cut stone Built as as
a tomb for pharaohs
Pharaohs would begin construction of their own
pyramid at the beginning of their reign
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Temple I
Large carved piece of stone, or stelae often
depicted historical events or religious stories
Temple 1, or Temple of the Jaguar Temple I was
built for the 26th ruler of Tikal, Jasaw. The
building date is unknown as it is unclear if
Jasaw built it for himself or if his son,
Yikin, constructed it in honor of his deceased
father.
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Temple II
Temple II, or Temple of the Moon Built in the
eighth-century Tikal ruler Jasaw Chan Kawiil

• Temple II is dedicated to King Jasas wife, Lady
  Twelve Macaw (died 704 A.D.)
• Lady Twelve Macaw is buried inside this temple.

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Temple II- Temple of the Masks

• Temple II is also known as Temple of the Masks
• The roof comb of Temple II, while damaged by
  weather, has many carved stone masks.
• Roof combs are decorative structure that sit on
  top of a building
• Roof combs acts as billboards projecting
  political and religious messages to the people

Most of the Maya population could not read.
Stone carvings of gods and rulers helped explain
to people their religious ideas
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Temple IV

• Temple IV is the tallest structure at Tikal.
• Temples IV is 70 meters in height and is the
  second tallest structure built by the Maya.
• Built by Yikin Chan Kawil, son of Jasaw, in the
  mid-8th century.
• Temple contains a tomb, however, archaeologists
  have not identified the owner of the tomb

Temple IV is currently undergoing restoration.
It has not been fully excavated. In this picture
you can see the jungle still covering part of the
temple
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The Central Acropolis
Central Acropolis The Central Acropolis, on the
right Temple II, on the left

• The Central Acropolis

Click here to open a panorama of the Central
Acropolis in an Internet browser
Most of its buildings are of the so-called palace
type, probably used for daily functions of the
royal court.
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The North Acropolis

• The North Acropolis was the focus of the city's
  religious architecture and the preferred place of
  burial for rulers
• Dozens of tombs dating to the Pre-classic period.

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Ball courts

• Tikal has five ball courts.
• Ball games played as a a sacred ritual and had an
  important role in Maya religion and culture.

Ball courts are often located in or adjacent to
important ceremonial and monumental areas. All
but the smallest of Maya cities had ball courts.
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Ball Games

• Ballgames played as an important ritual ceremony
• Exact rules of the game are unknown, but some
  rules have been learned from images of the
  ballgame on carved stone and painted on pottery
• Game played with a heavy solid rubber ball
• Object of the game was probably to keep the ball
  in play using hips and forearms
• Courts had stone rings which may have been used
  as goals

A Maya vase shows a ball player dressed for the
game.
Image credit http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageM
aya_Vase_Ballplayer.png
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Tikal Today The Modern Maya People
Photo Tara Todras-Whitehill for The New York
Times http//www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/12/16
/travel/20071216_TIKAL_SLIDESHOW_2.html

• The Maya are still a thriving culture living in
  Mexico
• The Maya people of Guatemala hold a Maya festival
  every year as an anti-Columbus Day to remind the
  world that their culture is still alive

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Tikals Mysteries

• Archaeologists still have much more to learn
  about Tikal and the ancient Maya
• Some parts of Tikal are still un-excavated

Image credit http//www.flickr.com/photos/riodulc
echisme/319659318/
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Damage to Tikal from Nature and People
Image Credit http//www.flickr.com/photos/riodulc
echisme/319658574/

• Rain, humidity, plants and people can cause
  damage to Tikal, even when archaeologists try to
  preserve the site.
• Weathering is decomposition of rocks and material
  from contact with the Earths atmosphere.
• Tikal receives 120,000 visitors a year
• Visitors can unintentionally cause damage to site
  by walking and touching the buildings

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Archaeology Today Laser Scanning

• New archaeology techniques can help record
  ancient sites that may be damaged by weathering
  over time.
• Laser scanners use lasers and computers to record
  the measurements of sites.
• These records are very precise and can help
  archaeologists learn about the site even if it
  gets damaged.
• Laser scanners are much more accurate than older
  methods of drawings In 2005 UC Berkeley and CyArk
  used laser scanners and other digital technology
  to record Tikal and archive the data on the web
  for public use
• Pictures and laser scan records for free on
  http//www.cyark.org

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Laser Archaeology Movie

• Click here to watch a video about how UC Berkeley
  and CyArk use lasers to make 3-D digital models
  for persevering Tikal

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3-D Tour of Grand Plaza

• 3-D tour of the Grand Plaza

Click here to play the video in an Internet
browser
Movie 3-D Tour of the Grand Plaza made using
laser scanners
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3-D Models of Tikal

• Laser scanners can make 3-D models of archaeology
  sites and artifacts.
• These models can help archaeologists learn even
  more about the site.
• 3-D models also are a record of a site in case
  the site is destroyed.
• Tikal has been digitally recorded by CyArk using
  laser scanners and other methods so future
  generations can learn about this amazing site.

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Image Credits

• Unless otherwise noted, all images and movies
  have been used with permission from
  http//www.cyark.org