Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PETER
NE\(
ASPECTS OF ANTIQL]ITY
D.
The
Ru lers
PETER D. HARRISON
in color
Foreword
The Maya
THE NIAYA
DRAINA(;E
CHRONOL(
Tikal
disc
THE, NAI4F
PROJECT:
TIKAL TOI
Villages
Frctntispiece: Itcconstmction from Alt:rr 5 shorvirrli Hrsrtv Clhan I('awil ar-r,l a lorcl
fr6r-r'r Crlrkr-r'rr.rl at thc erhLlnation of Hasarv's lvifc's reutritls (see ill. 8r).
BIRTH, DN
'fIKAL'S LI
TH}.- EB SI:
THETZF,C
Anv copr,,of this book issuetl br- the pulrlishcr rs a papcrback is solcl subjcct to
the conclrti6l that it sl'rall not by 1r'irv of trldc or othcr$'ise bc lcnt, resolcl,
1-rirecl out or othcr\visc circulatccl r,vrthout thc pLrblishcr's prior cottscltt ilt irrr\'
fornr of brncling or covcr othel tl'rar-r th:rt in rvhich it is publishccl lttcl rvithor:t a
sin-rilrr conclitior-r inch-rcling thesc rvorcls bcing irr-rposccl otr a subsccluettt purchaser.
The mov
TIKAL BE(
ACROPOLI
I)RF-CLASS
AT TIKAL
aC)
r999
c28-6
r 523
The birtl
THE COIJ
SYSTEN4S
"fHF- SIGN
Change
TROUBLF-
Architec
PRI-]C]LAS
AT TII(AI
CONTENTS
tT
THE
zc)
Tikal discovered
Tilt- NAMI.
OF
rll
3i
3r 'fHE lll(Al.
]7
TIK,,\I- TOD,\Y 40
:r lorcl
Preclassic
45
BtRfH, DA\XrN, ANI) TIIF. (lOl.OR RED 4,5 soLIR(ILS OF SETTI.F.NIL.NT '+6
'TIt(Ar-'S L.ATE llEa;lNNlNC;
47 THE r\{lDl)t-E lltE(ILi\SSIC AT Tll(AL 48
THL EB strts 48 cHARACITLRISTIc.S oF THE PI()NI'.ER sF.TTLF.r\IENT .to
THE 'fZEC, (]ERA]V1IC COX,{PLEX 5I
tto
The move into greatness: the Late
I\'
TII(AI-
rta
ACROI'OLIS
chascr,
BECloj\,11-.s
A CITY
tl
Preclassic
DEATH AS A'WINDO\\T.58
PYII.AN{Il)
C;NR'TiT'TICS
56
THF' NORIH
OF I-HT' L,ATE
69
ROYAL SI-]TTLT'-NIT'N'|
ANI)
DEFL',NSL'
SYSTI-.MS71THESr\(IRE.DCILANIIOLISECIFTHE.JACiIIARCLA\X1FAMILY76
'fHE SI(;NIFIC]ANCE OF ROYAL TITLF.S AT TII(At- 79 A TLJRNINCI POINT li I
8z
ll
'ior
Architecture at Tikal
PRI.-CLASSIC]I.HROLI(;IlF-ARI,Y(]LASSICIoTARCHITECTI]RI-ANDSTYI-E
AT
.I-IKAI-
II2
ta7
rr9
j rll
r3o
the genius of
r2i
r47
Ancient MaYa
II
I2
OF
and aesthetic a
the jungle canc
YIK'lN r62
glyphs are
RLil.t'.RS
LIM|F.D COTJRIYARD
r8.5 TlrL.
r8r
Lq.LLCoUKts
PALACE CI{OLIPS
r8,+
CF.NTRAL ACITOPOLIS
PI_ANNL.l) GITOWTH
r8o
and palaces ar
In recent Ye
some of the
ancient MaYa
FRF-F.STANDINC MAJOR
knowledge ab
l-IKAL'S
rgo
r92
THE POSTCII-A5SIC
r66
r87
rgg
rgz
CALISES
ITETROSPL,CT
iust
public's imagir
ing the Maya,
r73
r3
PLACT-.
PALACT-.S
FORE
2oo
in the deciphe
ologicai meth
standings of t
Amongthe
ciation that tl
Visiting Trkal
that is often
2-AZ
centuries bef(
civilization u
Bibliogr:rpiry
20i
bors in ancie
economicalll
z,o6
that scholars
but had
Inclex
zo6
lon
the subjects
vessels were
but had a str
dynastic hist
rulers.
Vith the
most signifir
change in sc
Archaeologl
trc)
rzt
r47
t66
r8o
r9L
20i
zo6
zo6
With the advantage of historical hindsight, it is now clear that one of the
most significant and influential archaeological projects in this revolutionary
change in scholarly thinking was the University of Pennsylvania Museum of
Archaeology ancl Anthropology's research, in conjr,rnction with the govern-
FOITE\vOlI.D
1I]
mcnt of Guaremaia, at the great Maya sitc of Tikal. The Tikal Project wils
of the
opefation for more thar-r a decade from thc late r95os through the close
Edwin
of
clirectorship
field
,ieor. This major proiect was ifritiated r,rnder thc
R. coe. From
S-hook and subsecluently led for most of its history by william
the close of the large Trkal Project around I97o through the I99os'
sitc. L1
Guatemalan archaeologists have continr-red important licldwork at the
in
ycars
r1lany
for
participated
this engrossing volurne, Dr. Peter Harrison, whcl
subsear-rd
the Tiial p.,,;-..t, discusses the many contributiorrs of the Project
quent rese:lr.'h thot have led to a raclically new apprccietion of the cultural
in its ecoachievements of the ancienr Maya. Dr. Harrison clearly places Til<al
over :'t
dcvelopment
site's
the
logical conrext apcl takes the reacler t[rough
in
the
,,foo-y.". pcriod, from its rise around 8oo sc to its de''rise
'inth
of
cenrury oo. H" brings the latest scholarship to bear on his inte-rpretations
and
its
rulers
of
downs
and
r-rps
the
growth,
Tik:rl,s architectural and political
their dynasties, ancl Tikrrl's conpetitive position vis-1-vis other major urban
reader
ccllters such as C:rlakrnul. Throughout this interprctivc nlrfative, thc
will continually see the stimulating role that thc archaeological research at
Tikal pi:ryed in reshaping Maya scholarship. The pioneering str-rdy of Tikal's
and
urbzrn serrlement, th. n.* insights into the agriculturtrl techniclues
uncovwere
produce that supported the large population concentrations that
ir"d ot Tikal, "r'rJ th. evider-rce for e arly cultural complerity prior to the ot'rset
Harof the classic pcriod at tl-rc site are just several of the areas in which Peter
to
oniy
not
made
Proicct
risor-r illustrates the key contribr-rtions that the Tikal
civilizaMaya
the illuminarion of the site's history but thc understandi[rg of
tion in gcneral.
Fo. ti-r.rse readers who are engrossed by t6e ancient Maya and the immensity
of their cultural acconplishments, for those interested in the rise of prefasindustrial civilization throughout the ancient world, and for those who are
ci'arecl by stories of scieniific archaeologicai discoveries, this volume will
Colin Renfrew
Great cities,
expense, refl
happen. In tl
forest of Gur
colors, and s
pretation.
This arch
class civiliza
from 8oo ec
cal classifica
piace the cit
civilizations
By the ti
65 sq. km, v
buildings
figure of
ar
sc
entertained
cally and ir
successive k
performed.
jungle has
sion of
lifted the vt
ror
Great ci'
base aroun
ering
stage
New Worl
however, a
dryness of
Nile, the 1,
det-rt upor
mYSterY at
at Tikal -
subiect an
?roject rvas
close
Le
C]HAPTE,R ONE
ir-r
of the
hip of Eclr,vin
R. Coe. Fronr
h thc
r 99os,
at the sitc. In
nan,v -ve ars in
:ct rtncl subsc-
f thc culturrll
ikal in its eco-
pment ovcl' il
in the nirrth
rpretatior.rs
of
major urbat.t
ve, thc rcrcler
al research at
rclv of Tikai's
:hr.riclncs
ar.rd
to
\4al'a civiliza-
Je
not
or.r1y
:he in'rnrensity
:
'e
risc
of pre-
r voltrrnc urill
: ,volr to share
mt,- A.
Sabloff
)olin Renfrew
Grert cities, like greet works of art, are thc product of a grcat clcill of time and
expcnse, reflecting the full r:rngc of emotions of the people thrrt ntadc them
h:rpperr. In the case of Tikal, its splcnclicl setting, pertially hidclen in thc rainforest of Guatem:rla, :rncl thc hedor-ristic clclights offered by thc city's textures,
coiors, ancl sl'rapes arrd tl'rc lrysteries tlrrit lie ber.rerrth its sttrfacc- - invitc interpretatiot'r.
This :rrchitcctural splenclor developed within the franrervork of a u'orldclass civilizatiorr the ancient M:rya. The citv of Tikal tl-rrii,ed and cxpartcled
from 8oo BC ulrtil AD 9oo, spar.rnir-rg most of the knorvn pcriocls of arcl-raeological classificiltion in.rposed by scientific rese ilrch Llpolr the Milya civiliz-ation. Ttr
place the city itr context wc mrlst first examinc how it conparcs u,ith the rise of
civilizations in gcneral, :.rncl how it fits withrn its ou'tt civiiization.
By the tinic of its collapse iri the roth ccnturX Tikal coverecl roughly
6-; sq. knt, lvith over j,ooo kr-rou'n surf:rcc structLlres. As ntattv i:ts ro,ooo mir-rcd
builclings arrcl pl:rtfornrs may lie belorv t1-ie sr-rrface. The populatiorr reacl-red :i
figure of sorlewhcrc between roo,ooo and zoo,ooo, :rlthough a[gL]lrrcllts are
entertair-red for evcn greitter numbcrs. The peak of :rcl'rievement, both politically:rncl in ternrs of mcinumental architecture, fell during the reign of three
successive kings in the 9tl-r centLlry when :rstotiishing feats of cc'rttslructit.,tt tvcre
performecl. These monulnclrts still risc ilbove the tropical forest, altl-ror-rgh thc
lungle has obscr-rrecl most of thc city, blessing the ruins rvith thc aclclecl climer-rsion of romanticism :rnd mystcrll Decades of archaeologrcal rcscarch have
lifted the veil of mystcry only shgl-rtly
Great civilizations bcgan to emergc in the Old Worlcl out of au :rgricultural
base around 4ooo BC. Tl're sarne proccss of emergencc fronr a hr.rr.rting i'urcl gathering stage into farmcrs :rncl thence irrto complex socictics took place iri thc
Nerv \ilorld at somewhat lilter d:rtes, its far: as is uow kno'uvt'l. Differences,
however, attendecl the origins of the Ma1'a. For example, in ccltttrast to the
dryncss of thc clcse rts of Egypt ilncl its deperrclcrrcc Llpon the lifc-giving Rii'er
Nile, the lowlarrd sctting of the Maya civiliz:rtion w:rs ltrsh ancl r':rriccl, dcpendent upon a rain cycle that was not alr,v:rys reliablc. The romauticisnr ar.rcl
mystcry associatccl rvith the public irnage of the Maya civilization arc vcry real
at Tikal features which continLle to promote its popr-rlarity both as :r filn'r
subject and a focus cif scrious rese:rrch.
The land
I
Mexico,
co
and all of t
Ozibilchaltun
Maya civilr
northwestt
in two
geo
mountain
divrded ber
a distinctir
The contr:
ied to a mi
ROO
CAMPECHE
B ASC
j
'-u"",";Jt
",JJ-t
i
,1w/Cu.,'octo,ni
The evolu
:);7?@
:);7?@
The Maya
the z8 Mr
that date I
! Lamanai'
. i.'- lrHa
- -'- Allun
J t""
\ lsanJose/\<\
n's-' fi",
\'.0'"'
r> /:iir:^"t't*r,
/""ii i^"t'*)))
roninal r"nr"*t*"*'-'
4='
Yaxcniran\
s \cHtApAS
,on".ol*
\Y.
BELIZE
il JL.'rseiuar ( lcaracot ,,
\on".o:-lk#n,.,8i1".,.sacrilicios
\..-'
W4
L ^,
""------Y-f
in land
environme
. c
fc
who becar
Becan
TA
regimes,
[6:;
of the C1a
fest themt
rounds th
predated
fr
guages, c
glyphic
other
sc
sep
tongues iI
Despitt
\
'
a-\
-'-4/-
\l)
xaminalit yu
,r'
e'/
;""'s
Regional map
in larger Print.
of
more enl
Maya ach
-\r
tl
the rate ol
I
\
l.-----'. t.
EI
l-L
A LV A D o
the probl,
\,t
of
-'\_,rr--u--,
and preo,
thought t
influence
"hydrauli
Tiadition
because t
burn cult
THI-,
II{ CIVILlZA:|ION
The land milss occllpiecl by the Maya covers a significant p:rrt of modern
Mexico, comprising the eastem portions of thc statcs of T:rbasco and Chiapas,
ancl all of the states of Campeche, Yucatan, and Qr-rintana Roci. In :rclclition the
Mrrya civilizatior-r extended into all of modern Gllatemala and Belize aricl thc
northwcstcrn parts of El Salvador and Honduras (iLl. r). This area is describecl
in two geographic zolres: the relatively flat Yuc:ltarr Pcninsula and a series of
mcir-rntairi ranges r,vhich lic at the base of this peninsula. Thcsc ranges are
diviclecl between the northcrn and southern highlands. There is :r slcipc forming
a clistinctive region th:rt leads frorn the rrrountair.rs down to the Pacific Occan.
The contrast betu'een the hot, wet lowlarrcls :rncl the cooler, drier highlands has
led to a misconccption of r-rr-riformity within each of thcse trvo zones. In actuality, the lowlands :rre extraordirrilrily varied, exhibiting a variety of vcgctational
regimcs, ccimplex drainage systems :rnd topographic relief. Al1 this varicty
rounds them (l//. z). Although many of the z8 modcrn May:rn languages
predatecl the Cl:rssic civilization it is now believed that only nv<-i of thcse languagcs, Chol and Yucatec, r,verc uscd in atrcient times as a basis for thc hicrclglyphic script that is a major fr,ature of the ancient civilizatiorr. Many of the
othcr scpar:rte Mayan languages havc clevelopecl aivay from ancient basc
tongr-rr's irr tlr. irtrcIr'cnittg tirilc.
Despite a centLlry and :r h:rlf of study, whicl-r has secn a rccent :rcceleration in
the rilte of scholarly brcilkthrciughs, improved archaeological tcchniclr-res, :tnd at
more er-rlightenecl approach tci non-\(/estern cultures, much of thc ancient
Maya achievement remains poorly r.rnderstood and hotly dispr-rted. Adclitrg to
the problern of incomplete knowlcdgc, there is a great deal of ethnoccntrism
and preoccupation with cherishcd models of how non-'Western sc.,cietics lru
,n are shown
thought to h:rvc operated. Some such models wcrc forgccl in therg6os under the
influence of now-or-rtdatecl Marxist thinking about thc prc-cminence of
"hydraulic societics" - societies with econon-iic bases in irrigation tecl-n.riques.
Tiaditionally tl-re Maya u/cr:c prlt ir-i the "second divisior-r" cif civilizations
because their agricr-rltlrrc supposedly relied exclusiveiy t,r-r shifturg, slash-anclburn cultivation n-rethods. But lro$, rnore current studies havc prciven that the
'',3*;1,
although
Recent stu
arching N
collapse.2'
cooperati\'
were uniql
accomplis
Interact
and beyon
also of
shz
common \
remains a
include th,
class socie
Apart f
qualified :
remains ir
stone-tool
tive Maya
Modern Mdya lntlians in the market center of Santiago AtitLan, dt the highl.md lake of
Atitlan. Ancient figurines shou that costumes like these uere present in anti,'nt times
and helped to itlentify the bome uillage of the uearer.
basin
yiel<
in a seasor
3,5oo BC.'r
guage spo
small nun
sites indic
ceramics,
as a lame i
Roughly, t
decoratiot
earlier ver
ferent gro
At the s
lowlands
remains o
produced
well-estab
to the far
direction
The drain
It
is the to
the site of
the Univer
ghland ldke
:ient times
of
;ive forms ot
ic agriculture
parts
of
the
reference to
I presence of
lltary science.
raising Public
urel as well as
:ly crafted rt is
he wheel, and
ngelo. I(nowlby manY high
possessed a
'ya
subiect
to the
of the Central
;. StiildisPr'rted
maintained bY
Irisrhetopographyrharhelpsrodcrermirrelh('reasonslortlre tstrblishnrcrrtol
of
the site of Tikal in its particular localc and at a particlllar time. Chris Jones
the University of Pennsylvalia first observed the role of this locale.T
to
ated territories,
'm at present
Peten
r3
side
Further, the site is flanked by two large wetlands, the larger lying to the east and
forming the headwaters of a water route leading directly to the Caribbean. A
nr-rmber of investigators have observed from the air signs of channelization
below, leftover indicators of once intensive agricr-rlture.e These channels have
been observed in both the eastern and western flankirig wetlands, but ground
investigation has yet to provide confirmation. Sr-rch gcographic aud economic
factors tell us why this great city was established where it is ar-rd also erplain
why its initial date of permanent habitation is somewhat latcr than in other
areas. Tl-re earliest phase of Maya developmcnt as found elsewhere ir-r the Maya
lowlands, which has been dated at c. rzoo-8oo BC, has not been fourrd at the
site of Tikal. For sr-rch a large site, one of obvious eventual importance, it scems
unusual that Tikal was not inhabited from the earliest known dates. Quite possibly no one dared to establish permanent rcsidence on such a stratelic l-roint
on an inland trade route during the earliest years of Maya development. The
pcople of Tikal finally did jLrst that, and desprte centuries of conflict, the
resulting city becamc a lar-rdmark.
The lowland forests of the Peten in Guatemala consist of the three-stage
variety of rainforest. The three tiers of this tallest form of rainforcst are known
by botanists to each include separate micro-environments and ec<lsystems,
each nourishing their own catalog of plant and animal life. The three levels are
the relatively open, protected, shady forest floor; the lower branches of the
ral1er trees, and mid-height busl-res; and the upper canopy which providcs the
shade (i//s. j and 4). The terrain varics itr elevation, with many hills and ridges,
broken by vast wetlands which today are characterized as seasonal swamps.
The monsoon rair.rs come in two intervals: one in the summer months and
another, with hcavier precipitation, in the auturrur. Accurate prediction of the
timing of this seasonal rainfall is essential to successful agriculturc, which is
why an agriculturally dependent society quickly develops an acutc sense of
time and a cerrain expertise with calendars. Evidence from recent studies of the
Maya wetlands in places outside the Peten have shown that rhc Maya utiiized
such environments for a type of agriculturc that was less depender-rt upon thc
rain cycle and more dependent upon the water levels in thesc swamplands. Such
agriculture is called "intensive" and can yield more food than the usual farmer
is capable of producing.li)
Investigations at Tikal have shown that the site possessed no special or rare
r1
(aboue) L
couered by t
buiLdings ol
light)
TL
wood tree
naturai
st
co
source ma
quality. It
there is no
confines o
On the
reason fo
America,
are given
Tikal, for
the earlies
the city at
Tikalloca
tility of th
of the ridp
a desirabl,
sible adva
enemies
friendly r
based, eff
ability
is
parapherr
continen-
Caribbean
'eat Usumacre
:o. This
rii'er
most of the
a placc tirat
:st to the east
site receiving
;,
:s
of water
laribbean. A
rar-rnelizatior-r
:har-u.re1s
hilve
;, but ground
nd economic
I also
explain
than in other
e in thc Maya
, found at the
1 ( ab oue) Lo oking out frctm Tem pLe lV ouer th e cit,tt of T ik-ttL nctw
couered b1t the re-grotun rainforest which smothers most ctf the
buildings of the city,. The canopl' of the forest auerdges jo m in height.
(right) The rainfc,trest canopy as seen from the ground Leuel. The hdrduood tree sul)ports d l)ttrctsitic fig uhich could euentually kilL the host.
ance, it seems
lopnent. The
conflict, the
re tl-rree-stagc
est are knou'n
J ecosystems,
hree levels are
of the
providcs the
anches
:r
onal sr'varnps.
r months al1c1
rdiction of the
iture, which is
rcute sense of
:
studies of the
Ma,va
utilizcd
usual farmer
special or rarc
Bejucal
THT,
Beservorr
IR CIVILIZATION
\;j!)
0
200m
F-------------r
0
500 ft
Complex N
Bal Palace
PLAZA OF THE
LOST WORLD
SEVEN TEMPLES
R
V
MadetraReservon
-"--
ln'
New Excavations
lnscnptions Beservoi
At its peak of population, around AD zoo, the site covered more than
6j sq. km of sertled zone, conraini'g ma'y thousands of structures. The
central core of the most densely populated zone was 16 sq. km and is easily
identified as a major city, one of perhaps three that achieved such size, each
witlr very different political historics (iLL. ). The other two are Coba ir-r norrhern Quintana Roo and El Mirador ro the norrhwest of Tikal. Settlement at
Tikal began around 8oo Bc while the site fell into disuse somerime in the roth
r6
The North
century AD.
a strategic
enemies, in<
Pilas to the,
NORTH ACROPOLIS
'E
100 fr
ffiWffi
WEST PLAZA
HEi
ffi*IFEEI
ltt
aa a
a
I
o
ao
I
rtl
a
laal.!l
a aaaa
af
.l
Temple
Temple ll
EAST PLAZA
BALLCOURT
GREAT PLAZA
Structure 43
Maler Palace
tcted that
CENTRAL ACROPOLIS
tructures. The
n and is easily
;uch size, each
Soba in norrh, Settlement at
me in the
roth
century AD. It appears that Tikal was a receiver of goods, and its occurpation ctf
a stratelic position may well have led to its being sr-rrrounded by a ring of
enemies, inclurding Calakmul to the north, Caracol to the southeast, and Dos
Pilas to the west (see ill. r). This situation led to a stormy political history.
r7
TH-1,1R
CIVIL]7-ATION
7A
miLpa, ot
milpa fires mt
the first rains.
Bcasts, and
spirit or nal
Amphibi
American c
(p/. v). Mo
an animal v
for
r-nost of
monsoons
time. Its mc
this exotic c
The
avia
toucan, an(
birds, hawk
ranging
eve
alone. Also
turkey and
quetzal live
(rzoo m), v
must have c
consriruted
throughout
close to ext
at Tikal.
Lnimals, and
:.r
trees extend
e nutrients in
gany, ciricote
e Maya recogthe source of
rngle termite,
n ;rlace toda.v.
r intoxicating
rings color to
ber of rdmon
ga. These arc
n. Onc of the
7 A miLpa, or corn field, in the burning l)r()cess uhich takes place in the sString. The , .
n.tilpa fLres must lte set ruith precise timing, such thdt the ash wilL be driuen in the soil by
the first rains. lf rains do not dppedr, fires often burn out of control.
he ruins is an
Beasts, and it was the spint of this animal that scrved as thc archetypal kindred
spirit or nahual for ti-re highest level of Maya lcadership.
Amphibians inclr-rde the herbivorous alligator and caiman, the tleat-eatirrg
malestically
to the
rillage or city
American crocodile (ill. S), a variety of turtles, and a wide varicty of frogs
(pl.V). Most r.rot:rb1e of the lattcr is a rare tropical species called in Maya ao,
an animirl whose strange life-cycle consists of a type of hibernation in thc soil
for most of the year, then cl-nergence to the surface during the height of the
monsoons for mating and breeding in the ground w:1ters that collect at this
time. Its rnournful call sounds exactly like its namc (prottounccd "woe"), and
this exotic creattlre appeafs as one of the Maya month names in thc calendar.
The avian life of the forest included scveral differcrrt species of parrot,
toucan, and the gudcdmdyd, a host of migratory birds including hummingbirds, hawks, doves, and two species of eagle. Thc bird life of Tikal is so wideranging even today that guide books have been published devoted to the site
alonc. Also important as cdible species were the pauo real (ill.9) or Arnericalr
turkey and the curacdo. Prized for its long and springy feathers, the reclusive
quetzaL lives in clor-rd forest, the isolated ecological r-riche at about 4ooo ft
(rzoo m) , where rainforest and highlands collide, a region every Maya trader
must have crossed on his way to highland markets (pl.Vl). The quetzal feathers
coltstituted a universally utilized feature of the headdress of every Maya leader
throughout the lowlands and highlands, so much so that the bird has colxe very
close to extinction. Colored feathcrs were clearly a valuable trade commodity
at Tikal. Birds also appear in the iconography of costumes, often as head-
r sacred
rf species, r.rot
Lich
prodLrced
lants as well.
rr decoration,
addresses and
beauty in the
or and forms
rulers as perimals used in
eer, a smallcr
ared peccary,
bit, all edible
included the
vel1 as others
r,rere admired
I King of the
r9
analysis ol
ceramicist
of the Ma'
beerr founr
and Tzec a
The Lat
cessors an
rramed Ch
complexes
developmr
gist's way
represents a species
thut mal, haue been second in importance at TikaL onLy
to the jaguar.
hanclles wl
Classic. T
and Eznat
The ner
Tikal,
rcp
ceramic
c(
the so-call
in the Ma
ultimate
clresses
which rvill
bcings.
determine
of Maya took up
residence around
8oo sc and begarr the process that would lead to the realization of one of the
gr:andest and most influential cities of this ancient and complex culture.
The rough chronology which archaeologists have irnposed upon the Maya
culture recogniT-es and acknowlcdges changes thror-rgh timc in the form of clustcrs of cultural fcatures. The word "classic" is borrowed inaccuratcly from
Mediterranean civilization and applied to the Maya to distingr"rish the peak of
achicvement fron'r its dcvelopment and declinc. The changes in clusters of cr-rltural "packages" are exprcssed as major periocls. They inch-rde: Preclassic
(r5oo ec-.tu z5o) , Classic (er z5o-rroo) and Postclassic (el rroo to the
Spanish Concluest or roughly thc mid-r6th centr-rry) . This kincl of chronology
at least allows a working framework, but it should be recognizcd as an expedient and not as a complete description of cultural variation.
The major periods are broken into finer divisions based largcly on tl-re
changes in ceramics one of the more plastic of arts and thus subiect to fine
differences that we can cletect both by eyc and by scientific analysis of chemical
compositions. For thc Preclassic period thcre are Ear1y, Middle, and Late
phases (see Table r). Thc names selected by archaeologists to identify thc
ceramic phases at Tikal arc distinctive to the sitc, as is customary in the
tir-ne/chan
as in ccrar
chirnges ir
features. (
matecl, wi
Tal
uted to human
idencc aror-rnd
r of onc of the
culture.
Le
of
D 1100 to the
of chronology
d as an expedi-
analysis of individr,rai sitcs in tl-re Maya :rrca. The names selccted by Tikal's
cerarricist, T. Patrick Cr-rlbcrt, are taken from the nafires of cl:rys in thc montl-r
of the Mayir calendar.rl The E:rrly phase clates from rzoo-8oo Bc a'd has r.rot
becn found at Tikal. Thc Middlc phase has rwo ccramic complexes named Eb
and Tzec :rnd their cl:ltes are 8oo 6oo ec and 6oo-35o ec rcspectivcly.
The Late Preclassic phase (35o BC AD z5o) is rnorc complex than its predecessors :rr.rd thus is clivided into three distinct ccramic complexes. These i,rrc
nanred Chucn (3-5o ec-en r), Cauac (,rn r r5o), and Cirni (en r5o-z;o) . Thcse
complexes are not arbitrary but represent real, observed diffcrences in the
development of thc pottery that was being produced. They arc rhe arch:rcologist's way of bringing order to the anaiysis of time arrd change, :rnd are rhe
harrclles which we use wher-r discussing thc development of the city.
The nert major pcriod, thc Classic, has Early, Late, and Termi'al phascs at
Tikal, rcpresentccl by four cerirmic compleres, two of which divide the Late
Classic. These ar:e: Manik (el z5o-,55o),lk (eo 55o-7oo),lntir (eo 7oo 85o) ,
and Eznab (ell 85o-95o) . Finally, a Postclassic phase, reprcsenrecl by a singlc
cerarnic complex, is called Caban (eo 95o-rzoo?). Excav:rtions by Laporte in
thc so-called Lost $7orld complcx allowcd hirn tci fr-rrther distingr-rish divisions
ir-r tire Marrik (Early classic) phase n'hich hc labelecl Manik r, z ancl 3.rr one
urltirnatc goal of the archaeology performed by thc Pennsylvanie group is tcr
determine and define elcments of chirngc in tl-re culture other th:ur cerarnics
which will thcn perrnit il lrore objective and refined methocl of dcscribing the
tintc/charrgc coutinuum. For cxample, there arc similar changes in architcctr,rre
:rs in cerarnics, both in style and ir-r thc mech:rrrics of cngineerirrg, as wcll as
changcs in burial practicc, settlemcl-lt pattcrn ar-rd a nr-rmbcr of othcr cultural
features. Only when all of thesc have bcen thoroughly an:ri1,zs6l and anralgam:'ttcd, will it be possible to re-define thc cultr-rral phases of Tikal.
Table
Peiod
Ceramic
Complex
Postclassic
(,abar.r
Ao 95o-
Itrrnin:rl
Eznab
.+n 85o-95o
l-ate (.lassic
Tnrix
eo 7oo 85o
Lrtc Classic
rk
AD i
jo
EarJ,v Preclassrc
Menik
AD
5o-,i
Cl:rssic
Approximate Date
loo
7oo
io
largcly on the
subjcct to fine
C'imi
AD r,5o-25o
L:rtc Prcclassic
Cauac
Ar)r
'sis
Latc Preclassic
Cl'rucn
35O BC-Ar) r
Midclle Plecl:rssic
Tzec
6oo
Midcllc Prccl:rssic
Eb
8oo-6oo nr:
of chemical
Jd1e, arrd Late
to identify thc
itomary in thc
r50
35o cc;
(?)
months of zo '
the true sol
bined names and
r8
their
mate
Thc Maya view of their own chronology was different from ours and was based
upon their calendar. The Maya concept and manipulation of time has been
studied and published extensively. It utilized a vigesimal system based r-rpon
r-rnits of zo, rather than the familiar European decimal system based on units of
ten. Time was a sacred and magical concept. Its divisions and units - days,
months, years were viewed as deities carrying a bundle, the burden of time.
The need for an accurate record of the passage of time arose out of the needs of
agriculture. In the lowlands, the seasons are governed by a cycle of wct and dry
months which determine the proper times for planting, growth, and harvest.
Success in food supply was essential first to survival and then to development
and population growth. The basic ur-rit - the day - is based upon thc movements of the sun, perceived as a primary male deity named I(inich Ahau. Those
individuals who mastered the timing of the movements of the sun, the moon,
and the stars calnc to be rcvercd and honored the priests and kings, the
bearers of knowledge that resulted in a bountiful harvest. A consequence of
association of the days with different deities was their association also with
benevolent or malevolent natures. They were, aftcr a1l, modeled upon humair
nature. Thr-rs there were good and bad days - days beneficial or not for giving
birth, initiating war, planting, reaping, and so forth. Developed as a necessiry
to survival, the calendar became an instrument of astrology. It is now believed
that every Maya of every social class had some understanding of this process of
interaction between themselves and the gods of time. This was not an arcane
knowledge held only by kings and priests, but one that was shared on some
fundamental level with every member of the society. However, keeping a
written record of time required literacy and mastery of a codified systern of
notation. This skill was restricted to the elite levels of the society
There is no way to make explanation of the Maya calendar count system
simple and thrs volume does not intend to explore the subject cxhaustively For
the reader who wishes to understand the calendar in depth I recommend consultation of any one of a number of general volumes on Maya culture.13 There
follows a brief sketch of the complex Maya calendrical system.
It is from the hieroglyphic or written record of inscriptions that we know
just how sophisticated the Maya calendar was. Two different calendars were
maintairred. The Tzolk-in or sacred calendar was bascd Llpon a z6o-day collnt,
consisting of r3 numbers and zo names which cycled together until the starting
combination appeared again, after z6o days r 3, times zo. This "sacred year"
was very important to the Maya and each of the z6o days was associated with a
different deity.
The second cyclical count contained 365 days, the "Vague Year," the closest
'We
day count the Maya had to the true solar year of 36 5.25 days.
compensate
with a leap year of 366 days every four years, but fractions were beyond thc
capabilities
of Maya
of
from each
from the
the
Tzolkir
With
r lk r PoP.
could
not recur
could re-cYcle,
guish
similar da
"Long Count."
Long Cc
and for this tYP
The
assumed
date o
Maya used a m
The Long Cou
with sPecific
columns, readi
long Periods
o1
way we record
indicates to us
rooo. The Ma
rc
Stela 5
ontb
dn excellent exa
text, inclwding t
MaYa calendar'
right, and toP t
units
days,
rrden of time.
rf the needs of
rf wet and dry
, and harvest.
, development
)on the mover Ahau. Those
;n, the moon,
nd kings, the
of
jon also with
rnsequencc
upon human
- for giving
ot
as a necessity
mate the true solar year. This counting cycle also consisted of a series of combined namcs and numbers, so that any given real day had a number and riame
from each of the two counting systems, for exanple a number arid day name
from the Tzolkin and a nr-rmber and month name from the Vague Year such as
r Ik r Pop. 'Sfith the two counts intcrmeshed, the samc four-part combination
cor-rld not recur for 5z cycles of the Vague Year, or 5z times 365 days. Because it
could re-cycle, the Maya necded yet another form of count that would distingr-iish similar dates that were -t2 years or more apart. This system is called the
"Long Count."
The Long Count days have a unique designation that can never recur again
and for tl-ris type of count a fixed starting date is required, iust as we use rhe
assumed date of thc birth of Christ as the start of the current era calendar. The
Maya used a mythical starting date set on rr August jr14 BC in our calendar.
The Long Count was used to record dates on monuments that are associated
with specilic events. It is a notational systen that was recorded in paired
columns, reading from left to right (iLl. ro). The count had to accommodare
long periods of tirne and it does this thror-rgh escalating positions similar to the
way we record numbers in escalating positions. For example, the numbe r t6z5
indicates to us five units of r, two units of ro, six units of roo, and one unit of
rooo. The Maya used five positions in which the first represenrs the unit of a
now believed
:his process
of
not an afcane
ared on some
er, keeping a
lied system
of
count system
raustively. For
cmmend conLlture.13 There
that we know
alendars were
6o-day cou1lt,
ril the starting
"sacrecl year"
rciated with a
compensate
re beyond the
composed of
to the 6th clay named Ahau in the Tzolkin, and the r3th day in the month
named Muan. This happerrs to bc the end day of the r4th katr.rn which is why
thcre are no tuns, uinals or kins. This is the dedicatory date on Stela r6 at Tikal
and correlates with r Deccmber, in the year AD 7rr. While the Maya systern is
complex it is in many w:rys similar to our way of recording pirssed timc from a
firccl date.
Throughout this volume thc Maya Long Count dates arc provided in the
uotes in the short-hand notation shown above, although the correlated dates in
our calendar are uscd as standard historic:rl anchors ir-r the text.
| (right) Airuiew ctf the Creat I'Laza, with Temple I in the foreground, Temple
center and Temple
lV in
ll
in the
Overleaf
ll
ds
lll Some uessels of the Ctturtc period ruere spectacuLar in their size dnd shape. This red
poLished typa of hourgLass uessel is referred to as the "fire-h1,drant" uessel in the Tikal
tltpologlt.
lY
uesseL
clepicts
Lt
u.,ater
kins to nrake
.a-va
clcviatecl
to niakc up a
cunt possiblc
gesimal rvith
lll
\\rils a \rer,v
datccl rnonu-
reliocl of 4oo
ccolrmoclate
a presellt. At
rontinlle into
in a lltcr
;ccl
,f
cle-vs
is fol-
brings us
n thc month
rvhich is rvh.v
la r (' at Tikal
AVil S,VStCNI iS
I tinrc fronr
xiclecl in thc
Iatecl c]ates
ir-r
ple II in tht:
'ferrad to ,ts
'pe.
Tltis red
n the TikaL
the surfttce
t tltt Lost
,tl
.'lt
,rir!,
f:-:i'.;: < ll
Ht
Departner
His routc I
thriving, b
L-r r5z5
bchind wit
of
Gr-ratem
Itza, a mer
ancient cit
hc w:rs not
The cen
exploitatic
wrest awa'
souls to Cl
explorers
Spanish dc
cities wcnt
It is knc
was a settl
scttlecl on
settlement
not knowr
site got its
The name
*'
*
:ir
One readir
meaning "
transl atior
as "where
This coLc
Frogs ruere
of the udte,
YI
The que
uas
YII
likeLy n
The jas
kings as the
icctnograph;
CHAPTER T\(/O
TII(AL DISCOVERED
r5z5 Hernan Cortes passed through the area that was to become thc Peter-r
D.p"rt-"r-rt of Guatemala, traveling from Mexico and headed for Honcluras.
His route brought him across Lake Peten ltza to a Maya crty stlll <lccr-rpied and
thriving, by the r-ramc of Tayasal. His passage was friendly, ar-rd a horse was left
behincl-with the king of Tayasai, an event which worked its way into the legends
ft-r
of Gr-iaternalan history. Tayasal lies near the western end of the 1or-rg Lake Peten
1za, amere 6o km from thc l,rins of Tikal. It seetns remarkable thilt such a large
ancient city was missed by this intrepid explorer, but we must to rernember that
he was not interested in ruins per sebut rather in people and their riches.
The ccr-rturies of Spanrsh erploration of this New World were a time of
exploitation. The goals were to claim lands in the name of thc l(ing of Spain, tcr
*rar, n*ny whatcver "treasllres" were perceivcd aS valuable, and to convert
souls to Christianity. F<tr over a century after the arrival of Cortes, the Spanish
explorers focused on thc city of Tayasal which offered remarkable resistxncc to
Spanish domination. In all that time the presence of one of the large st of Maya
cities wer-rt undetected.
It is known from archaeological remains that cluring the rgth centr-rry there
was a se6lcment ar Tikal, probably of Yr-rcatec speakers, like those who had
sertled on the northefn shore of Lake Peten ltzain what are now the modern
settlements of Sar-r Jose and San Andres. The exact years of this occupation ere
not known br-rt the inhabitants are credited with one explanation of how the
site got its name.
This colorful tree frog is one of many strtecie,s of t'r?gwhose natural habitat was Tikal.
as a symbol
Frogs were important ii the art and iconogratrthy of tfi Ma1,a 66lnnrlor dnd
of lhe watery habitats that surround the city'
The quetzal's long tailfeathers u)eTe prized and traded for use.in.heacldre'sses' The bird
utas Iikeiy neuer natiie to Tikal, but feathers were trdded from the highlands'
Yl
Yll The jaguar u,as lctrd of the forests, dnd its spirit or nahual wds often cLdimed by
i;;g; ,;'tiii, l,orronol name an'd protector. Ima'ges of jaguars ttpt)e,]r frequently in the
,
iconography
of Tikal.
TII(AL DISCOVBRED
people of the rgth century scttlement were driven out of their humble houses in
the ruins by a combination of fear of the "spirit voices" and a plague of bats.
Bats, especially the srnall fruit bat, have always favored the standing, empty
chambers of the palaccs and temples as a suitable and desirable habitat. It is
possible that an oLltbreak of rabies may account for the virtual abandonment
of the site by the Maya re-occupants in the mid-r9th century.
Quite apart from the origin of the name as we knor,v rt and its Maya
meanir.rg, there is the emblem glyph which the ancient Maya thcmselves r,rsed to
identify the site (ill. rr). This raises two questions. Is the name "Tikal" possibly
the original name preserved through time by oral tradition? Can this name be
read from thc emblem glyph? There are two schools of thor-rght. Clemency
Coggir-rs and Christopl-rer Jones both bclieve that the name is original and that
therc are several ways to translate it.z Thc primary translation is relatcd to the
reverence for the zo-year time period called the katun which is so strongly evidenced in thc presence of many twitt-pyramid groups at Tikal, built to mark
thc end of the katun tirne period. As Coggins has elucidated, in Yr-rcatec Maya
thc word for the count of twenty is k'al, while rl'is "place of," providing a
reading of "Place of thc Count of the I('atun," or Ti'k'al.
Furthcrmore, time was rcgarded and depicted by the Maya as a burden or
bundle carriecl by the gods. The glyph is read as a tied bundle, the burden of
time, represented by the katun. This is a compelling interpretation.
The histor
By the tir
become a
shores of
was comn
official ex
officials: I
governor
the first t
at the sitr
was publi
investigatr
later visit.
It
was
Lloyd
Stel
wood, trz
known to
Tikal, anc
The ne
Berne, Sw
mendatio
exploring
Palenque,
Maler's
a<
carved 1in
lie today i
tt
preserved
ethics of t
remove th
tion of arr
Alfred
man, he c
Maya citit
simple mr
thoroughl
slay's con
major
ten
glimpse o
of the fol
Unfortunr
without a
fact, the p
fashion bt
TIKAL DISCOVERED
ble houses in
lgue of bats.
rding, empty
habitat. It is
bandonment
nd its Maya
elves used to
<al" possibly
lhis name be
t. Clemency
inal and that
elated to the
strongly evi-
uilt to mark
rcatec Maya
providing
a burder.r or
re burden
of
rught and is
n this sculpr, is formed
tied bundle
s configuraportance of
by Coggins
tor time, or
visual pulr
r
the visitor
By the time that the rgth-century occupants had departed, the peten had
with a popr-rlation distributcd mainly around the
shores of thc lake some 6o km away - clearly, the presence of the ruins of Tikal
was commonly known to these people. However, it was r-rot r,rntil rg4B that an
official expedition to examine the ruins took place hcaded by two governmenr
officials: Modesto Mendez, the commissioner of El peten, and Ambrosio Tut,
governor of the Department. with them came an arrist, Eusebio Lara, who was
the first to makc a record of somc examples of the sculptured monuments
at the site. An accounr of this journey, rogether with Lara's illustrations,
was published by the Berlin Academy of Science in the year followrng the
investigation. Mendez revisited the site in r8-52, but no record survives of the
later visit.
It was during this period of exploration that the famor-rs Amcrican, Jol-rn
Lloyd Stephens, and his British companion and ilh-rstrator, Frederick cathcrwood, traveled through the Maya area, recording sites ancl making them
known to thc \restern world. By chance, they did not hear about the ruins of
Tikal, ard so this most impor:tant site does not appear ir-r their record.
The next krown visitor to the site was Dr. Gustav Bernoulli, a native of
Berne, Switzerland, who hacl settled in Guatemala for his health on the recorrmendation of the great erplorer Alexander von Humboldt. In rg77, while
exploring Maya ruins, Bernoulli rnct .with Teobert Maler at the site of
Palenqr-re, and traveled from there to Tikal shortly after, prcsumably on
Maler's advice. Following this initial visit he orclered the removal of three of the
carved lintels, two from Temple IV and part of Lintcl 3 from Temple I. Thcse
lic today in the Museum fur Volkcrkunde ir-i Basel, where they remain the best
preserved of ail Tikal wooden lintels. Dr. Bernoulli ir.cted according to the
ethics of the day and obtained fuil officiai permissior-r from the
iovernmenr to
remove thc carvings. These actions reflect the rgth-century view of the fur-rction of archaeology: to collccr curiositics for exhibition and eclucati,n.
Alfrecl Percival Maudslay was rhe nexr explorer to visit Tikal. Ar-r Englishrnan, he did for Tikal what Stephens and catherwood clid for so many other
Maya cities elsewhere: made the site knowrr to tl-re \(/estern world.a Mar-rdslay's
simple map was the first made and it reveals the initial hesitancy to erplore
thoroughly or to recognize more than the most prominent srructures. Maudslay's contribr-rtion was a two-edged sword, however. His photographs of the
major temples of Tikal, taken in r88r and r882, are spectacular, giving r-rs a
glimpse of what thesc messive strLlc[Lrres actr-rally looked like when first cleared
of the foliage which had covered them after their abardonmenr (ills. rz, r1).
unfortunately, once the buildings had been exposed in this way ro rhe elemcrrrs,
without any cfforts at conservrtion, many details were lost due to erosion. In
fact, the great temples of Tikal were exposed to erosion damage twice i1 this
fashion before any effort was made to prescrve them.
become a political entity
The ne>
well as Be
was empl(
after yearr
attempt a
z5 May ti
and parts
included
Palace"
and
it
mr
heavily
stood
er
or,
lar1
outside
tl
intriguing
of the hc
blood-cur
monkeys
Maler r
from the I
half mon
bears his
r2,
j1
Taken by Alfretl Maudslal, in the late rgth century, these remarkttble uietus
Il, il|, dnd lV are not accessibLe tctday.
'l-emples
of
cLearecl
t4
Structu
and r9oq.
the zgth
L<
.f I I( A I- D I SC]O\T !,I{F- I)
clirectccl NIar'rc1slat'as
visitor to Tikal rves Teobert N4alcr, lv1-ro hacl
t\4ale r
A Gcrnr:ln b-v birth arlcl Atlstrian lry choice'
r,r.,ell :rs Bcrnor.tllir,,, rr-r..rr,..
of Harvarcl LJr-rivcrsitv to visit the sitc
r'vas enrpictl'cd br'' the nt"t.l"ay Muscttnl
His rnarrcl:rte w:ls to
tr,lucl ,.,,'tt1 t"plt''"tion irl thc.Mat'a regiou'
"fr.r,""".r',,f
the c:itv's ruins' He sltetrt frt'tu
ilttcnlpt a clefinitive."pto,rrri,r" arlcl rccorcl of
of the fir'e so-c:rllec] "Clrc:rt Templcs"
z5 Nrla.v ti11 5 Jufre i" 'ig; nt"Lirrgpians
This
b..,,lr-r. knon,rl as rhe Celrtral Acropoiis.'t
lncl parrs of u,har *,", i,) -ln,o
"Mllct''s
ktlc^vt]:rs
Stories, r'vhich h:rs been
incluclecl the Pallcc of thc
strLlcttlfe :rs his etlcatllpmellt hc:rclqttarters
this
p:rlace', evcr Sirrce. N4alcr usecl
r'vhtlie of tl-re :lrchitectttral group r'v:rs
ar.rd it must bc retncmbcrccl that the
the paltrcc' hcxvever'
i"-iL, overgro\vl'r t'i""tt trecs (l/l' r'1) ' Thc first stcirv cif to builcl a large fire
of havinEi
stoocl largelv inracr, ancl N4aler:'s descriptions
j:rgr-rars
at bal'are rt'trt'rtrtic:rlrtl
roarit.tg
keep
outsiclc thc cer.rtral clooru,ay tO
is that u,har l-re hc:rrr1 r.vas rhe roar
i,*rig,rir.,g, ro say rhc le"st. T1]e pr.babilitv
thc call of thc iaguer' This
of the h'rvicr ,-r-rur,k.u, u,hicl-r .llur"ln' rcscmbles
sitc toclir\" atrd tl-rc horvler
souncl is still hearcl by visitors to thc
Tl-re next
bloocl-cur:cllir.rg
iil.t r. cornplcrc his u,ork i' r 9o,1 rrtcl retnaitleci tl-ris ti're
of No'enlber, sonlc thrce-:rrlcl-afrorr t6c 6cgin.irg,rii r*,,r,,"tntii the miclclle
plirce that
stai'ed ir.r thc frorrt cetrtral ro.t' of thc
h:rlf rn.r-rths. C)rce
N4aler rcr.rlrccl ,..,
"*oinln.
t-vpical oI Europeln hanclrvriti[rg
bears his l1r1nlc. His floricl inscriptiotr,
of thc
in r 89 i
"
PtrlcrL:t:" tutts lult('1'c lcobt:r/ NIalcr liuttl
r I .\ltlt. !ttrt iD-{'i. /i/t')/r 'r '1: lvl,tlcr's
ct:nturt' bt'
ith
ldte
tlte
itt
Ltttilt
rL'ts
pdlact:
gt:edl
.rrt,l t,tn1. t l'r,,tt"loqt .r/1({r"i/: ,tir'rr'ri,i,
'Iil''tl'
tlt,' :'1t1, I,'td "f
IIKAI, DISCOVERED
time, is incisccl into the east jamb of the central doorway. The datcs under his
lramc, :895l:-9oq, record the years during which he lived rn this roorn, even if
briefly. Although Maler handed over his writteu dcscription and many plans of
buildings to the Peabody Muser-rm, he became a iittlc paranoid in his latcr years
about the uses that the Museum might bc making of his work. Imagirrirrg that
thc Muser-rn-r was realizing vast profits from his efforts at his cxpense scems
humorous today, but it led Maler to withhold his detailcd map of the site, a
document which resurfaced much 1ater.
In ordcr to complete a publication, the Pcabody Museum was forced to send
a ncw erpedition to Tikal in 19ro. Thus, the next explorers were Alfred Tozzcr,
who was to becomc the first occupant of the prestigious Bowditch Chair at
t
at
During
larger site
were no liv
to Tikalfr<
archaeolog
to the settii
The Tikal
It
was onl,
Rainey, Di
be underta
Tikal in G
Maderrz
Directors
tor for z9
hold for a
pro-Ameri
var-ria.
Thi
realized in
in Philade
scholars ar
Museum.
friend fror
Institutior
A small
Guaten-ra1,
happy circ
logistics o
strife betu
sible for w
A camp
to
serve tL
area of th,
beaux artt
land Guat
architectu
more imp,
the first P
196r and
tions whit
Acropolis
north sid(
kings.
TII(AL DISCOV!,RI--D
under his
oom, even if
tes
rany plans
of
is later years
Lagining that
pense seems
rf the site,
During his work at UaxactLln, Shook made sidc trips soutl-r to the much
Iarger site of Tikal. It was a five-hour walk along a chiclero's trail, and there
were no living inhabitar-rts at the site then. \Work continlled in relative proxi rniry
to Tikal frorn 19z6 until 1937, a period during which the cssential principles of
archacological excavation were forged, suitable to the problems peculiar both
to the setting and thc culture.
,rced to send
lfred Tozzer,
tch Chair at
ld go on to
'ious explor-
lnd town of
first to enter
rom El Cayo
become the
tor for 29 years. Although positively received, the proposal had to be plrt on
hold for a number of years until after the collapse of the Arbenz regime when a
pro-Arnerican government in Guatemala wclcomed the University of Pennsylvania. This long-standing dream to molrnt an expeclition to Tikal was finally
realized in r95-5, having its genesis in the drawinFi-rooms of promincnt families
rn Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Thc result was collaborarion among several
scholars and benefactors, mostly those connccted directly with the University
Museum. These were Pcrcy Madeira, Froelich Rainey, John Dimick and his
friend from earlier work in Guatemala, Ed Shook, forn'rerly of rl-re Camegie
Institution.
A small airstrip had been built in the r94os on rhe east edge of the site by the
Guatemalan military for use in case of conflict with British Honduras. This
h"ppy circumstance made air travel directly to the site possible and eased the
logistics of working rn the heart of the Peten. Thus it was rhar thc threat of
strifc between Guatemala and the country now known as Belize rrrade it feasible for work to bcgin at Tikal.
A camp had to be built to house thc archaeological team as well as a village
to serve the workmcn, who were mostly Maya from the Cakchiclucl-speaking
area of the highlands of Guatemala. Aubrey Tiik, an architect schooled in thc
beaux arts traditi<rr with additional experience at the site of Zaculeu in highland Guatcmala, joined the team in its early srages. He was able to apply his
architcctural training at first in the design of the villagc and larer to the much
more important work of restoring ancicnt structures of monumental size. As
the first Project Director, Ed Shook oversaw the exc:rvation from 1955 unril
r96t and oversaw thc rnapping of the site. He initiated the trenching operations which led to the discovery of the necropolis that lay ber-reath the North
Acropolis. This impressive collection of temples and platforms which form the
north side of Tikal's Great Plaza served for centuries as the burial place of
ania.
kings.
After
:onsiderably
rousands of
fullscope of
combinecl
work which
volume that
rio Museum
yet another
Ls
shifted from
rieroglyphic
the support
dertook the
in the provope of both
rin that this
rrley's effort
rr recording
nonumental
excavations
rablished an
Lnd
its chro-
xactun was
: one of the
as
l5
TiKAL DISCOVERED
:
il
il
ij
"nd
in the charge of
The original program of consolidation ancl restoration was
As the
Zaculcu'E
of
Aubrey rrrt *t-,,, had earlier worked at the highlar-rd site
similarly
project grew in scope and buclget, the allocation of responsibrlity
t..n-. diversificcl. As a roving architect/archaeologist for the University
Swiss archaeMuseum, Trik was assigned to othcr lTILlseLi[I proiects elsewhere.
of the ressr'rpervisor
ologist George Guillemin rook over as field director and
and
matters
teration operations. For three years I was in charge of budgetary
duties in
administration of the Proiect in the field, in addition to rny excavation
until thc
director
project
overall
the central Acropolis. Coe held his position as
Tikal
report,
lcngthy
formal end of the Proiect in ry69. His detailed ancl
It
Plaza'
at-rd Great
Report t4, describes the excavations in the North Acropolis
*", p.rblirhed in rggz and has been hailed by one reviewer as the masterpicce
of th. most accomplished livir-rg Maya rrchaeologist'
from privately
Funding for this massive p-1"., ha<l to shift of necessity
Guatemala recognized
raised sources ro more officiai ones. The government of
Theprc,jecthod.o,-'t,o.tedanagreementwithTlmc-LifeCorporationtlrat
that they would
any spectacular finds wor-rid bc reported to them first' and
p.o'ia"beneficialpublicity.ExcavationofBurialro,underTemple5D-34on
the architectural
the North Terrace of the Great Plaza, and Burial r16 under
,,pin-up,, of Tikal, Temple I, were the most notable occasiolls that prompted
articles in Life magazine.e
It was part of the Proiect organization that each individual staff member
,-r,r-b". for identification purposes in the record
a permltllent
received
Proiect
of notes ar
Proiect rec,
dents from
while Nun
allocated t
sity of Coi
als who sp
perhaps a
investigati
conservati
Natural
problems,
variable r:
setbacks. l
diseases u
histo-plas
on the car
from the r
unwise en
natlon. T
carried av
go on to
already
p,
preparati(
At Chr
the Gover
restoratic
the entire
ancient ti
as much
to the sitr
aiike. All
advanced
slowed tl
Museum
New\(/ot
Proyecto
Recogniz
that the
investiga
their ow
control
TII(AL DISCOVERED
'ge-scale expeage enormous
lckly
e.
rn order
Tikal was a
:Near Eastern
ls the project's
at Hasanlu in
r rose
to above
at least at the
in
of
culeu.s As the
rilrty similarly
.he University
,
Swiss archae-
ation duties in
'ectof unril the
report, Tikal
Great Plaza.
re
It
masterpiece
rom privately
ala recognized
.he Peten, and
n. This source
dented in the
an expansion
than the more
ad been exca-
rporatiolt that
at they would
nple 5D-34 on
: architectural
:hat prompted
staff member
in the record
of notcs and photographs. Over the course of r5 years of fie1d work, thc Tikal
Project recorded rr3 professional participants, the majority of whom were students from the University of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. It is ir-rteresting that
while Nurnber r was the project's first Director, Ed Shook, Number rr3 was
allocated to Dr. Payson Sheets, now a prominent archacologist at the University of Colorado, well-known for his work in El Salvador. Of all these individua1s who spent part of their professional and training time at Tikal there were
perhaps a dozen who formed the hard-core field force, their work including
investigations of central Tikal, peripheral Tikal, and thc csscntial laboratory
conservation and analyses. 1o
Naturally, no project on this scale of personnel and time could be free of
problems and the Pennsylvania Projcct was no exception. The difficulties of a
variable rainy season, through which work continued, resulted in delays and
setbacks. Isolation and ilh-ress were indeed factors: injr-rries on the job, strange
diseases unfamiliar to North Americans - malaria, leishmaniasis, meningitis,
histo-plasmosis; snake bites by the dreaded fer-de-lance; attacks by army ants
on the camp quarters were especially feared, particularly at night. Rcadings
from the medical diagnosis volume, the Merck Manual, camc to bc a forrn of
urrwisc cntertainmer-rt on Saturday nights. Such readings only stirred the imagination. Then, as the project wound down, deeply involved graduate students
carried away hefty publishing responsibilities, graduated, and were forced to
go on to other jobs. Nevertheless, of 39 projected numbcrcd rcports, r8 arc
already published, while many others are either awaiting the press or in active
preparation.
At Christmas t969, the University Museum officially turned over the site to
the Government of Gllatemala, and that particular epoch of investigation and
restoration came to an end. Thc goals of the project had been lxany: to survey
the entire site; to gain knowledge through excavation of al1 levcls of society in
ancient times at the site, not iust of the elite center; to restore and consolidate
as much as budgetary linitations would allow for the benefit of future visitors
to the site; and to establish a base that could be used by visitors and scholars
alike. All these goals were met and publication of these data is now well
advanced, although the sheer mass of it, as well as publication costs, have
slowed the completion of this phase of the project. To date, the University
Museum's Tikal Project is the largest-scale archaeological invcstigation in thc
New \forld.
Proyecto Nacional Tikal
Recognizing both the success of the original Tikal Project as well as the fact
that the site was so enormous that its remair-ring possibilities still demanded
ir-rvestigation, the Government of Guatemala initiated a second project under
their own supervision in ry79. The title in Spanish reflected the national
control of this venture. The appointed director was Juan Pedro Laporte, a
37
revealed
deceptivell
have revea
This disco
this perioc
vacant zor
did not cor
In addit
in other ar
archaeolol
r94os. Her
had been c
Both pr
how much
per cent ol
named "c
one (Tem1
joint Gua
III,
IV, an
Central A
were inve
questions
erperieuce
Guatcmalan archaeologist who had accomplished much of his field
Number
nembcr
57'
with the originirl TikalProject as project
The new project had a new focus. In additiolr to furthering the investigato visit,
tions, it *n, i.rir"ble to open up another portion of the sitc for tourists
the best l0cale
and thc unitcd States Park Scrvice was consulted for advice on
as well
investigation
under
arcas
the
of
for such development. The significance
affeckfrown
zone
The
as the need for open space *".. .o..f,rlly considcred.
l'L.rrf
new
for
World Pyramid" was chosen as the locati.n
tionately as rhe
becn partially
developmenr and ercavation (lll. r;). This massive pyramid had
its
origins lay in
that
showed
which
."pl.,..d during tl-re Pennsylvania project,
open plaza
cxpansive
au
the Middle Preclassic penod (c.6oo_ 35o rc) . lt sits in
dates
pcriod
surroundecl on two sides by numerous tenples of various classic
(ilL. 15). The location exceeded anyone's expectations, revealing yet another
,oy"l ,-r".rupolis that served as an alternative to the North Acropolis excavated
li
(right) The west face ctf the Lost \xlorld P ,tramid (structure 5.c:--i1) as it appears
)ir'nii:lr'or-o,iion)ri r"rtnrorion. The structure uisibLe is of Early Classic date.
16
roday,
The
Gr
maintena
tions curt
TII(AL DISCOVER!,I)
r9l+os. Hencc, excavation and restoration were re-commenced here after a road
had bcen constructed to join the two sites.
Both projects, that of Pennsylvania and the National effort demonstrated
how much rnore remains to be learned of Tikal. It is estimated that less rhan ro
per cent of those structures known by mapping have becri excavatecl. Of the six
named "Grcat Temples," two were ercavated by Penn (Terrplcs I and II) and
one (Temple V) is presently under a tr-rnneling ir-rvesrigrrion sPonsored by a new
joint Guatemala-Spanish project. This lcaves three uninvestigated (Tcmples
III, IV and VI), and these are only of the namecl grcar remples. Evcn in the
Central Acropolis, where this author worked for three years, 24 of 46 structures
were investigated, a total of 5z percent. \We know that the answcrs to many
questions lie beneath the unexcavated portions.
ramid" in the
in the 1:laza
eld experience
fi+?t
gation as well
known affecation for new
been
r
partially
origins lay
ir-r
period datcs
rg yet another
olis ercavated
d appeared to
;t-pit series of
,ad, these tests
t dppears today,
late.
'r.i{l
'r*'l
TI I( A I, D]SC]OV}.,RI,D
Tikal today
'i i
I
r7
The uis
museums,
museums
archaeolc
ancient er
the ridge
ward fror
'\'lt
old roads
system is
E, a pair
east-wesl
Causewa'
the Grea
Temple I.
The sc
winds br
and
evenr
TII(AL DISCOVERED
)r-North
1ly bottomless
"
[t to raise, even
tl{"+lH
or
group
to
. References
drawing
rnia, but of all
re site
To Flores
...,1-:
and especially
e that marked
r be complete,
is intended to
y to the extent
[l=
,'b
l.-i."
.4.'.;
ffip;:.:;
D_H
G
C ro
u.p.
'.
'. 1':.4
CENTRAL TIKAL
n tert Tikal's
,the history
"ll
of
t:1";
The record is
fpretations of
evelopment
of
tic interprctapretation - to
)y once wel e
the eyes
of its
r7 The uisitor's map of the site shous the entrdnce from the sctuth, location ctf
museums, and the road rctutes into the majctr ruins.
museums and hotels that now cover the space that once was the camp of the
archaeological investigators from the 195os through the r9Sos. From this
ancie nt entry way the visitor must walk - as did the original residents - to climb
the ridge that attracted the earliest settlers. The single white road leading wcstward from the modern cluster divides at what is now thc Park gate to follow the
old roads established by the Pennsylvania project (ill. ry). This modern road
system is simple and not entirely arbitrary To the right the road leads to Group
lesto Mendez
:avels directly
Temple I.
The southern road departs from the same gateway closc to the "camp." It
winds briefly thror-rgh the forest where no structures are visible from the road
and eventually ;oins the Mendez Causeway at a turning l-roint in the causeway
1ings. Instead
rlic buildings,
4L
TIKAL DISCOVERED
il
ll
il
ll
road. The East Acropolis, thc Marketplace and a large ballcourt (where the
Mesoamericari ballgame was played) are all hidden in the current growth of
forest. A small ceremonial strLlcture with three visible stairs adjoins the grcat
walls of the Central Acropolis and is notable for its Teotihuacan-style decoration. Howevcr, the back of Tcn'rple I dominates the East Plaza ar-rd the first view
of it always clicits a gasp of disbelief from the first-time visitor (ill. r8).
From the East Plaza, a ramp lcads up to the Great Plaza, the heart and center
of the city, dominated by Temples I and II facing each other on the east and
west sides, with the North Acropolis, a cluster of templcs, ar-rd the Central
Acropolis, a cornplex of palaces closing thc other sides of thc p1aza. The
pilgrirn to this place cannot help beir-rg awed by this magnificent ancl sacred
space. The Central Acropolis is arr elevated complex of six courtyards at differing lcvels, extending from the middlc of the Great Plaza, eastward ncarly
halfway past the East PIaza.
The roads leading up to the plaza and bcyond can only bc r-rsed by government vehicles and foot traffic today. A bypass behincl the North Acropolis now
prevents all vehicular traffic from entcring the Great Plaza. The o1d proiect road
continlles west from behind Temple II, passing through the'West Plaza, ncxt to
Templc III, then circles around the "Bat Palace," now called the Palace of the
t'Vindows, focusing on a more permanent feature. Thc formerly resident bats
were evicted during restoration of the building. From behind the Paiace of the
\Tindows thc road curves through N Gror-rp, a twilt-pyramid group of great significance to the history of the city, and final1y rcaches Temple IV The distance
from the Great Plaza to Temple IV is r km. The tallest aboriginal structure in
the New'World is not visible at its base due to the growth covering thc giant
pyramid. The clearcd temple above however can be secn from atop a number of
strlictllres to the east. From Templc IV, a recently rcvived road follows the
Maudslay Causeway to H Group, the northenr focal point <-if the city.
On thc map, the roLltes of the ancient ciluseways are clearly revealed, belying
the chaotic impression given by the moderr-r roads which only follow bits of the
ancient ways. Three of the causcways join togethcr major features of the city in
a rough, brokcn-line right-anglcd triangle. The Maler Causeway connects the
18 (right) The uisitor's first uiew of Temple I is trLways from the eastern side. The Great
Temple is dramatically framed by the rainforest nou grotuing in the F.ast Plaza.
!ii;r
ng complex is
urtyalcl and a
road follows
east following
VI, callecl the
'his numbered
za and on the
lnt growth of
cins the great
-st1'le clecora-
I the Central
e plaza. The
tt ancl sacrecl
ards at differtward nearly
:d by govcm-
cropolis now
project road
)laza, ncrt to
of the
resident bats
Palace of the
r of gleat sigTl-re distance
I structure in
ing the giant
a number of
follows the
Palace
itli
aled, belying
w bits of the
of the city in
connects the
t. The
()rcitt
TII(AI, DISCOVF,R}T,D
East Plaza from directly bchind Temple I to H Group, the north group, with a
berrd in the road adj:rcent to the twin-pyramid group callecl R Complex. The
Malcr Causeway is notable for two features. It is brokcn by a great stairway
descending into a ravine iust north of R Compler. As the road clirnbs out of
the ravine on the north side and just bcfore arriving at H Group it is interrupted
again by a giarrt exposcd rock carving, facing south. This carving oncc displayed two human figures and three glyph panels. The ligurcs show a seated
victor arrd a standing bound prisoner. The scene is attributed to Yik'in Chan
I('awil, the zTth ruler of Tikal who reigned in the middle of the Bth century.
The causcway itsclf may also be his work.
Recent reconstructions in H Gror-rp make it well worth a visit. Twin-pyramid
Complex stands to the west of a very large temple (SC-+:) which is larger and
taller than the Temple of the Inscriptions, but l:rcks a roof comb, :r major
featr-rre of Classic temple dccoration, and so was not graced with the official
term of "Gre:rt Terlple."
Thc Tozzcr Causeway connects the West Plaza to the basc of Tcmple I!
passing by Temple IIl, the Palace of the \flindows and N Complex (twinpyrarnid group) al1 to the south. Like a drunken hypotenr-rse connectinl the
other two Causewi.rys, the Mar-rdslay Causeway twists from Temple IV to the
northern H Gror.rp, ending at the twin pyramids of P Complex. A cluster of
large palace groups north of H Group are not easily accessible.
To the south side of the city center a deep revine separrrtcs anorher east west
alignment of irnportant architectural groups. On the map parts of this ravine
are identified as the Palace Reservoir and the Temple Reservoir. This series of
temples, plazas, and monumcnts extends from opposite the East Plaza almost
to Temple IV Thc principal features, from east to west, include Templc ! a
towering Grcat Tcmple presently under restoration and ercavation; thc South
Acropolis, completely unexcavated and facing north; the Plaza of the Seven
Temples, incluciirrg three ballcourts and an elevated palace group; and finally
the Lost World Pyramid group with its gigantic four-staired pyramid at the
center of a complcx of temples and palaces. Although this pyramid offcrs a difficult clirrb, the view from the summit is highly photogenic.
Literally thousands of other strlrctures surround the n-rain site, somc of them
significantly large. The F Gror-rp palace conplex lics between the East Plaza
and E Group and is accessible by trail. Howevcr, the group is unexcavated and
P
Birth, dau
Tikal is s
which run
zone, the
effect of
The kar
of
geologr
The hump
denly sur
impermea
ing today
geously
possessed
hilly
settir
known as
Althoul
tant role ir
source of
elements
rdentity
ot
the swaml
The tinto
or beams
The hil
dependen
and settir
ground m
cially alor
41
VIl
looked by
the earth.
dew whic
the horiz<
into liqui<
group, with a
CHAPTER THREE
3ompler. The
great stairway
climbs or,rt of
is
interrupted
r Yik'in Chan
Le
Sth centr-rry.
hvin-pyramid
h is larger and
rmb, a major
th the official
rf Tenple I!
'mplex (twin-
Tikal is situated quite favorably orr the southern porrion of a great dividc
which runs ror-rghly north-south through the Peten in Gr-ratcmala. L'r the Tikal
zone, the spine of this divide is br:oken by cross arroyos and gr-rllies giving e nct
cffect of a series of irregular hills.
The karstic nature of thc Yr-lcatan peninsula remains the delight ancl mystery
of geologists due to the unpredictable quality of thrs type of land formation.
Thc hr-rmps of sl-r:rrp or bh,rnted hills rise out of plains; underground rivers sud-
cnnecting the
rple IV to the
. A cluster of
denly sr-rrface
impermeable clays that cause "perched" water tables that rctair-r water, rcsr-rlting today in scasonal swamps. A1l of these fcaturres in thc varied ar.rd advanta-
of this ravine
This series of
Plaza almost
: Temple ! a
on; thc South
of the Seven
p; and finally
'ramid at the
d offers a
dif-
some of them
re East Plaza
xcavated ancl
or,rtline are
explore. For
ral Acropolis
or thc young
basins
4\
edge of this grcat swanp, where the sun rises, that one of the earliest settlemcnts of the site is found. This locale continued to be important to early settlement throughout the Preclassic period. The atmospheric effects in tire evening
begin shortly before sunset, but they are not as dramatic as the morning
of excellent positions atop ancient architecture offer
vantage points for savoring the rising (or setting) of the sun each day, when
anyone can appreciate the Maya symbolism of heavenly birth, rencwal, and
death. With the forest as a factor the highest vantege poirtrs now are rhe top of
the Lost World Pyramid (SC-i+), the highest points on the North Acropolis
(5D-zz), and the top of Temple IV Chronologically, thcsc are structures that
date frorn thc Late Preclassic, the Early Classic and the Late Classic rcspectively For the earlier settlers, the hilltop that was to become the North AcropoIis was likely the best var.rtage point bcfore the coming millennium of
architectural achievements providcd Lretter ones.
clisplay. Today, a number
Sourccs
of settlement
Drainage routes through the great castern bajo (Bajo de Santa Fe) probably
served as the initial entry routc from the east - a waterway that may not have
been seasor-ral 3,ooo years ago br-rt rather served to guidc canoes of wandering
Maya to the brokcn upland that would becorne Tikal. The flow is downstream
to the east, off thc divide, towards other sites whtch grew along its en-rbank-
at a clistance of 4o km
from the center of Trkal, would play a prominent role in thc fortunes and destinies of the larger site's history, first as a friend and ally, then later as an enemy.
Ultimately, this water drainage which connects a scries of sites like beads in a
necklace, crosses the modern bor-rndary of Belize, then mcanders into larger
and greater rivers r.rntil it reaches the Caribbean shorc. As a trade route, it musr
havc becn very significant. Shells, seaweed, thc spines of stingrays - all occan
products assumed a highly significant ritual role for the lowland Maya. Evidence from caches ar-rd burials show that the people of Tikal werc parricularly
q6
of
of exploration,
the
r9 Looking
painting by )
site of earll
concentrat
Tikal's late
Despite ex
suggest tha
site betwee
Early Precl
says that tl
densities d,
agrees
witl
lands durir
settlement
the highlan
the coast
eastern water flow likely scrved to bring the initial settlers to Tikal.
Parts of the sor-rthern Yucatan peninsula were settled to both the east and
through a r
Peten. Cur
west of Tikal at carlier dates. These ir-rclude Altar dc Sacrificios and Seibal olr
parts of the wcstern watershed; and the three sitcs of Cuello, Pulltrouser
Swamp, and Colha in Belize, all of which were established by rzoo BC. By contrast, Tikal's earliest recorded settlcmcnt occurred near 8oo BC, suggesting that
this ridge land with its scarcity of pcrmanent water supplies was not e primary
available v
clearly exp
struction b
account fot
there are ee
root of
the horizon
Tikal, on the
:arliest settlc:o early settlein the evening
the moming
ritectr,rre offer
Lch
day, wherr
renewal, and
are the top
of
rth Acropolis
.ructures that
lassic respec-
orth Acropo-
illennir-rm of
19 Looking east from Temple IV to the direction of settlement of the cit-t, ctf TikaL. This
painting by Didna Nobbs inuokes the sense of morning and rebirth at Tikal.
Fe) probably
concentrations of wcalth
site of early settlement. Its many other advantages, discovcred later, led ro great
at.rd power.
of wandering
downstrean.r
ike beads in a
rs
into larger
route, it must
,s
all ocean
d Maya. Evir
particularly
loration, the
1.
Lnd
, Pulltrouser
c BC. By conggesting that
rot a primary
17
on high points
of clevelopmcnr (at any site) are identifiecl witl-r blocks of time ancl by the
p."r.r... of culturirl characteristics such as architecture and artif2lct types, and
s,rmetir11e, burials. The most commonly available iclentifier is ceramics, irncl it
is by cerilmics that wc can interpret where and r'vher.r the first settlemcllts of
Tikal occr.rrred.
In performing his analysis of the massive quantity of ceramic fragments left
at the site thror-rghor,rt timc, Patrick Culbcrt s<-iught to iderttifv locations of scttlemcr1r c|-rring tl-rc early periocls. His strategy of intcrpretation iderrtifiecl settlemer-rt locations by the prcsence of "pttre" rniddens' that is, girrbage dumps
which contiritt discardcd and brokerr ceramics frotlr one pcriod orlly' Such
deposits are rare at Tikal, :rnd cven rilfer between 8oo ilnd 600 eC. These
ceramic locatiols 1re a first step itl defilling thc characteristics of :rny given
tir"le period. Whcn architecturc, buri:rls and other rittial featr.rres appear, these
roo cen be addecl to thc esse mblages that clcscribe t1-rc growth of Tikal.
swamp-edge loc
St:lges
<
is at the edge of
ar-rd easy transp
isolated instanr
spread along tt
Classic period
Bajo de Santa I
site settlement
least seasonall
During the Eb
cation of each
Although the l
side locaies we
Very ltttle rs
detice. The ber
site . Rising 6o
The Eb sites
The Eb complcx was thc fiISt to appe2lr at Tikal ilnd is dated at 8oo-6oo sc'
Only three loc:rtions of "pure" deposits of the Eb conlplex are knowtl, two
close to the ccnter of the sitc, and ollc at the edge of the castern sw:rmp' This
clistributior-i ctf settlement is irl itsclf revealinF!. It suggcsts that the first peoples
at Tikal hacl established three separate villagc units, within rcach cif each other
but in cliscrcte lociries, each with its clwn attrlction'
One such locale was found under the North Acropolis, olt olle of the highcst
lancl poir-rts encompassed by the site. Thrs spot lnay well have beerr vetlerated as
a sacred place beforc tl.rc apperrrlncc of ar:chitecture, holding meanitlg for
rcasons lolv lost to r-rs. The vcneriltion of sacred hills is knowu :rs part of the
May:r cosmic belief sysrem. Thc earliest archacological activity is a cleposit dug
into thc bedrock that c:rme to be the base of thc tnost sacred royal br'rrial
ground, the North Acropolis. The vcry antiquity of this spot as e prim.rrv sct,1.-.r-,, probably rccounts for the cluirlity of ancestral veneratioll that later led
to centurics of royal br,rrials ilnd tombs.
Another locale was found uncler the strtlctLire cirllecl the "Lost World
Pyrarnicl" (;C-;+) , a gargantuan buildingnow known to be of I-:lte Preclassic
constrLlction (c. ;5o BC-AD z5o). Ag:rin, the prirnary settlemcnt occr.rrrccl later
in one 9f thc most sacred foci of the city, :rnd incidentally, or-re of tl-re best places
to view thc uroruit-tg ancl evening atilosphcric cffects. Structure 5C-5'1 is
central to a l:rrger group of Lruildir-rgs which inch-rde the only other l<nown focus
of royal burials. The correlation between primary settlerrent and subsccltlent
royal br.rriirls is not likely to bc a coinciclencc' but rathcr sLlggests that memory
of pl:lce was very intport:rut to the Maya of Tika1.
ihc tl-rircl Eb locatiorr of pure ccramic deposit is at the vcry eclge of Baio de
4tl
se
ries of pits u
Among this tr
is significant.
date of 588 n
course of thi
sistcd of brol
structed on Pi
Eb ceramics
tecture is totz
in the same v
quarrying
an
have existed i
A single h
nearby trash
an intention
od only Such
ioo ec. These
; of any given
appear, these
Iikal.
t 8oo-6oo ec.
: known, two
rswamp. This
e first peoples
of each other
of the highest
r venerated as
meaning for
as
a
part of rhe
deposit dug
I royal burial
primary sct-
"Lost ril/orlcl
ate Preclassic
rccurred later
re best places
ure 5C-54 is
known focr-rs
J subscquent
that memory
ge
of Bajo de
on high points of the ridge with the advantage of distant views. However, the
swamp-edge loc:rlc is only r km distant from the North Acropolis location and
is at the cdge of the water where the sun is see n to rise, adjacent to a food source
and easy transportation to the east through the water route. Also, this is not au
isolated instance of choosing a swamp-edge for settlement. Similar locations
spre:rd along the same bajo bordcr are found right r.rp to the beginning of the
Classic period (eo z5o) . The sclcction of settlement locations at the eclgc of the
Bajo dc Santa Fe was made for important reasons during thc carliest phases of
site settierncnt. Turtles, crococliies, and even fish could inhabit the swanp at
lcast seasonally if the water levcls were no iower tharr they are at prcscnt.
During the Eb period, all three known scttlements were within easy communication of each other, perhaps fulfilling diffcrcnt functions for a r.rnified grotlp.
Although the high ridge locations did later devclop at a faster rate, the swampside localcs were not abancLrned, and in fact sprcacl in number.
Very little is known about the Eb people due to the scarcity of recovered evidence. The best material derives from thc Nortl-r Acropolis at the heart of the
site. Rising 6o rn above the eastern bajo, thc hill itself was quitc impressive. A
series of pits were excavated right ir-rto the bedrock ar-rd rnostly fi1led with trash.
Among this trash is a large amol111t of chert'r dctritus, reflecting the fact that
Tikal had acccss to a good naturalsource of this matcrial. This is a very imporranr economic consideration. Its presence at this earliest of all settlements indicates that the chert sourcc was another factor in settlement of thc site. Also
present in these trash pits were fragmeuts of obsidian (volcanic glass) ar-rd
quartzite, botl-r n'raterials that had to be importecl as they clo not occur natllrally in the vicinity of Tikal. This indrcatior-r of trade dr-rring earliest settlement
is significant. A radiocarbon date obtarned frorn charcoal in one pit yielded a
datc of 588 sc, wl-rich is the source of the rounded date of 6oo ec ending the
coursc of thrs particular ccramic occupiltion. The ceramics then-rsclves colrsisted of brciken vessels in sr-rch quantities and sizcs that they could bc reconstructed on papcr. The largest of these bedrock pits contained a pure deposit of
Eb ceramics suggestillg an adjaccnt or nearby settlemcnt. Evidence for architccture is totally absent, due largely to enormous amounts of building activity
ir-r thc same vicinity at :r later date which removed the earlier ar:chitecture. The
quarrying and leveling that took place destroyed whatever construction might
have eristed ir-r Eb times.
A single hr-rman skull complete with articulatcd jaw was recovered from a
nearby trash pit. The combination of skull and jaw preserved together indicate
an intentior-ral beheading, or ritual sacrifice since thc separation of the head
from the body in a single violent:rct retains the jaw in conjur-rction with the
skr-rIl. Had the deposit been a re-location of an old skr.rll from a burial, the jaw
(or mandible) would not iikely be prcsent. A nearby pit contained a flexed adult
skeleton set into the bedrock and is assumecl by its proximity to bc contemporary with the adjacent Eb activity.
of the site
called mill
the basis
<
food prodr
source not
It is the
peoples w
diversity ir
iar from
20
o,
lish their n
Little data are available to help in the task of characterizing Tikal in its eariiest
occupation. That the occupation was small and scartered is clear. The occupation sites either favored the swamp edge, and all that this choice implies; or
were hilltop villages that would endure as mosr sacred places for the entire
history of the city.
ceremonialism, and possibly even sacrifice are indicated by the remains
under the North Acropolis. Exploitation of a "home produc" is established
immediately (chert) , and trade of exotic products is already in evidence.
From elsewhere in the lowlands we know that this is a time of small villages
with simple ceremonial structures. The presence of chultuns as a characteristic
to
The TLec
The pione
The differ
material,
a greater v
Tzec rer
and had br
North Acr
only one k
the site, ev
Let us
since the
unmixed
enclosed ir
bones alsc
vessel may
The loc
settlement
de Santa F
to argue tl
burial (Bu
the varietl
dishes, pla
a greater
tion impli
During Tz
During
of locale t
most celel
reflect the
a preferre<
of
/dter'med a source
the basis of the econony The proximity of the swamp with its own special
food products, and elements which appear later in the iconography arc anorher
sorrrce not just of food but of spiritual awareness.
It is the ceramics themselves that are the most elocluent featurc for the EL-r
peoples with a variety of cooking and serving vessels that show a degree of
diversity in form and surface fir'rish. The particular vessel types arc mostly familiar from other parts of thc lowlands br-rt have distinctivc qualities which cstablish their manufacture as local to Tikal, the 6rst of a long series of traditions.
,ndins hdue
in food
trash in
damp, marshy
rhe Eb
ll
evidence to
y architecture
rse function at
edrock is too
iome contain
r 5D-6, which
r.
It was exca-
rth Acropolis
I rough hewn
[ightly higher
rlation would
at Tikai
it is
arliest phases
in its earliest
The occupa-
inplies; or
or the entire
e
the remains
s established
lence.
mall villages
haracteristic
Tikal
becc
The pione,
with most
Tikal exhi
change af{
rics ec anc
Thc per
until en z
according
which
2r Mod(.rn thatch huts dlongthe edge of the Camp Aguada euoka the conditions of
lit,ing at: the tuater's edge tuhich characterized the earLiest settlement of TikaL.
are
other artil
and growt
E.xcaval
e
ast-we st
The May;
Contrasting settlement on the high ridges had two foci at first, on the North
Acropolis ridge, and at the location of the Lost \7orld Pyramid. Both of thesc
continued during the Middle Preclassic, and persisted as sacred burial grounds
If there was any scnse of cosmos at this early time, it manifests itself as position - the Tikal Maya were anchored simultancously at their eastern bounclary
and on one of the highest vantage points of the ridges that form Tikal: an cast
west axis that followed the daily course of the sun. The shape and size of this
cosrrros was to change its configuration repeatedly dr-rrir-rg the generations tc)
come as expansion demanded such change. The north-sor-rth dimensior-r was
yet to be developed, according to the fortunes and wishes of the indlviduals
who would rule thc city. Only part of the story of the carly developnent of
Tikal is known, and much of it rehes upon inference. During the next major
period, the Late Preclassic, the dcvelopmer-rt of a distinct individuality can be
discerned together with the first tangible monuments of grandeur. Nevertheless, it was the pioneers of the Eb and Tzec complexcs who establishecl Tikal's
sense of place, and the rudiments of a sacred cosmos in its layout.
5z
Bajo
cle Sz
from
whi,
settied, w
expansior
period.
The N<
ra1 growt
that
was
World
Py
location c
relatively
pLlrpose
Groups,"
where thi
observatt
towards r
From the
behind tl
corner oi
CHAPTER FOUR
>nditions
of
ikal.
, on the
North
Both of these
:urial grounds
;
itself
as
posi-
:ern boundary
Tikal: an east
nd size of this
Ienerations to
imension was
re individuals
:velopment of
re next major
luality can
be
53
I
n
ll
I't
l/r
I
I
I
I
r'\
\.1
L-J
N_
zz TheLostWorltlPt,rdmitl(Structure:C-;+) tuttsconstru.tedttsdnobsenutorybuildinginrelat:ion
t:he ettst, sbott,n in this map of tha plaza.
zq
The obs
tct illustrate
the right an
z1 Orte of thc smdll lentstLes tt,hit:b formed part oI t.he obscn,tttctr,t- group, Structure.tD-8,+, shous all
oI the eLeme:nts thdt reca.lL Con,tn DoyLe 's "/-o,sr Worl/."
corner of
'', ,:
groLlp be
Preclassic
Both
ce
lcici,rtion
i,
thc Late I
fercnt at t
tu.rc, a p
self-conta
axis, even
of the acrr
as an obs(
of recordi
Pure ce
to the wes
city cente
another s
city rema
eastern s\'
75o m wi<
illirrurilililllilllllllllililillllliillllllll
lillilllilillllillr||llril
ing in relation
illl1
z4
The ctbseruatory group of the Lost \XlorLd is reconstructecl here b1, Juan I'edro Ldporte
to iLlustrate the configuration during the Early CLassic period, with the radial pyramid on
the right dnd the sighting tempLes on the left.
of the south structure on thc winter solstice. The Lost rWorld Pyramid
group bcgan its function as an E-Group when first constructed in the Middie
Preclassic and continued this use until the end of the Preclassic period.
corner:
Both ceramic dcposits and architecture in the Lost World zone show that this
location was one of equal development with the North Acropolis throughout
the Late Prcclassic period. However, their respective fr-rnctions were quite different at this time. The North Acropolis remained a focus of temple architecrure, r plac,.' ..-,f hurial ol kirrgs and e growirrg cosmic cxpression - r
self-contained cosmogram of the world directions, wrth a srronl north-soLlth
axis, even thor-rgh this axis did not meaningfully extend far beyond the confines
of the acropolis itself. On the other hand, the Lost World Pyramid group served
as an observatory dedicated to marking important solar events for the benefit
of recorc'ling the seasons.
Pure ceramic deposits from the Late Preclassic period have bcen found well
to the west of the Lost \World iroup and interestingly, far to the sourtheast of the
city ccnter, adjacent to the location of Temple VI whrch wor-rld not be burlt for
another sir centuries. Despite some scattered examples of ceramic finds, the
city remained spread along its original east-west axis, from the edges of the
eastern swamp as far west as Temple IV but clr.rstered in a narrow bclt about
75o m wide and z km long.
5t
THE
N'TOVE
INTO GREATN[,SS
srructufes could be firced on thc eastern sidc. These threc were ahgnecl
north-soLlth, closely togerher, but so spaced thilt elements of their architecture
grouP at the
marked the visible risint of rhc sun in thc spring to the nortl-r of the
winter
solstice
tl-re
at
south
the
to
solstice; in thc center on thc equinores - and
configuThis
- all viewed frorn the ro-.."r-t,rol spot on thc westerlr plirtform'
ration grew in size over the ycars, wrth the small western platform finally
b".o-i,1g the Lost worlcl Pyramid itself, a giar-rt pyramid some 3z m high,
the stairs arc giant
sqLlare in plan with stairways on the four sides. Part wi'ty up
(ll/'
,tor-r. nndr.ulptured stllcco masks, now in a st2lte <-if scvere disintegration
were
these
r6) . Enough detail rcnainecl in one or two cases to ir-rdicate th:rt
at
Uaxactun
strllcture
central
the
E-7-Sr.rb,
on
jaguar -nik, not unlike those
masks
thc
At
Uaxactun
that gave irs name to this architcctural configuration.
one
the
and
w"re'paircd vertically, with the one below displaying Night Jaguar
I(inich
nbou. displaying Day Jagr-iar, thc two fnanifestations of the sr-rn god
appearances. Thc line between the se paired masks
Ahar-i in his night o"d i!
an obsc^'er
was a platforJ marking the horizon to the east, the point at whicl-r
to
,-r."d.i to stand to view t6e soiar phenomena as thcy related the castern
these iaguar
srructures. It is likely that the same iconography :1-rd fr.rnction of
(ill' z+) '
rworld
"
n
"temple
eastcf
its
ar-rd
Pyramid
masks pertains to the Lost
earliest
the
in
occupied
first
was
The locatign of the Lost World Pyramid
side, is
to
each
one
times of Tikal's sertlement. A pyramid with four stairs,
astrocalied a radial pyramid, ancl the first version w:rs built by 5oo rlc. The
lomical concept was formalized with new constructions between ;oo and z5o
a new eastern
BC in the Late Preclassic includirrg a new radial platform and
Tl-rc
Preclassic'
Middle
platform, both much largcr than the prototype from tl-re
of
placing
i-po.ror].. of the east-wcs[ axis was established at this trme by the
ritual
burials and caches along it. There is a contrast between this formal and
North
the
complex,
contemporary
compler with that of ih" other major
Acropolis tr-r which the ritual aris of importance to burials was north-south.
occr-rrred
Fr-rrther renovation of both the main pyramid and the east platform
56
,/,1.",'
/,,,i
.l
1.1
/.,:I
; =-.!-1
.,.
,ro1u.-""
,rl*
z5
The com
Terrace whi'
from his exc
between z
point the r
first time
phase of g
complexes
small teml
displayed
Throug
sacred axi
goods ind
quantity
cers. In C:
Acropolis
Lost \(orl
beginning
The Nort
Beginninp
women, z
status of t
that woul
although
are too P'
tant. The
the ceren
ciearly in
gnation. It is
cmicalsignif-
l observatory
;inal mappers
reat pyramid
:d in the area
Le
imagery of
name stuck
:rdido." Juan
ne of what he
e other tl'rrec
were aligned
architecture
,l*.
.l*.
tl*.
.l*.
,l*.
,l*.
z.y The complexity and time depth of construction in the North AcrctpoLis and North
Terrdce ruhich form the north side c,tf the Great I'ldza was recorded by'WiLliam R. Coe
from his t:xcat,ations in this group.
,l*.
oL*.
ll,
: group at the
'inter solsticc
fhis configu-
tform finally
e 3z n'r high,
airs are giant
regration (i//.
rt these were
at Uaxactun
;n the masks
r and the one
r god I(inich
:raired m:rsks
r an obscrver
thc eastern
these jaguar
between z5o and roo BC associated with the Chuen ceramic conplex. At this
point the whole complex irrcreased once again in size but now includcd for the
first time huge masks as central decoration atrd flanking stairways. The next
phasc of growth was Lretwcen roo BC and eo z5o (the Cauac and Cimi ceramic
compleres) when the pyramid grcw it't size once again, ancl for the 6rst time
small temples wcre br-rilt on the east platform. The central eastcrn temple even
displayed two jaguar masks on the establishcd e ast-west axis.
Throughout the Late Prcclassic burials and offcritrgs were placed on thc
sacred axis, and although the individuals buriecl were accompanied by gravc
goods indicating a moderate degree of wealth, such goods are insufficient in
quantity and importance to suggcst that they were kilrgs or high-ranking officers. In Cauac times such high individuais were still being interrcd in the North
Acropolis. The end of the Preclassic period did not see the end of growth of the
Lost \Torlcl Pyramid complcx. It reached its peak in the next phase dr,rring the
beginnings of the Early Classic period, as we shall scc.
each sicle, is
new eastern
'eclassic. The
he
Lal
placing of
and ritual
:, the North
rth-south.
rrm occurred
ranr. The clement of royalty is still missing at this point in the development of
the ceremonial hot spot. Coe describcd the earliest evidence of interment of a
clearly irnportant personage bencath a temple br,rilding of the later Cauac
\7
complex (en r-r5o) . Both the structures and the burials of Cauac times
to define the Tikal style of architecture ar-rd burial patterns (ilL. z).
begir-r
Death as a window
It is through the burials of the North Acropolis that we receive a glirnpse of the
individual style of Tikal as it took form in the Late Preclassic. The Car-rac
complex tombs tell of attitudes toward death and the ritual placement of the
mortal remains. Thcsc carly burials are all foui-rd beneath small ternple strlrctures some of which are represented only by their platforms ancl stubs of tornout walls, the architectural victims of later and more grandiose consrruction.
The individuals in these tombs are nameless although the ceremony and
accompanying precious objects tell r-rs that they were people of substance,
leaders - ahaus. The fact that some of these unnamed royalty are women tells
r-rs further that women did indeed play a role of some power and inflr-rence, even
in Late Preclassic times. Their lives had been significant enough to their dcscendants to allot them a place on the royal necropolis. A1l thcse royal burials of
Cauac times are known today oniy by the prosaic dcsignations of burial
number as there are no texts to providc a clue to their ancient real names.
Four burials bearing the nr,rmbers 166, t67, r28, and 85, are of particular
interest. The nurnbering is based entirely on the chronology of their archaeological discovery and has no relationship to their stratigraphic position in the
North Acropolis.
Burial
167
located un<
smallplaze
vaulted tor
This time t
head to tht
the long ax
right angle
establishes
features of
and one ov
tained the r
loins held
victims mi
wife and cl
goods accc
status. She
shell
beadr
which may
figurines rr
relationshi
the northr
gourds wel
deceased r
Burial r55had bcen placed in a pit through earlier floors as a preparation for
the construction of a small east-facing temple. The small, rectangular, and
vaulted tomb contained the remains of two indivicluals. It is thcir disposition ir-r
the tomb that provides some insight into Tikal burial rituals. Both personages
wcrc apparcntly adult females. The central figure had her head placed to the
north, a primary pattern at later dates in the North Acropolis for burials of
kings. Thc secondary female had been butchered, with her mixed-up bones
placed at thc fcct of the regal skeleton. The skull of this unfortunate, probably
a sacrificial victim, was placed in the iowest of three nested ceramic vesscls.
Spread around the south end of the tomb, at the fcet of the "c1l1een" were 20
excellent examples of the Cauac ceramic complex. Thc masonry walls of the
tomb had been crudcly plastered and then painted with red cinnabar - the
color of thc cast, and the color of life.This earliest known effort to decorate a
tomb was then further elaborated. Sir black-line figures were painted over the
red walls on the east, south, and west sides. The blank north wall is a l-rint at a
serual dichotomy between north and south directions as representing malc and
female respectively. This unusr,rally well-decorated tomb is our earliest glimpse
of the elaborate ceremonial surrounding death and burial at Tikal. It is also
sigr-rificant that this first glimpse rs the tomb of a woman. Such female tombs
are rare not only at Tikal but at Maya cities in general.
58
his glory
receive qui
we do not
It is of fur
was indee
sides and
cream-col,
Bwrial rz[
dealing wi
low platfo
of the futr
ries. Buria
of the pur
include
extremely
example c
ormation.
infant's sl
and bone
Burial r67 opens the window of death a little further for us. This burial
)).
located under yet another small temple buiidtng, thrs time facing west, across a
small plaza formed by structures on a platform of the Cauac period. Another
vaulted tomb, this one shows yet other aspects of the burial attitudes at Tikal.
This tirne the main figure is interpreted as an adult male who was laid with his
head to the east. In the case of Burial t66,the woman was laid out parallel to
the long axis of the temple building. The male in Burial 167, however, is laid at
right angles to thc long axis of the temple above, an interestini contrast which
establishes an eastern orientation of the head. However, the most fascinating
features of this burial are in two large ceramic vessels placcd one over the head
and one over the loins of the rnain figr-rre. The bowl over the head region contained the cramped skeletal rernains of an adult female, while the bowl over his
loins held the remains of an infant under a ycar of age. Who these sacrificial
victims might have been raises a plethora of speculations. Could they be his
wife and child, cramped into vesscls to accompany him rn his tomb? The grave
goods accompanying thc main male figure indicate his high, and likely royal,
status. Shell bracclcts with bone clasps surrounded his wrists. A necklace of
shell beads with pcndants graced his neck and chest. A greenstone figurine,
which may havc related to his namesake, lay in the pelvic region. Similar carved
figurines recovered from later Classic period tombs at Tikal proved to bear a
relationship to the name of thc king. Nine fine Cauac vessels were clustered in
the northwest corncr of the burial chan-rber and two red-pair-rted sruccoed
gourds wcrc an unusual addition to the lcxicon of goods usr,rally :rccompanying
deceased rulcrs. The walls of this tomb were plastered, but not paintcd. For al1
his glory and the grisly ritual of his interment, the man in Burial r67 did not
receive quite the same level of dccoration as did the lady in Burial r66, but since
we do not know their relationship to each other, such comparison means little.
It is of further interest that the small shrine built above the ruler in Burial 167
was indeed elaborately decorated with polychrome frescoes painted on the
sides and rear of the structure, in hues of black, yellow, red, and pink over a
cream-colored plaster.
glimpse of the
c. The Cauac
of the
temple struc-
cement
stubs of torn-
construction.
eremony and
of
e
substance,
women telis
nfluence, even
r their descen,yal burials of
rns
of
br,rrial
names.
of particular
heir archaeoosition in the
eparation for
.angular, and
Jisposition in
h personages
placed to the
ior burials of
red-up bones
is
ate, probably
amic vessels.
een" were zo
'walls of the
rnabar - the
to decorate a
nted over thc
is a
hint at
ral. It is also
:male tombs
Burial rz8, the r-rext br-rrial of interest in the range of Tikal techniques for
dealing with death, does not come from the North Acropolis but from a large,
low platform located r.5 km to the southeast of the North Acropolis. It is west
of the futurc location of Temple VI, not to be built for at least six more cenruries. Burial rz8 was discovered during cxcavation of a housemound and is one
of the pure ccramic deposits described in the nert section. The burial did not
includc a vaulted chamber but yrelded eight Cauac vessels, one of which was
extremely large and containccl the remains of the burial figure. This first
erample of a "pot burial" contained an adult femalc, showing clear head deformation, a mark of beauty among the ancient Maya achieved by strapptlrg the
infant's skull to a headboard during the years of skurll growth. She wore shell
and bone bracelets, similar to those found in the malc burial of fi7. The simi59
larities of the
t66, t67, ar.rd rz8 sLligest rhat matcrnal relationships may well have playcd
major role during the morc developmental phases of Tikal's growth.
Burial S.; brings us back to the North Acropolis. This vaultecl romb was placed
below another srnall tcmple structure on the south side of the acropois and
directly on the critic:rlly irnportant north solrth axis of the acropolis itself. In
Classic tinres this axis was to takc on rhe sacred propcrties of a ley lir-re. As the
generations passed, the central aris of the North Acropolis grew stcadily as it
becatne increasingly sar-rcti{ied by the burials of kings. This is ir-r contrasr to rhc
east-wcst axis described eilrlier of the Lost world Pyramicl group and indecd
the axis of growth by which rhe city was setrled.
once again, clcath's wi'dow is opened a little more for us with
grisly
'ewon
dctails of Tikal burial practices. The first known ruler to be buried
rhe
sacred axis was an adr,rlt malc who had been disrrrcmbered following death. His
skull and thigh bones were not includcd in the burial. \(/e now know that thcse
importartt parts of the body were occasionally omittcd from a royal burial.
This occr-rrs not just at Tikal but at otl-rer major sites as r,vell, most notably
Paler-rque far to the west in the realm of the Usr,rmacinta River. It is a rnatter of
speculation just why specific parts of the huiman bocly were sometimes retained
aud not inch-rdcd in a burial. \(/as it a matter of parts missing ir.r :,rction, lost ir-r
war, or retaincd by the cnemy as trophies? or was this the result of familial
rctention of these parts for mr-rch the samc reason? Reverence of the dead, and
even for specific bocly parts of the dead is clearly irrdicated, whether or nor rhis
rcverence c:rme from cnemies or friends.
ln Burial 85 what remair.red of the ruler was bundled rolierher, probably wirh
textiles, and placecl in a seated position in a chamber otherwise lilled with
splendid ceramics. Lrcludcd within the bundle was a stinaray spine used in
bloodlettilrg ccremonies, and a prcpared spondyLas shell, both imported from
thc sea. Tl-re spondvltrs, or sl-rir.ry oyster, wxs a favoritc trade item for the Maya
of Tik:rl and is con.rmonly found in caches ar-rd bur:ials throughor-rt the Classic
period. Intcrestingly, this bi-valve shell is founcl in both thc caribbcan and
Pacific occans. The Maya of thc central Pcten, far from either ocean, tracled for
both spccies, which can be inclividually identifiecl. The closcst sourcc for Tikal
lies in the reefs just off thc coasr of ircarby Belize. The Maya loved to scrape rhe
white lining from the shell to reveal the oraligc-red unclcrlayer - il color sacrcd
to thcir cosrnology-the color of the east, of rebirth, the direction of the great
swamp east of Tikal and also of thc distant Caribbearr, nearest source of thcse
precior-rs shells.
6o
z6
This masl
eyes and teett
treasures plaL
Preclassic tor
Tikal. The m
reltlacement
buried lord.
The mos
mask with
attached to
mummy bt
carving fou
carvings
arr
Ceramics o
The Late
<
ysis. They
plastic art
vidual expr
rendering
<
emerges at
vessels and
57
vomeu plaved
I burials. The
that patrilinfrom Buri:rls
have played a
'rh.
was placed
Lb
Lcropolis and
>olis itself.
In
y iine. As the
steadily as it
)ntrast to the
p and indeed
h new grisly
uried on the
rg death. His
)w thet these
royal burial.
nost notably
matter o1:
mes rctairred
;tion, lost in
sa
t of familial
re dead, ancl
)r
or not this
obablv with
: {illed with
eyes
burierl l.orrl.
The most errdearing object retrieved from this burial was a small greenstone
nrask with inlaid eyes and teeth of shell (iLl. z6). This gem may havc been
attached to the bundle itself in place of the missir-rg sku1l, evoking images of the
murnny buncllcs of thc Inca civilization. This object also rccalls the small
c:rrvirrg found with thc male rr-iler in Burial t67.It seems rhat sllch greenstone
carvings are not found in the royal ladies'tombs.
rirre used in
rorted from
rr the Mayir
.
the Classic
'ibbean and
r, traded for
ce
for Tikal
the
:olor sacred
o scrape
of the gre:rt
rce of these
The Latc Preclassic penod spans three different ceramic compleres at Tikal
over 6oo years dating from 35o BC to AD z5o. Ceramics are extrcmely important
to any site chronology and are nor merely the dry stuff of archaeological analysis. They are an art form which often achieves rare beauty. ccramics are a
plastic art and because of this plasticity are subject to rapid change and inclividual expression. Each major Maya site has its own artistic expression in the
rendering of details in their locally made ceramrcs. The overall style which
emerles :rt a singlc city contains a combination of the shapes and finishes of
vcssels and the irrdividual charactcristics of paintcd decoration cleveloped by
6t
the artisans of that city. ht the Preclassic period there is no paintcd decoration
'per se, but there are distinctive shapes and colors' For erample the chamberpot-like wide-mouthed vessels of the Eb compler are distinctive:rt Tikal (see
tclow). Silrilarly, spouted, flarirrg-mouthed ve ssels ancl fire-hydrant sh:rpes are
also part of the Tikal styie during the Cauac complex. However, all vessels
fo.rrrd at any given site werc not necessarily made there, cspecially those that
are for.rnd in royal t<tmbs. This is true for two reasons: the Maya tradecl extcll-
designed uith s
the period had
of
shaPes
dndl
z8 (belotu) Th,
composite maP
approximate li
the Cauac Prec
circa,+D r5o.
sively among thernsclves and royal funerals often included gifts of resp-rcct fron.r
other rulers. \(/e assume that such mortLl:lry presents arose froln inter-citrt alli-
ances made either by marriage or for purely political reaso1ls. Such gifts
bror.rght by outsiders to bc includecl amollg the br-rrial p:rrapherr-ralia of the
cleacl king cannot always be identified as items thilt wcre ir"rtroduced a situation whicl-r pfescnts problems for accurate dcscription of a given city's stylc'
Thc alliar-rces wl-rich resuited in gift exchange were more common and significant ir-r the later periods of May:r history, but Llndollbtedly werc already at play
duritrg the Late Prcclassic at Tikal.
It is the variarion in individual style of ceramic proclr-rction that milkes
ceramics so important to archaeologists. Cerarnic shape and clecoration
ch:rlgc with time across the Maya region ancl this allows the division by stylc
into spccific periods for each givcn major site or ciry.
Tl-re three ceramic compleres that characterize the Late Preclassic phase
Cauac times
This phase o
ar-rd
variatior
forms are mr
hydrant" sha
ticularly
cha
mostly in tht
plexity of sh
artistic and c
While the
during the 1
L.
/'
or,rtsicle styles.
Chuen times at
Tikal
One inclicator of how the population of the site was growing thror-rgh time is
founcl i1i the comparison of the incidcnce of pure deposits of cerarnics in the
Chucn complcx with those of the prececling Tzec complex (Middle Prcclassic)'
Only ole cleposit is known in Tzec times, whe reas therc are scven such cleposits
from Chuen times. Their occurrence shows the site spreading out over the
ridgetops, cxpanding outward from ti-re central area, bllt stili maintaining a
villagc populatior-i ncar the edges of the great swamp to the east. As well as the
.tp.lt".l .1.posits in the North Acropolis, there are now also deposits in thc
of residence occupricd by
Celtral
the elite social stratr-lm. Other deposits wcre found to thc west of the Great
Acropolis to rhe soLlth indicatir-rg a location
6z
':
+l
.J
l._.
.r
ed decoration
zS
respect
fron
circa AD r;o.
This phase of devclopment shows a great stcp forward, with a burst of growth
ancl variation irr the cultural component associated with Car-rac ceramics. The
forms are more varied rhan ever before a.d quite specific to Tikal. The "firehydr:rnt" shape mentioned above and several kinds of spoutecl vessels are particularly characteristic. Ceremonial ceramics recovered from royal burials,
mostly in the North Acropolis, are larger than any found to date, and the com,
plerity of shapes suggests that more leisur:e time was available to be devoted tcr
artistic and ceremonial pursuits (pl.lil and ill. z7).
while there are fewer actual occurrences of pure ceramic deposits than
dr-rring the previous chuen complex, the quantity of cauac cerarnics is far
r that makcs
decoration
ision by style
classic phase
), and
of
Cirni
r factor. The
nding realms
t|
roduction of
ough time is
amics in the
: Preclassic).
uch deposits
c--
.s well as the
rosits in the
occupied by
rf the Great
beneath the
'_
t'-'.,
:_
Jential plat-
'i
'
i_Fi
-,,'7-'"
greater and distributecl over larger parts of the site. Of thc four known pure
deposits, two are in the North Acropolis, one being fronr thc north terrace,
abr-rtting the south side of the acropolis. The other two clcposits arc interesting
for their locations: one from the swamp edge, br-rt in a new settlement r-rnrelated
to those found here at earlier times; and one close to the present location of thc
Temple of the Lrscriptions (Temple VI), described ilbovc as Br.rrial r68. The
establishment of a Latc Preclassic ccntcr in this location near Temple Vl is suggcstivc of the ceremcinial origins of a sacrccl place that would become highly
significarrt much latcr in timc (ill. z8). The swamp edge site shows that this particular environment remained one of great irnportance to the people of Tikal,
probably for economic reasons such as the on-goirrg exploitation of the swamp
as a sollrcc of food, either: of aqu:rtic lifcforms, or by ir-rtensive agricr,rlture - a
possibility by this date (er r r,5o).
l
TF
The same
fr
occupied w
in the Clasr
hence of thr
In addition.
rary of Tik,
its burial cu
As wella
important
have availat
ir-r
stone on
little late in
Tikal at eo
change of c
cerned with
the early ga
knowing th
Only in t
cies of the I
tion of tex
calendrical,
months, an
other consir
and their fa
date, not fu
The texts
Tikal,
even
since he doe
r known pure
north terrace,
rre interesting
CHAPTER FIVE,
rent unrelated
ccation of the
Lrial 168. The
rple VI is sugecome highly
griculture
and dates to
rll us that the
stillclnging
'th Acropolis
The same fcatures that gave Preciassic Tikal the image of an urban center prewith ritual and dcath, wealth, and beauty continlle and are magnified
in the Classic period. Everything gets bigger - the size of the population ar-rd
hence of the city; the size of the architecture; the elaborateness of the ceramics.
In addition, the culture of the great highland city of Teotihuacan, a contemporary of Tikal, wielded enormolls influence on its art,and to a certain extent on
its br-rrial cllstoms.
As well as the changes in scale and artistic expression there is the extremcly
important appearancc of written rcxts. For the first time in Tikal's story we
have available a written history in the form of the hieroglyphic texts inscribed
in stone on royal monulxents and painted on ceramic vessels. The texts are a
occr-rpied
in the south-
little late in appearing in the archaeological record, with an earliest date for
Tikal at ro z9z1 (Stcla 29, iLl. jo), almost half a century after the recognized
change of cultr-rral periods which occurred at AD 2io. However, later texts concerned with lineage and historical descent reach back in time to fi1l in some of
irowth in the
hitecture and
Ld
include the
ramics and a
he entry into
s
or even thc
ther
it was a
I burial. The
lnguage. Ncr
holars today
me. The crty
ing from the
restern lirnit
ir-r
Only rn the last decade have archaeologists begun to understand the intricaof the Tikal dynastic systerr-ls through the great strides made in the translation of texts. Inscriptions occur in two distinct bodics of material: one is
calendrical, involving the numerical counrs of time, the names of days,
months, and other time cycles which the Maya observed ancl recorded; the
other consists of narrative tcxts telling of events in the lives of individual rulers
and their fan-rilies. The whole body of known texrs from Tikal is still, as of this
date, not fully trar-rslated.
cies
z9
The founder
Tikal dynasty
of
the
tuds named
i location of
Tikdl history.
t herght, but
opolis li the
mark on the
growth was
Tikal,
though no conteml
Of the 3r known rt
the four-rder.
An important
at
hieroglyphic recor<
individuals, a little
gested that rulers
left a fuller
recor<
honored by their
Maya of Tikalha<
There is no usage
from associated d
analysis allows us
of Tikal themselvt
()
.-'f
of
full millcnnium after the city sitc was first occupied. Ncve rtheless, the
Maya themselves counted all subsequent rulers as slrccessors from this man's
reign. His name in Maya reads "Yax Ch'akte1 Xok" (First Scaffold Shark) ,z and
this name is repeated often throughout the next several centllries :1s the starting
poirrt of the count of the rulers of Tlkal (iLl. z9). Another rcading of the Maya
glyphs for this man's name is "Chaac Xok." The "Xok" part of his nrrne is universally agreed to be the Maya word for "shark" - probably the origin of this
word in English.3
Over a period of almost sir centuries the hieroglyphic texts of Tikal (and
elsewhere) tell us that thcre were 3r knowt-t rulcrs of Tikal after the founder.
Not al1 have been identified by name, nor is it known whether this number rcpresents all of Tikal's rulers aftcr the founder. The earlicst inscription at Tikal is
set in AD z9z, while the last known ruler is mentioned in inscriptions of eo E69,
after which there are no more tcxts as the written record for the city slips into
oblivion. Tl-rerefore, there are j77 ye^rs of recorded history. However, the time
AD zoo) a
66
THE BIRTH
OF DYN AST i I,
the foundcr.
'ears the
{ound at
Tikal
te
stela r.uas
mp on the
he West Plaza,
ttun there
-
the
'ikal.
udr
rtheless, the
r thrs man's
hark),2 :rnd
the starting
,f the Maya
Lame
is uni-
igin of this
Tikal (and
re
founder.
rmber repat
Tikal is
of
et
869,
'slips into
r, the tir.ne
of
1, ot iltu.tc-tn is st rong
tt I'ik-tl
jz (aboue)
until AD 5.5o.
There are a numtrer of uniclentrfied burials from the North Acropolis for
this time ancl it is likely that one of these is thc br-rrial of the founcler. Recentl,r',4
Christopher Jones has proposcd Burial rz5 in the North Acropolis as the
probable grave of the four-rder. It is a curious burial inclced ir-r that it rv:rs clevoid
of any :rssociatecl grave material, suggesting that thc corpse ivas laid in the
tomb nakccl. In most tombs traces or laycrs of org:rnic rn:rtcrials lie beneath
the bones of thc interred indicating the rotted prcsence of clothine, costulre,
or shrouding anirnal skins. In Br-rrial rz5 sr,rch organic traces rverc :rbsent. The
skcletor-r \\'as that of a tall adtrlt male, measuring r.7 n'r (5 ft 7 in) in stature. The
interrnent was located directly on the original sacrecl north sollth:rris of the
North Acropolis. However, our understanding of this strilnge br-rrial is complicated by another c()nrcnrporerl- featurc that lies some 6 m to the east of tl'rc
tomb's sp:1rtan chamber. This is a br,rried deposit containiirg the very kinds of
goods that would be erpectecl to be founcl in the tomb of a king of this period:
fine ceramics, shells, the bones of probable sacrificiirl victims. This strange
deposit looks like the contents of a ravaged tomb ir.r which thc gr:rve goods
were depositcd separately from the main figurc. It is an inferencc tl-rat these
curiously divided dcposits, one human, the other of goocls, both pcrtairtecl to
the same individual - possibly the for-rnder of the grcat clynastl, of Tikal. The
connectiorl between thcse two deposits is that their locations precisely mark
the original and new arcs of the North Acropolis. The pcculiar deposit of
goods without a main figure was placed on a new axis linc resulting from an
68
eastern expanslon
the duratior-r of thr
period. No furthe
central axis. It is
lished by the dyna
Thc founder, Ya
nium after the site
of this distinctior
importance to the
back of the roof-c
standing historica
point of its carvir
beforc the time of
the sitc. lt is an ac
frequently found
interpretation of
study has been ar
translation. Furt
scholar may be a
phrase, without I
ir-rto English. Thr
base for convcrsir
the process we r
TI{E BIRTH
f the Cimi ceramic
time of mar]y
rms and styles thiit
vas a
effective. Now we
to shed blood ir.r
ys
e
of disrant Teoti-
developrnent that
rrp between TikaJ
in the shapes of
:ylinder vessel (i//.
rriginared ir-r tl-rc
presence
shor,vs
of greer-r
that Tikal
for
lords of Tikal
as objects. Lrflu:riod and continrre
n rule rs
ir-r
fact,
th Acropolis for
:nder. Recentlya
[cropolis as rhe
rat it was devotd
in st:rture. The
)uth axis of thc
: burial is conr) thc east of tlre
)
Le very kinds of
;of this period:
;. This srrange
)e grave goods
that these
to
of Tikal. The
rrecisely mark
iar deposit of
rlting frorn an
)nce
h pertainecl
OF' I]YNASTIF]S
the duration
new.
Thc founder, Yax ch'aktel Xok, established a dynasty more rhan one millenrrium after the site was first settlcd. The Maya of Tikal seem ro have bccn aware
of this distinction. Several inscriptions stand out at Tikal for their extrcme
importance to thc site's history. Among these is the very long inscriptior.r on the
back of the roof-cornb of the Ternple of the hrscriptions (Te''rple vI), an outstanding historical text which purporrs ro reveal the history of Tikal Lrp ro rhe
point of its carving (about rn79o). This "history" rakes the reacler well back
before the time of the founclcr, right back, in fact, to tl-re time of first entry into
the site. lt is an accolurt of this cluality that tclls us th:rt Tikal's own historians
kncw the difference bctween thc founder and the for.rnding.
6.)
of
a Tikal
serving as a re
time. In additi
second referen
This problem arises immediately with the next known king. Emphasis here
must be on the word "known" because Foliated Jaguar (Hunal Balam) is certainly not the next king in line after the founder, b.r the next known king by
name' probably the 6th or 7th in line given the time span available. Reference to
Hunal Balam is made on stela 3r, one of the most importf,nr texts so far recovered from Tika1. Its date of carving is approximatcly eo 445,6 br-rt it refcrs backwards in time to carlier rulers. Unfortunately, on stela 3r thc name glyph for
Hunal Balam has lost its associated date (ill. .,.,). L-rterpretation of rhe name
glyph has variously been presented as "Foliated Jaguar" as used here, and
"Scroll Jaguar." Peter Mathews has suggestedT that the same name glyph
appears as an object held in the hand of the ruler shown on Stela zg,theearliest
dated monument of Tikal at .to z9z8 a'd tl-rat this monumenr may indecd
depict Hunal Balam himself. The surviving text on the monument does not tell
us which numbcred successor after the founder the pcrsonage showr-r n-right be,
denying us any further clue to the identification.
Zero Moon Birde
Much of the written record about Tikal comes from outside Tikal, from orher
cities which recordecl events concerning their interaction with the rulers of this
obvior-rsly important capital. During the troubled beginnings of the Classic
period, in thc early 4th century, ar-r object called thc "Leidcn Plaque" was made:
a carved jadc plate that was found outside Tikal and which later surfaced in the
European city of Leiden. Both sicles are incised: one side bears a drawing of a
rulcr in the contemporary styie of Tikal art; on the other is an inscriprion me1tioning the city and stating that the ruler named "zero Moon Bird" was seated
as kir-rg in the year AD 32o. Sincc this date conflicts with the recorcled dates for
the king named "Jaguar Claw" as liste d on Stela 3 r at Tikal, two possible ir-rterpretations must be allowed. One is that zcro Moon Bird was a ruler at Tikal
betwecn two rulers, both named "Jaguar claw," or else thatzero Moon Bird
was a collateral "ruler" near or at Tikal fulfilling a rulership function that was
clifferent from that of .f aguar Claw. If this intcrpretarion is rruc, rhen he would
have been ruling ar AD Joo. The Maya texts from Tikal have told us that there
are differing levels of rulership that operate ar rhe samc time. This fact alonc is
a fascinating aspecr of the socio-political strucrure of the city. Rcferences to
these differences in leadcrship lcvel occur later in the story of Tika1, but this is
7o
altar found
top
Tikal, which
rr
show a style oI
includes a glyp
this informarir
formed a bridg
)+
kn
ltt
dtt
nd
fre
11t
Jaguar Claw I ((
Chak Toh Ich'a
from the enorn
tains the most c
Tikal's dynasti,
sionally made
emerges some sr
ing the founder.
have to date. Frr
ing how many r
events recorded
the same name.
Events were r
supremacy For
reiationship bet
guing mysteries
peak in the firsr
known as "Jagt
il
.al
Emphasis here
1 Balam) is cerknown king by
le. Referer-rce
<ts so
to
far recov-
the first time that it presents interprctive importance of who was ruling when
and in what capacity. The recorded facts could mean that Zero Moon Bird,
rcferrcd to only twice in the known hieroglyphic record for Trkal, was in fact
serving as a regent while the infant Jaguar Claw I was too young to rule. He
would have been the 7th or Bth lord of Tikal. Alternatively, he cor-rld have been
an important noble from ar-rother city who had allegiance with Tikal at this
time. Ir-r addition to the reference toZeto Moon Bird on the Leiden Plaque, a
second reference comes from Altar r3 at Tika1. This is a fragment of a sculpted
altar found together with Stela 29, the stela with the carliest known date from
Tikal, which refers to rr-rler Hunal Balam. Found together, the two monuments
show a style of sculpture that is ncarly identical, and the altar's artistic design
includes a glyph idcntical to Zero Moon Bird's patronymic glyph. Togcther, al1
this information suggests that Zero Moon Bird lived at Tikal and somehow
formed a bridge between the reign of Foliatcd Jaguar and Jaguar Claw I.10
Lt
of the name
rsed here, and
rn
re
nane glyph
2,9,the earliest
nt may indeed
nt does not tell
Lown
<al,
might be,
from other
rulers of this
of the Classic
ue" was made:
surfaced in the
r drawing of a
;criptior-r menrd" was seated
e
,rded dates
for
possible inter-
ruler at Tikal
ro Moor-r Bird
ction that was
rhen he
would
I us that there
is
fact alor-re is
References to
of
Tikal.
AD
T7
and AD
171
North Acropolis
center of the ci
north-south axis
their world. On tl
olis was another
called the Centrr
ihr}i
occupied 4 acres
residential struct
early as the 4th
were not entirely
the only places ir
evolved into strt
family
residence
was a member ol
j1
-=t
;(Jr
-(
North
Terrace.
istrative functio:
rooms set aside
royal chapel. Of
on the Great Plr
such as the soutl
AD 3r7 and AD 37B.It is possible that they both refer to the same rl11cr despite
the 6r-year gap in the dates, but this cannot be proven. It is known with certainty that he was the 9th ruler of Tikal. He presently is often referred to as
"Great Jaguar Claw" in deference to his erploits and length of rule. Thc conquest of Uaxactun in Jar-ruary of el 378 was Llntil recently associrltccl with the
rule of this man at Trkal, cven though the warrior rcsponsible was namecl
K'ak' Sih or "Fire-Born" (see below) . The date of the conquest is the same year
as the recorcled death on Stela 3r of .Jaguar Claw L Any connection between
thc corrquest battles and the death of Jaguar Claw I is not known sincc FireBorn received the glory and apparently went on to rule ovcr Uaxactun.12 In a
recent paper by David Stuart,13 new readings have shcd some light on his
"arrival" at Tikal on 16 January eo 378. Fire-Born, presumed a warrior from
"thc wcst" is thor-rght to have come from Tcotihuacan, and the death of Jaguar
Claw I on the same day is significant. The subsequent "conqucst" (if that is
what
it rcally was) of the city of Uaxactun was under the ar-rspiccs of this
will
be said below.
Royal social life in 4th-centlrry Tikal centered arouncl the Great Plaza. The
North Acropolis teemed with a clLlstcr of temples and served as rhe cosmic
the bnck of
most extensiue
n
'
recouered
at
ound in d
nside the
1j-znd on the
center of the city (ills. j6 and j7), the place of burial of its kings. Its
north-sollth axis likely was perceived by the 4th-ccntury Maya :rs thc axis of
their world. On the south side of the Great Plaza that fronted the North Acropolis was another acropolis, a compler of palaces and administrative buildings
called the Central Acropolis. By the 8th century this architectural complex
occupied 4 acres. In the Preclassic period, we know that there were scatterecl
residential structures in this area but they did not form a cohesive group. As
early as the 4th centllry this area had emerged as a complex of palaces that
werc not entirely residential, not just the homes of the elite and certainly not
the only places in Tikal wherc the elite lived. By this timc palaces in Tikal had
evolved into structures of compler function. Some of thcse structlrres were
family resider.rces while othcrs served solely ceremonial and administrative
uses, such as retreat houses, reception places and houses of jr-rdgement.la Evcn
those palaces that were built as family houses had other uses if the family head
was a membcr of the elite royal court. Then his house had also to servc administrative functions, and such royal houses would likely also have contained
rooms sct aside solely for religious functions, comparable to our concept of a
royal chapel. Of all the known Early Classic palaces, those that front directly
on the Great Plaza are not residences, but rather serve cercmonial purposes
such as the sor-rth side of a cosmic space, the Great Plaza itself. Further easr, in
the Central Acropolis, beyond the space of the Great Plaza, the Maya br-rilt
other palaces that were residential. While the cor-rrtyards of the whole complex
integrated with the cerenonial palaces that do face the Great Plaza, the
73
P\aza. Rather th
fashion that sugl
of the elite powe
probably a strat
attack. However
settlement at Til
tWe know con
number of other
Early Classic pe
about two differ
is represented
b1
amount of subtl
tions that appea
south sides of th
j7
Seen
from
Tem
36 Themdpctf theNorthAcropctlisdndNctrthTerraceshotuthecompLexityantldensitl,
heauenLy axis
of
a costnic grouping
in
its finaL
rcsidcntial palaces all lie physically east of the plaza itself and sor-rth of the East
Plaza. The Central Acropolis was the place of the high royal court for centurie s, but not the only place of socio-political power and wealth at Tikal.
Looking back to thc timc of scttlcmcnt in 8oo ec of thc rcgion that wor.rld
become the city of Tikal, we noted that the site was scttled as a scrics of vi1lages - small settlements scattered over the landscape. This quality of scattered
settlement persisted throughout the history of Tikal and is stili reflected dr-rring
the beginnings of classicism in the 4th centllry eo. Elite family residences did
not occur only in the Central Acropoiis close to the cosmic center of the Great
settlement at Tikal.
'Jfe know conclusively from thc texts, not just from Tikal but frorn a large
number of other Peten sites, that warfare was a prominent featllrc of life in the
Early Classic period. Politically, a city the size of Tikal had to be concerned
about two different forms of aggression: one from within, the control of which
is represented by the scattering of elitc ccnters around the physical boundaries
of the city; and onc from without, whicl-r is represented by an increesing
amollnt of subtlc fortification inside the site, as well as the very real fortifications that appear at this time as wall/moat constructions tci both the north and
south sides of the city.
37 Seen from TempLe ll, the temples that Line the edge of the Nctrth Terrdce seeln to
obscure their edrLier counterpdrts in the North Acropolis.
in
its
ftndl
Tikal.
ln thitt would
r
did
r of tl-re Great
THF],
BIRTH OF DYNASTII.]S
Aside from the city settlement patterns, the rise of warfare had other effects
upon the 4th-centr-rry Maya. A systen of allegiances and cnmities had already
come into being. Tikal's relationships with its neighbors, near and far, were
fragilc and mutable. A' ally under one king could shift quickly to an enemy
under the next, or even under the same leader. One explanation of the source of
conflict lies in Tikal's strategic location arrd control over rrade rolrtes. Dr-rring
the early phases of the Early Classic we have only hints of the troubles that
were brewing. Thc specifics becon're clearer toward the end of the Early classic,
when they virtually boil over, heralding the major cultural shift into the Late
Classic period. That warfare played a signi6cant role ili the cultural shift now is
bcyond doubt.r5
39
?ight)
Tbis tr
stair of 5D-46 ir
translated until .
4o (belotu) The
dedicatory cacb'
At thc eastern end of the Central Acropolis there is a very special structurc that
had an extraordinary history This building is now knowlr as 5D-,16, br-rt wher-i it
was burlt around AD j50, or earlier, it was the clan hciuse of theJaguar claw
fa'rily whose name identified a blooclline and dynasty lasti'rg through ro the
very demise of Tikal. The dynasty did not endure all those cenruries withor,rt
difficulty, and it is the ups and downs of this extraordinary farlrily that tells
the story of Tikal. As if it represented the fortunes of the family line, Srructure
sD-+6 survived, unlike any other elite house of the period, up to presunt timcs
(ill. jB andpl.IX).
finally translatet
who reuealed tb
to be the house
'
38 At.the beginning of excauations, the earth mound that was to be reuealed as a ltalace
complex was ouergroLun by trees at the site of ;D-$ the bome of Jdguar Claut l.
Built by tht
is one of a vr
within the Ce
was not parti
This evident
dents of the c
tion. This bui
the city that r
ments over ti
excavation a'
residence in
of corrobora
ceremonial
function and
other effects
ties had already
Lad
Lr
of the source of
routes. During
Le
troubles that
Early Ciassic,
[t into the Late
rral shift now is
e
strLlctllre that
46,btttwhen it
e Jaguar Claw
:hrough to the
turies without
led as a palace
Claw L
the city that no one dared touch it, other than to rnake additions and embellishments over tifirc, and certainly, such additions were macle. Evcn at the time of
ercavation a variety of features of the buildir-rg identified it as a probable family
residence in the analysis of my own excavation.16 However, in a very rare case
of corroboration of academic interpretation, the discovery of a cache under a
ceremonial stair of the original building served at a later date to confirm the
function and sanctity of this building. The cache had been buried beneath the
As time passcd, the palace grew in size and changed in charactcr. Stratigraphic eviclcnce shows that the second story of the building and its inrerior
staircasc, r-rnique at Tikal, werc added at a slightly lilrer date, br-rt still wcll
within the architcctural building traditions of the Early Classic periocl. Addition of the second story may have been made towarcl the encl of the 4th century;
or cven in the 5th century ,ct. Much latcr, probably in the latc Sth century, and
likely {1111ng the reign of the zgth rr.rlcr of Tikal, a number of large addirions
were macle to the main building. These inclr.rded raised patios to the north :urd
sor-rth ends surrounded by residential rooms probably accommodating a much
expanded royal family. By this timc the orientation of the srru*ure had
changed considcrably and access to the western side had been restricted from
the outside. \(hen these aclditions werc made, thc house was alreirdy over 4oo
ycars o1d. Thc rrewly br.rilt patios and their rcsidenti:rl rooms werc reachecl
exch-rsivcly from the eastern sicle of the palacc now totally encloscd by a private
courtyard . Lr other worcls, the structurc built as the sacred clan or lineage
housc of the Jaguar claw clynasty enjoycd over 4oo years of continllolls occLrpation during which timc it sufferecl no known damage. I(nowledgc from
written texts of the history of Tikal tclls us that there were a number: of occasions durirtg almost half a millenliium when intcrlopers :rrrd ever conqllerors
were in charge of the city, often resr-rlting in damage to public ancl silcred buildings ancl rnonuments. Howevcr, this particr-rlar structure helcl such a sacrcd
aura, that l-lot even the interlopcrs dared do it harm. These sarlrc interlopers
joined themselves to the counr of Tikal lords, appropriating the very same
founclcr as his legitimate heirs. Thr-rs they too had to cherish rhe house of onc of
their grcatest ancestors.
The significan
European un<
highest possit
The next hi
and signifies z
importance
at
meant suprefi
kingdom,
a gr
"kalomte" in
title "ahau" r.l
Early Classic
denote a lesst
reigning kalor
Batab is an
less active at
batabs at oth
where. Simila
is more comn
A bowl belor
this title.18
After the r
together, kal<
succeeded to
position of
"Fire-Born"
Just as Huna
Tikal,
anoth
glyphic repre
Tikal during
documented
shadowy cha
but in r983, j
resembling the
carved and poi-
[kciy
4th ccntr-rry,
h century, and
arge additions
:stricted from
eady over 4oo
were reached
:d by a
private
an or lineage
tir-ruous occu-
rwledge frorn
nber of occan conquerors
sacred
build-
ruch a sacred
re
interlopers
le very safre
ruse
of one of
is more con-rmonly r.rsccl outside Tika1, althor-rgh it was recognized there as weli.
A bowl belonging to the king 'Anirral Skr.rll" (see below) makes refcrcnce tcr
this titlc.18
After the reign of Jaguar Claw I there were always two officials who
together, kalomte and ahar-r.
'S(hen
n-rled
sr-rcceeded to his title, wl-rile another lord, the next in line, moved up into the
position of ahau. Thr-rs wc firrd in the knowr.r, namecl inclividuals whose histories are clescribcd here, there is frequently a surviving record of this succcssit,n,
but not always.
'World
Pyramid.
shows a represel
the rcverse is a b,
an dtlatl or speal
this kind have be
dence that new v
with Uaxactun
kalomtc.
(abot,L:) This tlr,uuing of the "mtrc.rtdor" or ballcourt
mttrkttr r(constructs the oLtject in its origin.aL urchilecturtrl
selting, a.s fountl in the excttutt.tictn of Ldporte.
aj (left)
A turning point
By the middle
o1
influence from T
with a strong cc
had been establi
Name
Yax Ch'akt
(First Scaff<
Hunal Bala
(Foliated Ja
Zero Moor
Chak Tbh I
(Jaguar Cla
I('ak'Sih
(Firc-Born)
A turning point
Otul" is not,
"ikal, and likely
in a number of
Tikal's culture
and family lir-reage had beerr set. F{owever, there were still more changcs and
influcnce from Teotihuacan yct to comc. Thc concept of a scattered power base
with a strong control center emanating from the Great Plaza and its environs
had been established. Tikal had become a center for trade and distribution of
its own art style. A new element that had not been prominent in the Preclassic
emerged. This was warfare, and Tikal bccamc a ccnter for its vicissitudes.
Charrgls, artd w.rrs,.'. wt'rr. comirrg.
By the middle
base for
Table z
re-Born in AD
hat the Tikal
:ally put it) at
eISOnage,
not
RulerNo
Name
Date
Euent
latter person
lile) to Tikal.
a. AD 200
ruling
coincided
eath of Fireitela 3r at el
Hunal Balam
AD zgz
ruling
Stela z9
6th or
rr-rling(?)
Leiden
7tl-r
rulirrg
death
kalomte
death
Stcla 3r
9rh
Lnd
eo joo(?)
AD 317
(Jaguar Claw i)
,+o 378
I('ak'Sih
,rl
(Firc-Born)
AD 4oz
the discovery
r of the Lost
7t1'r
(Foliatecl Jaguar)
differkalomte, but
hey included
Founder (rst)
:r. The
Source
378
or Sth
Stcla 3r
Stcla
Stela
tr
Not of Tikal
CHAPTER SIX
Tikal
(see
lll.
8)
moving waters
man-ki11ing sau
skeleton.
First Crocodile has had rnany names in the progress of study cif Tikal. Previously known as "Cur1 Nosc" or "Curl Snout," thc image of his n:rrrc glyph rvas
uot recogt'tizcd:rs the head of a crocodile untilrcccntly. He is the ncxt true sllccessor aftcr Jaguar Claw I and he becarne ahar"r of Tikal in AD 179, ils roth nller
irr the succession after the founclcr. As usua1, wh:rt rvc know about his lifc
corles largely fronr the commernor:rtions and inscriptions that followecl his
cleath. The contcnts of his tomb are not just revealitrg, they are :lnong some of
the finest :rrt works to emergc fron'r the city. Irr Mayii his name is Yax Ain. The
word "ain" ulcans "crococlile" in Maya.
Twent,v-thrcc years after First Crocodile's acccssion as ahilu of Tikal, the
de:rth of the lord Fire-Born, the kalorrtc in power in Tika1, is rccoldecl in eo
4oz. First Crocodile thcn acceded to thc most exalted position. Referer.rce to
First Crocodile's cleath in eu 4zo is for-rncl on Stela 5, r'rot of Tikal, but of thc
sitc of EIZapotc, a small regional city that owecl allcgiance ro Tikal. Bv this
tirnc the distinction bctween ahau and kalomte hacl becn forrnalized at Tikal
ea
of Tikal to bez
influence on Ti
not a native of
Guatemalan hi
closely affiliate<
gested that he c
At any rate th
ceramic style ar
the contents of
41 Burial ro u'as
archaeoLogist Stu'
GE:
ASSIC
,rought fr-rrther
tcan incrcascd,
rlars.lln order
and por,ver, hc
archaeologicirl
r permitted an
is
'l
een
kdl
tb,
Lrnc
roth rulcr
about his life
followed his
, as
nong somc of
Yax Ain. Thc
of Trkal, the
:corded in at
Reference to
q;
Burial ro ruds excduLtted b1, Edtuin Shook, the first Directctr of the Project. Here
drchdeologist Stuart Scott, utho aided in the excduation, ctbserues the'progress of
ex'pctsing the riches of the tomb.
-v(
,AoT
V712
1\
\J
burial riches.
t4
\\15
l6
7a1
"" 39
40
t
L-
44@
I
r
t_
>u_
N
a-.,
,..:
-.
159
ii.
I
mog
IM
rt,l
I
I
52
ll
tr@
'4-
t
{-
a6
burial riches.
personal treasure.
qS
Lt
uessel.
of
F-
u'as fotttlcl berlcath thc tetrple tD- j4 on thc' Norrh Tcrrace frontir-rg the North
Acropolis. I wrrs fortttrtatc enotlgh to be prescnt clLrring the cxceyation of this
cxtraorciinar')'tornb in r959.a Thc torlb w:rs uniclue, we now k6glr,; becltlsc so
nlatlv of thc grlve goocls it cotrtainccl h:rve il foreign flavor, infltrcnceci br,, or
ir-nported clir:cctly from the ciistarrt Mexican city of Teotil-ruacan. Thc teriri-,lc
above the btlrial r'r':'rs First Crococlile's commclnoralive tcmple ilnd remailcd
irrtact until rl'rc irbar.rc'lonlrent of Tikal.
Dcspitc thc influcnce from Tcotihuacan Llpon the :rrt corrtainccl in First
Crococlile's t<lt.nb, the pieces arc still Maya irr thcir nature ancl renclition. As ir.r
tl'rc tonrb of the lcsser Eg,v1-rtian king -futar-rkharltrn, Yax Aip I's tonb ceptri'ecl "worrclerf.l thirrgs." But yar Ai'I u,as ror a Icsscr king at Tikal. His
role cleterlr-rincd the clirectiori of thougl-rt, alt, ancl rvarfare ot tl-r. citv for
,lc.lt.lc* Itr r. 1y11,...
Sot.nc illtcrcstilrg itctns in the fr-rnerar1, rnatcrial of Bnrial ro ir-rclldc
thrce
tttrtle carapaccs and one hcadlcss crococlilc skcletor-r. Thc l:rttcr rvas clonbtlcss
a persotlificatiorl cif the tonrb otvncr's nalre, but why thrs deacl
saurial w:ls pr.csct.ttcci l-rcacllcss we calt ouly gucss. The cviclence of bir:cls as fur.rcl,rrv
ec;r-ri1.rlnellt appears herc for thc first tirne at Tikal. Wrth First Crcicociile's bc,d,u iu.ic
incl-rclccl thc rcnairrs of trvo p)rgnly.u,ls, greer jays a'cl alr.rt trrnagcr.
Coggirls sees the tclclitiort of brrcls:rncl their feathers ro rhc n-rtrch o1.1cr tr,rppirlgs of jaguar skir.rs ilr-rcl snakc nrotifs as :ur influcr.rcc frorn Tcotihrlac:.llr,r4,.r"r.e
feathers arlcl bircls \\rcre vcry proniincnt in ar:tistic synrbolisnr. Ironic:rlly; rvhilc
the Teotil-rtrilcftrtos hrrd to ilnport thcir bircl feather:s from the N4aya lor.vlar-rds,
thc Mrvrl thcl.llsclvcs hed paicl ]ittle attcntion to rhc usc of such fc:rtl-rcrs Lrntil
tllcir cultnrc rvi'ts influcttcecl by the Teotil-ruacan cllstor'ns cviclcr.rt in First Croc-
zone of Teotr
oclile's tcinrb.
Stir-rgrrrl' spirtes artcl spclnclylus shells wcre a.lso part of the torrrb goocls, ritr-ral
itenrs ir'portec'l fro'the A,{a1'a sea coasts. Als. of great intcrest was e jaclc
orllellrcllt clellictirlg thc satnc'stl,iizccl crococlilc hcacl that is part of yax Ain's
1litnle. Strcl'r atl objcct rccalls sirrril:lr grccnstonc c:rrvings for-rncl in tire to11bs
of
I.ale roval b.rials irt earlier clatcs, .pparertli' a crlstom at Tikal.
TIlr:ce cffigv vesscis atttong t1-re gravc contents rre quirc renrarkablc for: thcir
iconograPl.rv ancl probablc history: The so-callecl "olcl ciod,, clerty figtrrc, nrilde
two prrrts, depicts the cleity seatecj or.r a tril.-roql r,f hLrnr.ur 1.,<,n.* anJ holcling a
in his crtcliclecl hancls (pt. il). Thc cletails of the imagery of thc
herlcl coutaitl rcfercrrces to the sur.r gocl (l(inich Ahau) irr 1-ris Sun-i1-thc-LInclerrr,,r'l.l Niglrr,l.rqrrnl qrrisc.
A sccorlcl effigv vesscl rvrs Iri'rclc of fine creumy prlste i.vith a briclgc spoqt,
atrd u'as coverccl irt paintecl stllcco. Thc figure rcprcsentecl u fantastic blepcl of
a
bircl bonclecl it.tto a conch shell (i//.47) . This crtraorclir-rr.rr,v piecc hacl bcel
corltccl rvith stucco scveral tinies ancl repainted cach tirrre. Coggins suggested
that it rrlav havg becn atr heirlocim piecc brciught tci Tikal t u li.rt C.rococlile
froru eitl-rer I(atttirtalju,vrr in highland Cluatcmala or eyel fror-p Tcotihqacan
Itself. Thc icor-rographl' of bird/conch shell images is prer.alenr in the Tetitl:r
ir.r
hrrrrrrrn he:rcl
lJ6
represents a s
of thc conch
trumpet. Thir
origir-ratccl frr
that made th
Thesc
elemer
highlands of
ers of local T
bird/shcllimr
A third irnl
"diving god'
concept is vel
in
Tcotihr-rac
hips of tire di
irnportance t
It is in tht
str-rcco under
car-r.
The Tlr
Br-rrial ro cot
Another ir
tior-r comes
itcrn in this
sccne
(ill.
s'
49
form, drawn
sion of six
setting
fi1
ir-rclu
weapons, sp
friendly Me
warfare tech
exactly what
culture were
himself ma1
dircctly date
we know fr<
AI) 42o, sugg
Stormy Sky
(l
The ncxt n
"Stormy
Sk1
influenced by or
can. The tenrple
ie and rernaincd
ntained
in First
renclition. As in
n I's tomh
cor.r-
Tikal. His
at the ciry for
ng at
ro includc thrce
:r w;rs doubtless
rn ant tanager.
uch older traptil.ruacan whcre
ronicalll',
r,vl"rile
laya lowl:rnds,
h feathcrs until
Lt
in Fir:st Croc-
rb goods,
ritual
zone of Teotihuacan where the tabbed fillet held in the bird's beak obviously
represents a speech scroll indicating song, and possibly doubling as the sound
of the conch trlrmpet as well. One of the bird's wings becorres the conch sl-rell
trllmpct. This scnsual blcncl of sight ancl sound in visr"ral purrning is scin-rcthing
that thc Maya wor.rlcl vcry much apprcciate in their culturc, evcrr if thc piccc
originatcd fron-r ilnothcr civilization. It may have beer-r tl-ris meeting of values
tl-rat rnade the rich iconography from Teotihuacalr so appealing to the Maya.
These elements sugiest a strong and perhaps direct trade:rlliance with the
highlands of Mcxico at this particular time in Tikal's history. Shel1s and feathers of loca1 Tikal origrn are also included with the grave goods paralleling the
bird/shell im:rgery of this amazing effigy vessel.
A thircl irnportant vessel from the tornb is a blackware cylincler tripocl n ith a
"divirrg gocl" figr-rrine depictecl as the hancllc of thc lid. Thc iccinographic
concept is very Maya in design even though the tripod cylinder form originrtes
in Teotihuacan. Of particLrlar interest are the projections fror-n the legs and
lrips of the diving figure in tl-re form of cacao pods, a cr:op known to bc of gr:cirt
importancc to latcr Maya economy, br.rt apparcntly :ilrcacly valucd at this tin-rc.
It is in thc trcatmcnt of thc ccramics, thc painting stylc ilnd presencc of
stllcco undercoilt th:lt dcn-ronstratcs thc most clirect influence from Teotihr-racar-r. The Tlaloc (rain god) f:rces and motifs that occur o1r the vessels fron-r
Burial ro cor-rld have beer.r copied directly fronr paintecl rnr-rrills at the highlancl
city Tl-rc sr.rrvival of thrs fragilc surf:rcc trcatmcnt over the centuries is remarkable (i//. a8).
Another important vessel that helps us to understand this period of transition comes frorl a colltemporary deposit of a large number of ceramics that
looks :r 1ot like the contents of a tomb that was re-located. The most 1-rlon.rirrcnt
itcm in this strarrge deposit was il r,vhole tripocl blackwarc vcsscl with an inciscd
scene (i//.49). Thc sccne dcpicts a royal personage standing on a palace platform, drarvn with details that identify hirn as a Maya. He is receiving 11 pr'()ccssion of six figures ir-r dress that is obviousiy derii'ed frorn highland Mexico. Tl-re
setting includes a combination of Maya and Mexican architecture. The
11'figure, made
;and holding:r
magery of thc
-in-the-Underbriclgc spout,
stic blcnd of a
iece had been
Sins
irst Crococlile
L
of his ton-rb.
suggestcd
Teotil.rrracan
in the Tetitla
The next ruler, thc rrth in succession since the founder, has been called
"Stornry Sky;"
a n:rtnc
a sky band
87
rent by lightning (ill. f o). He is mosf assr-rredly the son of First Crocodile and
rulecl both as ahau :rnd kalor-nte of Tikal. His rr.rle is most noted for the creation of Stcla 3r which shows thc king's carvcd portrait on the front (l//.5r),
wlrile the extrcmcly long arrd informative text on the reverse (ill. 3;) providcs
the sirrgle most dctailcd lincage accollnt from the time of the founcler r-rntil his
o'uvn rule. Unfortunately, the account does not provide the cntirc lineage for this
long pcr:iocl of alrciut r6.; ycar:s ancl rr rulcrs. Thc phonetic reacling of his name
glyph is cyr"ritc cliffcrcnt from our subjcctivc intcrprctetion of a "stormy sky"
Phonetically it reads Siyah Clran I('ar,vil, for whicl-r an extremely loosc translation rnight lre "Sky-born I('ewii."i Two ir-rteresting featur:cs c:rn bc noted on the
c:rrn'ing of Stormy Sky's image on Stela 3r. One is that his u:rrrc glvph is incorporated into the heaclclress thi:Lt he wears. Thc cithcr is that an ancestor figure
hovers over the main figure peering down from the sky. This ancestor figr-rre
bears all the attributes of Storrny Sky's father, First Crocodilc.
Jo Claimed
of
line of Lords
of Tiktl.
Stelire associated with Stormy Sky's n:rrne include Stelac r , z,;-8,3 r and now
also 4o. Tl-rere are two clates associated with his accessiorl to powur, t,nc in AD
4r r6 to the title of ahau, and the other irr so qz67 to thc titlc of kalomte. since
his f:rthcr:, First Crocodile, diecl in el 4zo, Stormy Sky became ahar-r of Tikal
ninc ycars bcforc his father's death, but dicl not become kalomte urrtil sir ycars
after that cleath. This suggests that a son did not :tltonl.rtically and immediately succeed to a title following the cleath of thc fathcr who bore ir.
A clate associated with Storrny Sky's cleath \\ras paintcd orr thc walls of the
tonrb believecl to be his btrrial in the North Acropolis (Burial a,9, iil. t2).A
single clate pilintecl on a torrb nall in AD'1.i7 was i:rsslrrred to niark the d:rte of
intermcrit, but turned out not to be the case. The discovery of Stela p in ry96
sr-rggested new dates for his demise and neu' detail for the succcssion of his son
l('an Ak. Thus u,e knorv that Siy:rh (Stormy Sky) died on r9 Fcbrr-rary, el 456
ancl u':rs r-rot fin:rlly ir-rterred ulrtil 9 August, ao 458.8 Thcrefore, the painted
clate in tl-re tomb, at 9 March , AD 457 lies 383 clays after the actual death ancl
5r5 days before final intennent. One carr only wondcr about the stages of
funerilr,v rites that fcll bcn'vccn thcsc clatcs, arrcl whether or not thc same interval applied to the deaths of all rulers. ln tl-re absence of better infcirnation the
:rssrlmptiolr is gcncrallv made that the date of the death of one ruler conforms
fairly closely to the accession date for the next in line. Given his datc of accession in AD 4rr and death in eu 4,56 Siyah Chan I('irivil held powcr in Tikal for
4.i ycilfs.
5
88
Slor
CH AN GE
AND
CHAI-I,T.]NCiE
;t Crocodile and
ted for the creare
jl provides
ounder unrrl his
',iLl.
28,
jr
and now
rwet, one
in
AD
kalomte. Since
ahau
of Tikal
r and immedi:
it.
re
walls of the
q8,
ill.
1z). A
4o
in r996
rruary
el
456
:, the painted
ual death and
the stages of
inter-
re same
brmation the
rler conforms
1'
Stormv
S4
recorded
t;;;:,,;:,:;,;:;::,,,i:,,1i:::::"J.n":::i:,:,:f+on
C]E
In life, t1-re rr-rle of Siyah Chan I('awil ccintinued to foster the Mexican influencc thirt was so:rpparent ili hrs father's tiue. Figr-rres <tn the side of Stela 3r
flank thc ruler in Mcric:rn battle dress, and arc identified as his father, First
Crocodilc, holcling the shield and spearthrowers of warfare. Texts for this time
period say rl-'lat Tikal cemcnted a friendly relationship r,vith its northern neighbor LJax:rctun. It was a pericicl of great positive activity at these two sites, with
Tikal enrerging as ;r pt'e-emincnt power ovcr the region.e
In clcath, this rulcr fr-rrther prcsented his dcvotion to thc Mexican style.
Buriirl 48 wi:ts placed on the sacred north-south axis of the Nortl-r Acropolis in
frorrt of the small ten.rple callcd Structure 5D-26, in a locatiort that would be
buriccl more than two centurics later by the constrltctiolt cif 5D-3,3-rst' a gret.lt
molllllreltt clestinecl to ntark a major turning point in Tikal's history. The tomb
chambcr was small, much smallcr than his father's tomb. The wirlls r,vcrc
painted with strar.rge, rathcr ilbstract figures as well as the aforementioned date
in hieroglyphs. This is rr ycars irfter thc cledicatory clate ot.t his most farnous
rronllrrlent, Stela 3r. It is al1 but the last of scveral urajor br-rri:rls of rulers to be
placccl on the s:lcred axis of the North Acropolis. Subsequerit burials occur
beneath ten.rples on thc North Terrace, fronting the Acropolis or elsewhere in
the Lost \Mcrrld Pyramid group.
Stormy Sky himself, like a number of his predecessors, was not burriccl as an
intact corpse. The head ancl hands are missing, and thc presence of clrgartic
material indicates that his body w:rs wrapped in cloth as itt a bundle bLrrial.
Poigr-rantly, a single blaclc cif obsidian was placecl whcre the head should have
been. The significance of this substitutiolt is r.rot known. He was fliukcd by the
skcletons of two young adolcscent males, apparent sacrificial victims scltt to
ec( onrpJny rlr.' g.t'..tt wr rri.r'.
Apart from thc painted datc, the eirst ancl west walls wcrc decorated with
paintecl glyph-like emblcms, forty-fivc of them in all. Mar-ry forms can be recognized, br-rt thcy do not form i'r cohereut tcxt. Coggins suggested that thcy rnay
rcpresent a ritual chant, possibly part of thc funeral ceremotty.l0
Amor.rg the gr:rve goods werc 3o ceramic vcssels, including several that were
striccoed and p:rinted in the TcotihLlilcan style so well known from First Crocodilc's torlb. Thc r-rsr-ral spondylus shells and stittgrey spines are preseut :rlong
with grccn obsidian imported from Tcotihuacan, arid more bird rcm:rins. ln all,
the contcnts are qurite similar to thosc cif Burial ro, bclieved to be Storrny Sky's
fatl-rer. Onc notirble gravc object was a magltificent carved bowl of alabaster
with :rn inscription, es yet ulttranslirted, aroltncl the or,rtsidc of the bowl. The
forrr.r and contcnt of the carvccl and stuccocd vessels in thc tonrb show a continucd central Mcxic:rn influencc but:rlso a definite trer.rd towarcl Mayrnizetion.
Almost r4o years remaiu from the death of Stormy Sky until the er-rd of the
period c:rlled the E:rrly Classic. During this timc there are sir knor,vtt, uamcci
rr-rlers at Tikal :rs well :rs evidence that others whose names are unknown also
exisred. Of the six only two are known by burial, wl-rile the rest emergc from the
hieroglyphic recorcl.
9o
;z
Plan of Buria
There is on
period. This j
south side of
than the time
on style. The
Court r durin
tiny chamber
located preci
south of the l
of the south
the North A
far to the
so
Chapter Fou
CH A N (I I,] A N D CH A I,I,I-]NC
I-]
Mcxican rnflu-
siclc of Stela 3r
his father, First
xts for this timc
northent neigh: two sites, with
35
Mcxican style.
'th Acropolis in
that would be
-3J-rSt, a great
;tor1i Tl"re tont-r
-he
r,valls lvcre
nentionecl clatc
s most fat-r-rous
ts
of lulers to be
I bLrrials occur
rr elservhere in
ct buliecl as at'r
rce of orgar.ric
br-rnclle
Lcl
burial.
shoulcl have
flankcd by the
,ictinrs scnt tc)
qS fottntl
in the North Acropctlis antl
Lhought to be the tomb of
Sit'alt Cltdn K'atuil. Tbis
buridl is locdtetJ ctn tlte slt:retl
north souLlt axis ol tlte Nortlt
Acropolis.
ecorated r,r'ith
emains.
In:rll,
Stornrl, Sky'5
I of alabaster
lie bowl. Tirc
how lr continyanizatiotr.
hc end
of the
town, namecl
nknown also
erge from the
There is one other buri:rl of relrrted interest bec:rnse of its location irncl tinre
periocl. This is Burial r77 four-rcl in Court r of the Central Acropolis on thc
sollth sidc cif thc Clreirt Plaza. The style of cer:rnric dccor:rticin is slightlv latcr
th:ur the tirre of Storn-il, Sky, and Coggins has suggestecl a date of att 47.5, b:rsccl
on stylc. Thc burial consistecl of a snrall cr1'pt that h:rcl bccn br-ri1t into thc 1i11 of
Court r durirrg a major architcctr.rral cxpr,rt'ision of that courtyard. The indiviclua1 has been iclentifiecl as probably fcrnalc, young, and n:rs placed seatecl in a
tiny chamber facing west. The most interestir-rg feature of Burial r 77 is tl-rirt it is
locatecl precisely on the sacrecl north-south axis, ever'r thor-rgh it is far to thc
south of the North Acropolis itself. The cr1'pt hacl been coverecl ovcr i,lt thc fciot
of the sotrth st:rir of Structnre 5D-7r, a ritual three-clocirwav palacc that facccl
t1-rc Nortl-r Acropolis olr the oppc'rsite side frorn thc bur:ial. Both thc loc:rtion
ancl thc gra\rc contcnts suggest that this wes e relativc of Storr-ny Sky's, perhaps
a daughter or younger sister, givcn thc honor of burial on the sacred aris, but
far to the south which has been suggested earlier (cltrring the L:rte Preclassic,
Chapter For-rr) as a dircction [rertit'icnt t() women.
9r
YelLcnu Peccttrt,
The rzth sllccessor is mentioricd on two stelac (9 and r3) both lcicated close to
the front of temple Stmcture tD-;+ wl'rerc Fii-st Crococlile was buried. I('arr
Ak's riame glyph show.s the head of a pcccary with a Aarz cross in its eye and a
trcfoil clevice above thc eye which icientifies the beast positively as the peccary
as opposecl to other wild porcinc species that livc iri the Tikal cnvirolrmcnr.
.Jones interprctecl the erodecl "father" glyph in Stela r3 as reilding Stormy Sky,
rnaking Yellow Peccary the clircct line rzth succcssor. The iconogr:rphic style of
Yellow Pcccary's two monllmcnts bears no rescmblance to thc carved r.vorks of
his fathcr, specifically Stcla 3r. Howerrer, this perception was completely
clrarrgecl by the drarnatic discovery in Jr-rly ry96 of a new carvccl stela., Stela 4or-t
(ills.5 j and ;4) . This stela u'as declicated by l('an Ak and contair.rs r stunrring
uew series of datcs for the hves of both his firther, Siyah Chan I('awil ancl of
hin-rself. New facts ar"rd dates in the lives of both rulers were rc','calcd:rs
i3 Drauing of
or K'an Ak, the
1a Tht comPle
'suegtsts
tltat
O)
tl''
ibutecl ro HLrnal
ran of 164 years.
with
mosity towards
There is a saga
or Tika1. Sr_rch
rred from terts
:y lack of texts
destroli deface
tedly accounts
r37 years that
vith the nanes
,n 16 different
rr whose
owr.r
chronological
bh Ich'ak II),
law
III (Chak
(E Te
II). An
:ated close to
buried. I('an
its eye arrd a
; the peccary
:nvironntent.
Stonny Sky
rphic styie
of
works of
completely
ved
revealed as
suggesl-s
of
wLts curueLl
CIIAN
G L,
AND
CFi At,L}'-N CE
is
inscriptiorls referring
.rrr.r.r.,.ly heipful in r-rnclcrstan.litig tl-t" successiot-t as thc
illfornl:rtiot.t n'ith fclv
to I('an Ak on Stelire g ancl rj ^...h,-'.t arlcl offer iittle
Stela
ot-r
ir. Some change irl
clates, irr starl<.or-rrror, to the historic record
descer"rt lir.re i,s intact' From
mallner of presetttatior.r took place evcn thciugl-r thc
ifr en 47517 but tro othet'
.1"r. on st.in !, we knou, that l('an Ak was still rr-rirng
"
clate s for l-ris reign arc sccLlre'
linc sorr of Yellorv
\Xlhile the i4t1-r n-rler is firmli' est:rblishecl :rs a clirect
in bcn'r'eetl is lcss
rr-rler
Clirw II, thc iclentity of the Lrth
Peccilr,v, namecl
Jagurrr
shoulcl l-rave
of the ir.npor:tirnce in the calenclar of tl-re uumber Il, this
a ritu:.rl feature of
bcen an important position in the dyrrastic clescenclancl"
Yet thrs rr-rlcr renlait'ls
rvhicfi thc Maya.tould surely hirvc beetr:lctitely ilware'
Because
to tl.rc detailcc'l
on stela 3 coLrlcl b" to th. unider-rti{ied rStl-r ruler. Accorcling
c|fficult successigt.t cif this
rcconstrLiction m:lclc by Geneyieye x4lchelle fclr thc
His fir'e sotls al1 served
pnr, nr the Etrrly cl"ssic, I(',ar-r Ak rvas a prolilic father.
the olcler brother of
rv;rs
likely
as rulers of Tikal, and of thcse, the r3th ruler
Cl:rw lI, u'ho is ktlowu to comc ncxt'
Jaguar
II)10
Jaguar Claw II (Cbak Toh Ich'ak
positiolr is clescribccl
Therc is no cloubt surrouncling the rzlth succcssor wl]ose
ktlcxv that he wrrs
\vc
orr Stclac 7, r5 ancl 27. Fron.r.a.l.I.rf thcse monuments
Jdguar
Clttu II
94
interpreta.ttion
The succession
fr
Tcrrace near te
last in a series <
irnd elaborate
Despite ther
othcr events t
strange doings
reveals a fascir
knowt-t as "'W(
the power of
name glvph
cc
The imPorr
of the wt
and 25, both
age
br-rrred. Adiac
of a woman
located
ir-r
the
olis, burial P
royal grave.'
Lacly Tikal a
vcry few mo
one in the E
.e.n 5o'1.26 Th
d to power in
interment and
i8.16 The decland the stylcs
:hem. This is
sign in its mouth. The same name glyph was found in a painted inscription of a
looted vessel from the correct time period. The date on Stela 8 is et 49722 a
mere two ye:lrs after the date recorded for the reign of Jaguar Claw II. The best
of
Yellow
.ions referrirrg
intact. From
but no other
Lizard Head I
While thc only known date for the r5th ruler was scr at AD 497,the next firm
date for any known successor is in the rergn of the rgth ruler at el 527. This
period spans only 3o years but accounts for the reigns of threc largely unknown
rulers at Tikal.
on of Yellow
,etween is less
should have
ral feature of
ruler remains
gnrng king
of
'Claw II (the
between the
lhis referencc
, the dctailcd
:ssion
of this
is describcd
,that he was
loting the reoken shortly
revival
of
l-ris
rf succession
mysteries of
:oded text,
it
r. Tl-re nanrc
the Maya /e
The rTth rr-rlcr is likely the 6gure shown on Stela 6 with a date of en 5r4.2a
This stela is fragmentary but was originally placed at rhe east end of the North
Terracc ncar temple Structure 5D- jz. The carving stylc shows that this was thc
last in a series of similarly carved stelae depicting the rurler holding r prominent
and elaborate staff.
Despite thesc glarir-rg gaps
knowrr
'Xloman
of
TikaL
T.,N
(]
T.
irrvrrclcrs. Flanking figr-rrcs on the siclcs clcpict:r n.ralc ancl fernalc, probably
pitrcltt figures for thc rlaiu figure o1r thc front. The tert rllso inclucles rr probablc
accessiot.t clatc at AD irr. These datcs suggest that a rnember of the reigning
lir-re:rge (fcnrnlc?) tvrts seatecl at thc age of six,vears rrs an ahaLr, but r-rot necessirrily as a kine (or cluccn).
Stclr z; rvas locatecl abclut zoo n-i clistirnt frorl stmctur:c 7F-1o u'hich covers
thc ro,val burials. It hacl been brcll,v mutil:itecl and fragnrentecl. Flankilrs portraits of a nralc iurcl fctr-rale are b:rrcly visible on thu sidcs ufiile rhc nrain ligurc
is too baclly disfigurecl to clisccrn its sex. Of thc lcngthy text o1r the rear onl1'tire
clcdicatioLr date relri.lins tclling us thet this stcl:r:rt least rvas placecl in eo -5r7.
This muv also be the clatc of placen-rent for Stcla z j :rs r,r'c11.
It ts the tonrb in Bnrial r6o that flrcs thc irlagination in this gror-rp. T'he main
figure is clclr-ly au aclult malc acconrpaniecl by rich burial goocls. Thcsc are
highlightccl b1'a n.tosltic mask (i//. y6), an artif:rct n.raclc of greenstonc, shell ancl
bitunrct't that l.ras conrc to herald the high qLrality of rrrtistic:rchicvcrnent at
Til<al. A ntrt.uber of fcattlres in the tomb lead to this nr:rn's iclentification as
"Lorcl Quetzal" (l('uk'AhLru). Gravc goods inclr-rc'lccl the skelcton of a cltrctzal
bird laid betrvecn bis legs. Also thc hookecl bill on the heaclclrcss of his rrask
'ttttl
rol,aL btrri,tl.
16
(right)
rale, plobably
probablc
,f the reigning
des a
ltot necessar-
>
which covers
:ed in eo 5r7.
nrp. Tl-re main
rntification
as
of a quetzal
s of his mask
:r
sk
from BuriaL
dnd bitumen.
ler of Tikal,
6th centurtt.
CHANG
-h,
AND CIIALLl.,N
GE
resentblcs the s:,tnrc bird..fust as First Crococlilc had:r crocodile skcleton irr his
tomb, reflccting his natle, thc lord in Burial r6o nray havc usecl tl-re cluetzll
(k'uk') as his ni,rmc emblern. The idcntity of thrs man is not known. Hc nray
have marriccl irrto tl-re faguar Claw clan througl-r his q'ife (\(/oman cif Tikal?)
i'urcl have bccu a fore igner to thc citi'. |1. may irlsci have servcd as a nrler
- thc
missirtg rttler r 8 woulcl fit into the timc schenre. Coggins suggestccl that having
r.vcalth aucl pou'cr thror,rgh marriirgc lvith a rncmber of tl-re dircct ciynarstic lir-re,
that 1-re lvas bur:icd by hrs rvife with the cerenrony duc his st:rtiori bur at a location removecl from the city cen[er, perhirps at the insistence of other mcnbers
of the f:rn-rily.27 His denrise by nrr-rrcler has even bcen suggcsrecl. F,r,cnrually this
uoblc wonan l-rilcl herself br-rried (Br-rrial r6z?) in the sarrc locality, adjaccrrt to
hcr hr-rsbirncl, but rvitl'ror-rt cerenrony. It is of note that this groul-r is locirted in
the far solltheastern cluarter of the city, :r location u'hich fones has arguecl rvas
on a tradc rotlte entry to Ttkal. lt ntay have helc'l sonre spccial econ,rntic ol pcrsonal sigtrificance to the "roval" merlbcrs of thc faniily u'ho havc not left thcir
clear nrark as rncmbers of the Jagr-rar Clau' lineagc. T'he nronuments that
accompall,Y thc grave site were probably clcstroved durir-rg a r:aicl upon the city from C,aracol perhaps, rvhich lics in this clirection - ancl tl-rcli subseclucntly rescr
with rcvcreuce in their c1:rrn:,rged condition. The precisc expliurarior.r of the
rolcs of these obviotrs mcrnbers of thc royal family rerr:rins unr:csolvecl.
Onc final
surrouuds this mini-saga. Thc stela numberecl r4 rvas
'ttystery
fottnd se t on thc North Tcrrace. It wrrs a bcltton fragnier-rt r,vith c:rr.,,ing or.r all
f<rur siclcs that seem to n'ratch the stylc of Stel:r 2,5, but hacl beerr rcser backwards r'vith the glyphic tert facing olrtwarcls. It is possible that this rs the
nrissiirg base of Stela 2.5 transportcd by someone all the way fronr Tikal's
tt,tltllc:ltl qtlilrlef lt.t.l< to tltt'.'iti Lcr)[Ll for I \'L'rento11i;11, lr1;1 ittc,,r'rcr't,
sctting. Thc suggestion of long tnemory and:rtteltpt at repar:rtion is strolts.
Despite all thc unansrvcred cluestions this cluster of eviclencc, Stelae 23, z5 ancl
14 as wcll as Burial r6o (iLL.55) irre rrolv al1 associatecl with the rSth rtrler of
Tikal.
t,.{)l
wo
q
Cl'rrn-)
Ctrrl LL-,tJ
98
Curl Heacl
Thc rgth rulcr bears thc name of "Ctrrl Hcacl," u,hich was establishecl by Jones
fcir lack of :rtry other rcading iurcl h:rs rernilinecl in the literatlrre so f:rr. M:rrtin
ancl Cr.be fccl tl-rat thc Curl Hcad glyph is :r gencric titlc and that the true
name of this ruler is I(alonrtc B:rlarnrs ("Ruler" Jaguar) . I(nor.vn fron-r botl-r
Stelae ro and rz, this personage's only securely knowlr cl:rte is Ar) j27 which has
been tal<en as thc clate of clcdicatron for both stelae as rvell as for hrs prolrable
datc of accessiort to powcr. There is a cluestion as to his clairr of legitirrac,v to
thc Jaguar Cllaw line:rgc. He n.ray indeecl have been a usllrper. Both nronunrents
stocicl ou the North Terracc fronting t1-re Grcat Pl:rza.r and erhibit the ver,y cleep
relicf that hac'l come to bc fashionable ar rhis time irt Tikal. C)n Stela ro (itt. ;7)
thc kirtg stillids f:rcing the front witl-r heacl turned to the vicrver's left:rrrcl holcls
his right harrcl aloft displaying a now croded objcct in thc fashion of Srorury
.;7
It tuas cttn,ecl in
Ittte part of the
the t,iett.,er's left.
Sky's gesturc
chopping" of
referencc to a,
rrrr-rl and Tikal
skeieton in his
ed the quetzal
rown. He may
ran of Tikal?)
saruler-the
thar having
dynastic line,
but at a iocather members
ed
ventuall,v this
adjacent to
:y,
r is located
in
ls argued was
nomic or pcr-
lunents th:lt
pon the cit1, )quently rcset
ration
of
the
rlved.
rered 14 was
an'ing on all
1 reset backLt this is the
[rom Tikal's
rt incorrect,
on is strorrg.
re 23,
z5 :rnd
r8th ruler of
red by.fones
far.
Martin
from both
whrch has
rus
plobable
gitimacy to
ll0nLlnlents
re ve ry deep
a
rc (ill.
y)
t and holds
of Stormy
ski"s *.rrt,.e or.r Ste]a 3r. The tcxt on Stela ro also refers to a.,cutting ancl
chopping" of the seat of title that refers to calakmul. This may be a definite
refercr-rcc to a skirmish in the growi'rg animosity berween the polities of
calakmul anci Tikal which took place r_rndcr this man's rulc.
III (Chak Toh Ich'ak III)2e
A parcntage statement or stela r7 statcs that the father of ruler 2r was
faguar
CIaw IIl, rlaking him the zoth ruler arrd her.rcc nexr in successior.r after Curl
Hcacl. Thcre is no stela lirmly associated with thrs rulcr, which leacls us to fall
bilck on chronologl' to scek possible ir.rformation about him. A cluc cories
frorr a very important a'd beautifr-rlly carvcd monumenr, Stela z6 (ilt . y g) .
Jaguar Claw
an<
carved monumer
and tenuous, all
Double Bird is rr
acceded on the e
Jaguar Claw III
that a successio
Double Bird's dr
ahau of Tikal.
Double Bird's
"double bird"
<
founder of Cop,
-;8 Texfs on the sides of Stela z6 are carued in carefuL reLief, but the incompLete sttlte
preseruation preuents positiue identification of the ruler who ordered it tct be made.
Prctbably it tuas commissioned b1t Jdguar Clatu lll.
of
The carving that remains on Stela z6 is erquisite, in deep relief and well prescrvcd. It is a grcat pity that so much of the stela is lost - only a basal fragment
has survived. No dates have survived on this monument. Records from other
stelae suggest that thc fragmcntary inscription deals with a parenta[ie statement
preceding the announcemerlt of accession to power of the next in line. Thc next
available date at Tikal is from Stela 17 associated with the ncrt, the zrst ruler,
named Double Bird (see below). The earliest date on Stcla 17 is el 53730 and is
interesting as the date of Double Bird's accession. This same date would fit well
for Jaguar Claw III as his probablc death date in the same year. Such a reconstruction is made by decluction and not from any direct evidence.
Bird's accession
have emerged b1
expressing tl
assumed the nat
in the zrst ruler
species, but the
this personage.
of
The inscripti,
However, most
interesting bits
calied "Flint M<
city of Caracol
date on the stel
erection of the
Called the Red Stela, Stela z6 was excavated by Edwin Shook in r958 inside
the temple of Structure sD-l+ above the tomb of First Crocodile (Yar Ain I).
Reconstructing the history of this strange location from what is known for this
chapter of Tikal's misfortunes, it is assumed that a major raid, possibiy fr:om
Caracol resulted in the breaking up of Stela z6.Later, the recovered pieces were
rc-assernbled and buried with ceremony under a masonry altar in the temple of
SDS+. Much later, in Postclassic times, the altar was itself desecrated, at which
time more pieces of the stela may have been lost. These events testify to the
increasing violence of the latter half of the Early Classic period. The power
and cohesion of Tikal was coming under dire stress and test, and the physical
evidence of this stress is apparent in the destruction of the public record of
carved monuments. This evidence for the reign of Jaguar Claw III is secondary
and tenuous. all that remains due to the violence of the times.
Double Bird (Yax K'uk'Mo')
Dor-rb1c Bird is reported on Stcla 17 as the 2rst ruler of Tikal, assumed to have
AD 537. The same inscription reports that
accedcd on the earliest stela date
^t
Jaguar Claw III was his father. This is the first time in the Early Classic period
that a successiori from father to son is dircctly recorded since Stormy Sky
reportcd that First Crocodile was his father some ro rr.rlers in the past and now
we know from Stela 40 that I('an Ak claimed Stormy Sky as his father extending that known father:-son connecrion onc more generation. Succeeding relationships have had to be inferred from the dates and the succession statements.
Dor-rble Bird's datc of accession to power is recorded at AD j3Z presumably as
ahau of
Tikal.
as yet, and it is interesting to note that a highly similar narne glyph for the founder of the city of
Copan, one of Tikal's allies represents an intertwined quetzal and macaw. This
"double bird" combinatiort is translated at Copan as Yax I('uk' Mo'. The
founder of Copan diccl in AD,{l j, one hundred and two years prior to Double
Bird's accession in Tikal. Indicatior-rs of a strong alliance between the two cities
have emerged by this timc. A sharing of a ruler's patronymic would be one way
of expressing that alliance and the suggestion here is that this ruler of Tikal
assumed the name of Copan's founder in a gesture of solidarity. The two birds
ir-r the zrst rulcr's r-rame glyph are not clearly enough preserved to identify their
species, but the probabrlity seems good that we have another Yax K'uk' Mo'it-t
nplete state
of
c be made.
and wellpre-
basal fragment
rds
from other
tage statement
Lline. The rrext
to
:
53710 and is
would fit well
Such a recon-
this personage.
The inscription on Stela 17 is very long, with a total of ro8 original glyphs.
However, most of it has bcen lost to defacement and erosion. One of the most
interesting bits of information left to us is the statement of conflict at a place
called "Flint Mountain." \7e know that this connotes a regiou in or around the
city of Caracol with which Tikal engaged ir-r a long and severe conflict. The last
date on the stela is el 55731 and this is taken to be the dedicatory date for the
erection of the monument. This is r katun, or zo years to the day, after the
Double Bird
CH
AN (] [, A N D CHAI-I,I.,N (i !,
gencral.
@l.IV andilL6r).
r02
N
mog
19 (aboue) Buri,
Temple yD- jz o
attributed to the
Head ll. The bu
wooden and stu
6o
(right) Four:
in the tomb
as a
preserued suffici
here. OriginalLy
last date
to
of time
in the next
rssic and so it is
lrland Maya in
g block
;sed
Le
:s
defeated Trkal
racted war, and
/'[\
Bird's death.
in the record.
til
/t
be
l5
/d"*\
_ rln:o
rt.--ato
x
\
17
IJ
25
.-/
engage actively
_2
C}
j
on thc
North
been described
reated after thc
e
1,
ffi
\"j,
rl
tripod plates
\ar
iometime after
in eo 562 may
ILizard Head.
\orth Terracc
rh a placement
:en
\45
l
\
succession,
IM
other painted
Tikal ruler in
er contents
Lse
of
but show a
New kinds of
that had been
:d figurines of
ers; a wooden
grlity of such
ho he was and
I at Tikal had
ive to the city
Name
Yax A
(First
Siyah
(Storn
K'an I
(Yello'
Chak
(Jaguz
ETcl
(Lizar
r6th r
],
,t'
rTth r
NUK
(Lord
Kalon
6r
Reconstruction dratuing b1t H. Stanley Loten of the North AcropoLis and Great PLaza
with the Central AcropoLis in the backgrottnd. The time period is in the earl1, 9th century.
(Curl
Chak
(Jaguz
Yax K
(Dout
The Iater half of the Early Classic at Tikal saw a shift from artistic influcnce
from the Mexican Highlands back into a distir-rctive Maya style. However, the
influence of warfare that came from the highlands had a disastror-rs cffect. Thc
animosity bctween Tikal and Calakmr,rl shiftcd thror-rgh a series of alliances
alternating with attacks upon a variety of cities, almost all of which is known
from outside Tikal. This great metropolis fell silent as it suffered a major
defeat.
ro4
ETcl.
(Lrzar
Table
Name
I
Crococlilc)
Yax Ain
(First
l('awil
Sky)
Source
el 4oz(?)
AD.+zo
kalor.ntc
clied
Stel:r
4rr
426
ru 456
AD,+57
lo 45 8
ah:ru
kalomte
diecl
torr-rb painting
buried
Stcla
Al)
(Storrny
s,o
Ak
Pcccary)
(Ycllow
(.f
8
468
Ar) 475
eo 488?
eu
45
ao
narne) ro 488?
Euent
Siyah Cl'ran
I('an
II
RulerNo
rorh
3r
Stela 5, ElZotz.
aheu
Stel:r 4o
Stcle
clcclic:rted Stela
ruling
cliecl?
4o
rrth
3r
Stcla 3r
Stcl:r 4o
BLrrial 48
r2th
4o
Stcla 4o
Stcla 9
Stcla;
accession?
Stcla
r 1th
AD
49j
ruling
Stela 7,
AD
qc17
ruling
Stcla
r,5
r4th
E Te
i{
Date
ith
(Lizard Head l)
il
name)
no
datcs
name)
AD
tr4
el 5rr?
I('uk'Ahau?
"bJack
rulirrg
accession irs
al'rau?
pot"
r6th
Stcla
rTth
Stel:r
z3
Stela
ro
rgth
Stela
17
zoth
Stela
17
zrst
8th
(Lorcl Quetzal?)
AD
527
:rccession?
AD
,sl7
prob:rble
Yax l('r-rk'
AD
(Double
AD
517
537
Stela 17
562 ?
Ll:rte
Balam?
Italomte
td Gredt I'Laza
,ly
9th century.
(Curl Head)
Chak Tbh Icl'r'ak
lll
deatl'r
stic inflr-rence
However, the
rs efTect.
The
L,
Te
Mo'?
Bird)
I1?
(Lizard Hcad
el
II)
no
.tcce
ssiun
clcdication
:rcccssion
Stcl:r 17
Crr:rcol Alter
zztrd
of aliiances
ich is known
)red a maior
ro5
tl
Preclassic
A rchitccturr
bc oveilookr
plexiry. This
initial
(8oo
scttle
nc-ao
arc cliscussec
A najor
classic perio
ambitions o{
archite
ctr_rre
u'ork forces I
strLlct projec
the Lost
Wor
enlivcnccl thi
creating sLtcL
last phasc of
strlrcture in :
bcing slightly
nrillennium, i
approachcd tJ
The Classir
:rnalysts this
ness devised
pagoda-likc r
covcrecl cxten
clccoration. B,
impressive. T
cnrphasizing c
seL,n
are scldorn si
contcr - that
Jain architectr
to clccorate
an
opposites. Tht
broken into ve
CHAPTF,R SF,VF,N
ARCHITE,CTURE AT TII(AL
here
from the
structure.
inset, as if tht
hang breakin
these features
tive house ar
meanir-rg (lll.
utilized clean
shadow over
masks and s(
devised durir
embellishmer
recognized al
larger geogre
ltLt.67).
During tht
masks were
ou) planes
ts can be seen
rs of TempLe
n with tempLe
cnal itLentilier.
td houses in
;e
of rock
ltrdctice thdt is
e the
iders showing
n Structure
'tlis shou the
'tof uault.
nsets, on the
ls, credtes dn
:s
if
the step werc rea1. Above that is a recessed panel, and therl an overhang breaking the sloped line of thc platform surface. The Maya introduced
rhese featr-rres as colnpressiol'ls of the vertical profile of the most ancient prirnitive hor-rse and thus created a series cif shadow-lines that had iconographic
rrleaning (ilL. 6l). These rwo dcvices, the vertical ancl the horizontal line breilks,
utilized cleiur lines of architecturai constfllctiotl to create a play of light and
shadow over the surfaccs of a temple or palace, in aclditron to decoration with
inset, as
masks and sculptr-rres (ill.66) . The horizontal and vertical line breaks were
devisccl during the Preclassic period and remairted throughout time, with
embellishment, a de{ining fcature of the Tikal style. This style has come to be
recognized as the "Cetttral Peten sty1c" it-t architectufe, characterizing a much
larger geographic area than 1r-rst Tikal itself, wher:e it was appirrently invellted
(ill.6t).
During thc Preclassic and also into the early part of the Eariy Classic period,
masks werc used to adorn the facades of platforms, as on the supportive
:t.tl
t::
l::..
, #1.{"1rr..
I {,! .'.11 .1, { ..a:
..,,r',,r.,r..,,.,,.rr.,,r,,.::,::.,ir,,,,,,'..,,,,,.,,,,,:,
iliK
:,,l.::l$,
:r,s*:r$t$r$i$*::.,i,tl',:.$,16;;,:::l1.,
,,,,
..
6, (lalr) AIthou
ruor ItLlest lt:rttp
slt,lt,'I ttrtPlc I i
rutt,rintrl Iht Ii
cxuttltlif't'tng tlt
,rrt ltitt'L tttre fr.tu
ail
T/.'ls rc.onst
tlt'L'rtr,rlit'a Ptne
Tarrrltla ll sltott'
stt
tl t'
r' r t
r,t / i r t tt
l,tl
pvmnricl of tl'
cst of tt lllcs. L
utilrzccl r'ertic
'.{
rirt::Yl:l:.:,
::
\r,
a*
:$
g.lil
68 Tbis reconstruction of
f.trt; oI puLlii
nonet
h e le
buil,ltns. i/ r,.rs
s cl.db orate.
largest spreaJ
of
ARCHITECTURE AT TIKAL
palm thatch (ill.7o). The type of palm r.rsccl varied by region. In Tikal it is
called "guano" palrn whrch has nothing to do with bat dung (the other
meaning of the word), but is simply a local variant of the fan palm (l/1. 7r ). The
elements that makc up a stone stnlcture are all derived from the basic wattleand-claub house. The way in which these elemcnts are used varied from region
to rcgioir. Thc Tikal variety of style is one of the most elegantly simplc in the
Maya area.
Structures built entircly of stone, mortar, ancl lill comprise only a srn:rll
portion of Maya architccture, since the thatchecl pcrishable br-rilcling was
nun'rcrically far more corrrnon in encient times and is still with r.rs today In
theory, the perishable versiolt was devcloped around the same timc as agriculture was introduced in the area, around r5oo BC or earlier. Its fonn has changed
little, and can still be seen today in al1 parts of the Maya area. It is the stone
structures th:rt evolvccl differently in different areas, which brings r-rs to thc
qucstion of local style.
A major distinction is made betwecri pldtforms and structures. \7c have used
both words up to now without an explanation. Some pl:rtforms are very large
and were designed to support morc than one structure. The North Acropolis,
for example, embodies a number of sr,rch platforrns, car.rsing it to be raisecl
above the surrouncling tcrrain, and justifying the usc of the term "acropolis" or
"high place" borrowed from the Classical worlcl. Other platforms are relativcly
sn-rall and are designed to support and raise a single structure. A structure may
have more than one elevating platform, stacked in diminishing sizc, creatini
the effect of a pyramid. This was the case with the Lost World Pyramid and
with all buildings clescribed as pyramids at Tikal (pl. VUI).
On the other hand, strllcturcs have a number of separatc components when
the profile is considered. At the base there is usually a "building platform"
which is conccptualized as an integral part of thc whole strllcture) and cliffercnt
from othcr larger platforms described abovc. The br,rilding itself is vcrtically
diviclccl bctwcen a lower and upper z-one. Thc lower zone includes the building
rtz
7o
(righr)
The
structure requir
house roof is a
ancient techniq
system is still u:
house was unde
the Tikal uillag
7r (beLow) The
thatching can
uarious stages
i,
as
it
was being
walls, while t
that supportl
which the M
between the t
of a pressure
architecture I
key stone of t
The three
lower zone w
itive perishaL
ing's base; tl
ARCHITECTURE AT TII(AL
7o
tce
treatment.
Tikal may be
portant in the
a reaches far
their
of perish-
rure hacl
rde
In Tikal
it
is
Lg (the other
t
(ill.7r).The
only a small
rurlding was
L us today. In
re as agriculhas
changed
t is the stone
lgs us
to the
We have r"rsed
very largc
h Acropolis,
Lre
to be raised
lcropolis" or
are
relatively
lructurc may
iize, creating
?yramid and
onents when
rg
platform"
rnd different
is vertically
the building
7t (belctu)
of roctf
in ils
The process
that;hing can
L.,c
secn
ds
walls, while the upper zone is an erterior reflection of the stone corbeled vault
that supports the interior. This vault is a "corbeled arch," not a true arch,
which the Maya drd not achicvc. The difference lies in a "key stone" set
between the two srdes of corbeling. The Greeks and Romans realized the role
of a pressure receiver in this position while the Maya did not.lnsteacl, Maya
architecture relies r,rpon the cantilever principle with a capstonc instead of the
key stone of the true arch.
The three vertical components of a structure the building platform, the
Iower zone wal1s, ar"rd the upper zone in turn reflect the same parts on a prirnitive perishable structure: namely the stone platform that served as thc br-rilding's base; the stick and plaster walls, and the thatched roof, respectively.
ARCHITECTTJRE AT TII(AL
Bccause tl-re prototype roof was necessarily slantcd, the stonc version is usr-ia1ly
also slanted. h'r the Tikal style the dcgree of roof slant (in thc upper zonc) is
very slight, and son-retimes cven verticai. The Tikal architects wcre always
frugal in their interprctation of life forrns. At otl-rer regiorii,rl style sites, such as
Palenqure, the
rr1
spectacular are
called because tl
constructed enti
materials as des,
a simple house 1
plest level is a lc
cal evidence or
increases to in,
plaster finish. \
7z (aboue) Arcbc
excaudtes house :
uisible surface dit
d\Pedr on the Ti
excauations in th
" inuisible" strucl
feature of the cit
73 Qighr) The sr
TemPIe I (Structt
elements of this
oarallel structurt
ihe intcrior of rl
AcroPolis is in tl
ARCHIT-h,CTURE AT TII(AL
ersion is usLlally
e
upper zone) is
sites, such as
; the slant of
regions, where
rorthern Maya
lecorative condecorated. At
the function
of
identifying the
rhosis through
t the builc'lings
frontal door-
later chapter)
single frontal
ingle doorway
below was a
listribution of
heir variation
rild new ones,
;
Remnants of
vertical level
rf
reflecting the
,e been idenL fanily resiClaw fan-rily
ke Tikal
so
spcctacular arc the much sn-raller and barely noticeable "housemounds," soca1led because there is seldom standing architecturc. These buildings wurc noI
constructcd entirely of stone, but incorporated varying amounrs of perishable
materials as described earlier. Depending upon the wealth of the house builclcr,
a simple house platform can have irs own range of complexity. At the very sinplest level is a low, crucle platform of carth and stone ofren lcaving littlc physical evidence on the surfacc (ilL. 7z). From this lowest levcl the cornplerity
increases to include sevcral tiers of platforms with well-faced stones and
plaster finish. 'Walls were sometimes built with low stone footir-rgs, and somctimes had stone constrLlction right up to the vault, which was srill madc of
thatch. For a house structure, the vault was always of perishable material.
These werc the houses of the people, ranging in cost of construction from tl-re
very poor for the peasant farmer to quite elabor:ate for the wealthy merchant or
ranking officer in the hierarchy of thc society.
7z (aboue) ArchaeoLogist Bennet Bronson
excduates bouse structures thdt had no
uisibLe surface dimension, a.nd thus do not
Ltppear ctn the TikaL ruins map. Test
excauations in the forest showed that such
"inuisible" structures tuere d common
feature of the city.
73 (right) The smaLl ballcourt adjacent to
Temple I (Structure :Dl4 shouts the
eLernents of this type of buiLding: two
parallel structures with sloping benches on
ARCHITECTURE AT TIKAL
There exist other kinds of specialized structures whose functions are identifiable by their eclually specialized shapes. Eramples ir-rcludc the sweat bath
with low roof, fire pit and benches. Ballcor-rrts are a common and specialized
type of structure requiring the special features demar-rded by the balJgame - a
major feature of Classtc Maya ceremor-rial life (ill. Z). These features include
sloping side benches that bounce a struck bail back into the court, and scoring
markcrs which may or may not stiil be present. At Tikal the greatest number of
cxamples of these special function structures are known from the Late Classic
period. An Early Classic mural showing ballplayers was found near the Lost
World compler by Laporte, associated with the ravaged palace compler in
Group 6C-XVI.
VIII, IX
After excauation and partiaL restoration, the palace compLex of Jaguar C'Laut I is
reuealed to be a nobLe and rc.,yal househoLd nou, knotun prosaicaLly as 1D-16.
lX
balJgamc
latllres inch-rde
of
re Late Classic
I
ce
conplex irr
l, local feature
importancc to
VIII, IX
st edsill, seen
the tempLe
'Claw I
46.
is
WAR
Tl-rc prevalenc
arircterizeci
of th
cffcct on thc v
mishes in thc
ch
cluctior-r
the
atr-ictttt'tt
cl
morc 1:tropcrll
n-rattcr of cle
cluring the tin
i.r
colltctllpofi
chrractcr Firt
Thc role ol
ancc :rttd ettn-
rootccl
ir-r
fan
ing rvouett
marriagc-bas
clid not preve
:rrnred confli
ships that lecJ
The tradrt
wct
of
def,
clair-n
Caracol I'vhi
:incc r'r'ith Cl
Vith this,
unleiltsl no
ye:rrs. Nor v
ruler. Bccau
Reconstru,
Stelt t 6. but :
CHAPTE,R EIGHT
THE HIATUS:
WAR AND OUTSIDE DOMINANCE
Thc prevalence of wilrfare at Tikal is a featurc throughout the ilost of the life
rs
of th. city for which records arc available. Virtually the entire Cliissic period
irltrclcharacterjized by cscillatitlg warfare . Rcse:lrchcrsl havc arguecl tl-rat the
import'rut
en
atLdtLhacl
thc
as
ktlowt-l
cluction of the Mericilt.t spearthfowcr
effcct cin the w:ry warfarc *as .o,-rd,r.tcd nt Tikal. Before its introcluction skirlirrritcd
r.r.rishes ir-r tl-re forcst with sl-rort-clist2:rllce spears and hancl-l-relcl we:rpolls
(or
the ilmciunt of damage sr-rffered by the opposing forces. The spearthrciwer
thrusts a
n-Iorc properly clart-tl-rrowcr) changed a11 that ancl m:rcle long-distance
Tikrrl
to
irrtroducecl
been
had
r',-'0,,"r- oi d.o.1ly rlccllracy. This instrulnent
or'vl,l
dr,rring the time of Jaguar claw I. The person:lge kt-iown trs spearthror'ver
-f
tl-re instruo .or-,i",-,'porary :lncl possibie relative of .rguar: Cla'v I, eveu usecl
A
upon' loca1 evenrs which havc been blurred by the prevalence of warfare .
ltajor defeat of Tikal is recordcd i1 the year,l.r 562 1t thc hands 9f the city 9f
C,lracol, working in colir-rnctior-r with Tikal's agc-olcl enclny C:rlaknlul' This
claim of clefcat of the great capital of the Maya comes from a c:rrvccl altar irt
alliCaracol whilc other inscriptions frcim tl-ris soLltheastenl city tcll us of thc
irncc u'ith Ca1akmul.
finitive defcat, Tikal fcll silent. T1-rere are no knowu cilrvccl mourz5
Llmcrlrs, no ir-rscriptior-rs of any kind recordcd at the city for a periocl of
a
of
glory
for
the
years. Nor werc any strlrctlrres dedicated or lintcls ilrstalled
cultural
r,-,lcr. Bcc,ruse the silence falls prcciscly dr-rring the transition bctwcen
With this
Re
SteLLl
c1e
tonstrttctictn b\''lerrtt Rutledga of H,tsatt' in his glor,t'' ltased uport the image on
z,-rst in the Crcttt Plttzd.
16, but shotun in front ctf his first TemPle Project, ;D-',
r20
come later, or
subjugation f,
occur in the same way at other Maya cities in thc lowlands. The fact that
inscriptions are lacking at Tikal over this long pcriod of tin're does r.rot mean
tirat thcy hiid not becn nrade. Monuments may well l-ravc been erected with
texts, but are now lost. Christopherjones considers that this was a period of
intense monLlment destrr-rction. \Warf:rre was pr:evalent in the lowlatrcls in
glet.reral although Tikal was a particular focus an uncharacteristic loser dr-rring this silelit tin-re. The abscnce of surliving l.nonLlmcnts and texts is
:rssumed to be thc resr,rlt of domination or thc inrense conflict of the periocl.
The tomb of Lizard Head II (Burial r95) is associated with the transition
from the Early to Late Classic periocls as known Lry the contcnts of thc grave)
althor-rgh the ex:rct datc of the br-rrial is not known. It is qr-rite possiblc that this
rulcr and his br-rrial post-date the defeat of Tikai, ir-i which case Lizard Heacl II
rnily not be of clirect genealogical descent from a Tikal lineage at a1l. He is one
of the earliest rr-rlers of the Late Classic pcriod at thc site. This vagueness and
uncertainty is charactenstic of the change from the Early to Late Classic at
Tikal - it rcmains shrouded in nrystcry.
The Hiatus at Tikal spans fron-r AD 557, thc last recor:ded date on Stela r7,
until AD 682,-r thc first date rccorded for the activitics of the z6th ruler, Hasaw
Chan I('awil. While this niler was not the llrst rr-rler known to holcl sway over
Tikal at thc start of thc Late Classic period, he was the first to resrore a writren
recorcl to the city.
The fact that thc Hiatus of Tikal spans the change from one major cr-rltr-rral
period into the ncxt is surely not a coir-rciclcnce. Or-re has to ask why a unified
cultural systcm like that exhibitecl in the Early Classic pcriod, whrch had
already cndr,rred somc three-and,a-half centLlries, sl-roulcl undergo such profound changes as we sce in the Latc Classic period.
Thc erplar-rirtioti in part for such changc may be that the cultr-rral shifts wcre
l]ot as profourtcl to thc ancier]t Maya as they scern to us. These chrngcs consisr
primarily of the abarrdonrnent of old shapcs and influcnces in the ceramics
thc most plastic medium of Maya art. There are also char.rges in architcctural
fcirms. These shifts of stylc may reprcscnt merely a fading of the inflr-rcnce of
Teotihuacan in the r-nidst of internal conflicts irnd w:rrfarc. By the time of the
Hiatus, the highlancl civilizatiorr itself had dissolr.ed into oblivion. \X/hat
ernerged at Tikal was a very positive Maya form of art and architccture with
little or.rtside inflr-rencc. One could iirterpret the Early Classic period as a timc
whcn Tikal sttccumbed to thc inflr-rence of another culture which it viewecl as
sttperior, adopting its art forms and its mcthods ancl philosophics of warfare.
Tcotihuacan's infh-rence had led to a brief period cif glory for the ciry. However,
the focus of warfare took over the structure of society ancl cscalated throughor-rt the lor,vlands. For Tikal this enclccl in a nasty defeat. While rebirth would
told of a "chr
Mountain" a
of the city of
between the t
Informatio
The record
itself. The on
inscriptior-rs
and Nikolai
from outside
Caracol er
based upon f
provide a tex
rr-rler was ins
under the aur
z5). Furtherr
time in the pr
rivalry for dc
Calakmulbc
where trade
connected th
Iconograp
shared the sz
had dynastic
Jaguar Claw
tion, perhapr
the two citie
based on an,
from Calakr
polities. Eve
explanation
centuries is c
Mear-rwhil
new king ur
CaracolAlt;
according tc
by Tikal too
The installa
texts sugges
their neighb
flank. The g
while not in
The Hiatus
lands is not
with
of
a period
lowlands in
istic loser -
rnd texts
e
is
period.
was a perrod of
come later, one of the rcsults of the inflr.rencc of Teotihr.racan
e transition
rf the grave,
ble that this
gueness and
baseduponfanrilralinteractiotl.TheeventsleadinguptothcwarwithTrkal
\7e knoq fo_r example, that ir
or""ia" " textbook diagram of political intrigue.
tl-rc east of Tikal'
ruler was instailed o, ,i" .ity of Naranio, lying 4z kn. to
in en 5465 (Naranio Steltr
under the :,ruspices of the reigning king of calakmul
z5).Furthermorc'conflictwithCaiaknrulhadbeenirlprogressforquitesome
e Classic at
,i-"
rard Head
11.
II
He is one
on Stela 17,
uler, Hasaw
[d sway over
lre a written
rjor cultural
'hy a unified
which had
;o sr-rch pro.l
shifts were
nges consist
e
ceramics
lrchitectural
influence of
time of the
ivion. \ilhat
tecture with
od as a tirne
it viewed as
; of warfare.
ty. However,
ied through-
:birth would
rooted in tl-re
the power play betwcen the tw. cities that may have been
that Tikal ancl
rivalry for dominarlce over trade routes. we have to remember:
alternative places
calakmul both sit astride the per-rinsular divide :rnd thus are
route that
east-west
overland
wl-rere trade routes co.rl.l .ross in the h'rcrative
connected the Caribbean to the Usumacinta dr:rinage'
in common. They
Iconography sluigests that these two rival citles had a lot
j:lguar god ;rrrd both cities
shared rhc same protector dcity in the form of thc
claw at Tikal and Fire
had ciynasti. l.nders with relatecl lineage nAlncs, Jagu:rr
collvergences suggest an cven closer affiliaJogtt", Claw at Calakmul. These
patror-rs of
based on family ties ti-rat may havc once connected the
ir.,
iior.r, p.rhups
was
wor-rld not be the or-rly timc that enmity betwcen citics
yet
available
is
infoflnation
based on an earlier family connection. Not enor.rgh
oppe5i11g
two
the
for
from Calakmul to point to a comlnon dynastic origin-
lt
THF,
HIA]'US:
$(1AI{
Then in el 5.566 Tikal cnactecl a formal "axc war" against its fornlcr ally
Caracol.T This type of u'ar, symbcllizecl blr an axc, indicates a scriotls attack
with ir-rtcnt to dcstroy, but r,rnlike a "star war" u,as not detcrnlined by ritual or
astrclromical timing. Thc attacl< was apparently unexpected ancl hurt Caracol.
Thep, jr-rst six years 1:1ter in,+n .562,s Car:rcol rctaliatcd :rgainst Tikal with thc
lirst rccordecl "star r,var" known in the Maya lowlil-rds. This diitc is taken as the
dilte of Trkal's fall to Car:rcol. A "star r,l,ar" is a full-scale r'vilr plannccl in :rccorcl:rnce with spccific itstlonontical evcnts, r-rsr-rally the first appearance in the
rnorningskv of thc planct Venus. The l-reliacal rising<,rf the brillient "star" in
the pre-clar,vn sky was considered by the Maya :is a highly o'i1 portent. As suci-r
it was iln appropriirtc heralcl of u,arfare, at least on the part of thc attacker.
Cirracol's act of aggression initiatcd a type of intensive wer that rvas to be
repeated a nurnbcr of times in the fr-rture, betweeu rnany diffcrerrt citics in thc
lowlarrcls. Noting thc clates of thcse particul:rr colrllicts betwcct't Tik:ll arld
Caracol we can see that they are a prclude to the encl of t1-re Earl,v Classic pcriod
:rs il cultural marker, but the cor-rflicts continLle on an accelcritted scale during
thc Late Classic. It rvould be easy to intcrpret r'r':rrfare as the stittttllus of changc
that brclr-rght about the encl of thc Early Classic,:rncl just as easy to see the samc
cause as slowly burlcling up to the collapse of the Classic culture in thc lor'v-
ELI
74 This ditrgra
made bt Simo
llre:rdy knorvn to have been ir.r conflict n ith Tikal for sonrc time . The reft:rence
on Altar: zr sllggests th:it Cillakmul r'vas bchincl or at least in sr-rpport of this
plrticr-iiar irnd scminrrl "star war" agaitrst Tikal. Calakmul hacl n'orr a politicirl
vicrory in the stmggle for: Caracol's allcgiance, probably in hurt retillii'ttion for
the sgrprise "?1xe war" that Tikal had cnacted against the dispr-rted cit,v, its
forrner ally Furthef reference to an ahau of Calakmr-rl, ar.rd his persotlal
emblen glyph, is found on Caracol Stela 3 :,rt the date of er,, .572,e c<lr.rfirmirrg
that the shift rn :rllegiance by Caracol from Tikal to Cirlakmr-rl was con-rplcte.
All of thcse evcnts werc critical to both kincls of ch:rnge thilt u'ere,,ccurrirtg itr
tl-re lor,vlancls: in the cr-rltural lanc|.narks that distingr,rish the Early from the Latc
Clirssic; and itr the shifts of the polttical landscapc.
Further, in eu 58810 the birth of a Lorcl of Car:rcol is rccordecl ou Pancl r at
Nilrirnjo, suggcsting a frierrclly affilirrtion betwecn these cities b,v this trme.
Th:rt a former ally of Tikal ctisplayed frienclship with an encrny of Tikal indiciltes a chirnge in the rclatictnship bctr,veen these uearest neigl-rbors. Tl-ris nrinor
evcnt did rrot bode n'ell for Tikal. It indicatcc'l a tightening nrilitary presencc,
slowly but surely cncircling the Crty of Lords, in a classic milit:rrv l'rrttccr rllove menr. Simon Marrin's eloquent illustration of thcse relationships shows graphic:rily what was h:rppening ilt this ttme (ill.71).
Irrscriptions falling betwccn AD 593 and 67zII occtlr :1t sites both to the west
ar.rd to the east of Tik:rl and thesc indicate tl-rat business as usual rvas being
conclucted
towards the
period. Don
laboration,
rently availa
ln
l.t:672
scape, leadit
At this date,
fron-r Tikal,
attack. As it
theless, a h
poir-rting tol
entire poiiti
Punto de C
Pilas polity
realizing th
defccted fro
the Early
new kingdo
respective s
group coitr<
forrncr ally
erious attack
.s
d by 1i1u,.,1 o.
hr-rrt
CALAKMUL
Caracol.
(u
taken as the
rned rn accor-
EL PERU
attacker.
rat
Lt
r,vas
to be
cities in thc
:n Tikal
arrcl
)lassrc period
scale
1us
)
of changc
see
'e
duling
the samc
in thc low-
cincicles
with
oli
sites
of
d, tl-re text
thern c:rpital
fhe refcrence
pport of this
on a political
etaliation for
ruted citli its
his pcrsonal
,e confirmir.rg
'as complete.
occurring ir.r
:rom
the Late
on Panel
r at
by this tin-re.
rf Tikal incli;.
This minor
1fy presellce,
al rvas bcing
laboration, including Calakn'rul, seems as good itn explilnatictn as allv cLlrrcntly availaLrle for this silence.
ln to 67212 thc site of Dos Pilas raisecl a new presencc in the political lanclscape, leilcling to rnore speculation about wh:rt l-racl been happening at Tikal.
At this date, Dos Pilas recorded its own defeat by a "star war" eveut lar,rnchcd
from Tikal, showing that Tikal hac'l revived enough to effect this aggressivc
attack. As it happened Dos Pilas rvas a new site with roots in Tikal, blrt ltevertheless, a hostiie rival. The evidcnce substantiates this kind of connection,
pointing towards ar.r origin in Tikal for the founders of not just Dos Pilas br-rt its
entire political enclilve includirig three other sites: Agr,ratec:r, Tamarindito, ancl
Pur-rto de Chinrincl.li One intcrpretation of the connection betweeu thc Dos
Pilas polity and Tikal is that collateral membcrs of the royal farnily at Tik:rl,
realizing th:rt tl-rey could never aspire to rulcrship of t1-rc cclttral capital,
defectecl frorr-r the city ilrrd established a new base to the west tr-rwi:rrd the errcl of
the Early Classic period. Evider"rcc that this spliritcr hegemony cstirblished a
new kingdom at Dos Pilas or-rt of Tikal is for-rnd in tl-rc cl:rtes themselvcs and the
respcctive sitc cmblem glyphs. The datcs for the beginnings of thc Dcis Pil:rs
llrorlp coincide wrth Tikal's time of intensc conflict with surroundir-rg powers.
rz3
TFIF,
one from
could have been ittterlopers from Caracol, unrelated conquerors from Calak-
JAGt
The Hratus c
beginning of
came to an el
K'awil. At th
loosely as "St
Bearer." On
erecting his 6
long silence
decades of t
Classic is der
existed betw
glory effecte
Texts at o
years of an
cession, was
Skull." Ther
to him direc,
Shield Skull
Shield Skull
Bone Chak,
long period
military fror
tell some ol
takrng capti
victory at'
Calakmul,
Therefore,
ranks of all
Texts der
of
rz4
Pacal o{
r, as
CHAPTER NINE,
if calling
uggests most
ikal defected,
pital, already
: personages)
proceeded to
o Tikal.
;ome 47 years
It
apparently
vell into con-
family must
'surrounding
[d never have
and
Martin.
outheast, by
even by the
I by enemies.
far west and
Ld
Shield Skull
Lnd
this
'os
Pilas. The
ever-rt
e zznd ruler.
e
succession.
few
clr-res
to
The Hiatus of silence at Tikal spanned the end of the E,arly Classic and the
beginning of the Late Classic periods at the city The literary darkness finally
came to an end with the raising of monumcnts by the z6th rr-rler, Hasaw Chan
I('awil. At the tin're of this writing the narne of this "great man" is translated
loosely as "Standard Bearer of the Great Sky," or possibly "Heavenly Stanclard
Bearer." On r5 March tn 6921 this great rr-rler endcd the silence at Tikal by
erecting his first pair of monuments, Stela 3o and Altar r4. However, before the
lorig silence was ended some important events took piace during the first
decades of thc Late Classic period. This overlap of the Hiatus into the Late
Classic is dcscribed in this chapter because of the father-son relationship that
existed between an early lord of the Late Classrc and thc sr.rbsecluent return to
glory effected by Hasaw Ch:rn I('awil.
Terts at other sitcs as wcll as later texts at Tikal tell the story of the earliest
years of ar-r early ruler of the Late Classic period. This ruler, the z5th in the sr-rccession, was called Nu Bak Chak 12 with the modern nicknamc of "Shield
Sku11." There have been no inscriptions found yet at Tikal that are attribr-rtable
to him directly.
amic vessels,
a minor
lord,
1
lord
sahal,
ruler. This
:become the
n filling rn a
,f this period
from Calak-
ly itself. We
Early to the
Shield Skull's Maya name has been translated by Schele and Grr-rbc as "Oracle
Bone Chak," a translation sti1l subject to revision. This king not only had a
long period of rule, he fought for the revival of Tikal on both diplomatic and
military fronts. Texts from Piedras Negras, Yaxchilan, Palenclue, and Dos Pilas
tell some of the story. He engaged in battle wcll t<-r the west of his base city,
taking captives in Yaxchilan in August ro 659.4 This rnust have been cluite ciiflicult for several reasons the great distance from Tikal; the logistrcal needs of
troops so far afield; and the unsettled state of affairs back home in Tikal. This
victory at Yaxchilan was recorded at Piedras Negras, at the time an ally of
Calakmul, while Yarchilan was under the domination of Piedras Negras.
Therefore, Shield Skr,rll's attack on Yaxchilan was in line wrth thc cstablished
rrrrks ol rlliarree rnd errmity.
Texts describing the camp:rigns of Shield Skull against Yaxchilan and those
of Pacal of Palenque against thc sitc of Pomona (near Palenque) suggest an
ShieLd Skull
rz5
r{-L.TtJRN OI-
rulcrs
Heauet
(Has
While P:rc:rl of
P:rlenclr-re
Por.nona, Shielcl Skull went on to b:rttles against Dos Pilas, a pr()tcct()rrte crf
Cirlaknrul, ancl tl'rc c'lcfcctor group fron-i Trkal. Orr 8 l)ecember el 6726 he lecl a
b:tttlc r,Lgainst Dos Pilas. Two subsccluent b:rttles eng:igecl con.rbinecl fclrces of
Dos Pilas urd C:riakn-ru1 rrnd encled in trn"'o defeats for Shield Skull cin
zo Decembe r AD 677 and or.r 3o April xt 679;respectivcly During this last skirrnish Shield Skull either cliecl or was taken cilptive and this is the last firm date
associatccl u'ith his lramc. tWc know tl-rat Shield Skr-rll's srlccessor was Hasaw
Ch:rri I('aivil, his son, ancl we glless that the succession in ,,to 682 nrust havc
occurrecl shortly after Shield Skull's cleath.
There:rre a few other n.rentions of Shield Skr.rll's narnc from later texts:rt
Tikal r,vritten by his son Hasaw Chan I('awil, which lcrid a curior-rs r-rote to his
iclentifica.tion. Hasaw rcfcrs to his preclecessor with t1-re terrr "father" in a
lir-rcagc sttrtcment :lnd even n:lmes "Lady .J:rguar Throne" ils Hlrsalv's mothcr
ancl Shielcl Skull's wife. This has all the :rppearancc of il vcry clefinite 1ir-reage
stxtelnent. Hor,vevcr, Shicld SkLrll is also rcfcrrccl to in the s:1ne text as the "nran
frorr the $.est," :urcl there can bc rro clor-rbt from his history that he spent a great
clc:rl, if not most of his tirnc away, far to the west of Tikal.
The tomb of Shielcl SkLrll is iclentified irs the indiviclual irr Buri:rl 23, bene:rth
the temple Structure tD-j j-rst, on tl-re North Tcrracc and fronting the North
Acropolis bccirusc of thc constrllction datc of the tonrb. This builcling domrnatccl tl'rc Grcat Plaza when it was corlstrLlcted by Hasaw Chan I(':rwil, chiurgirrg thc cosmic configr-rration of the Creat Plaza forever, and leading thc way for
the future development of the Cre:rt Plaz:r's triad of Great Tcnrplcs. Thc building of hrs father's nremori:il and his re:lction to the politic2.r] evcnts that lccl to
his fatl-rer's death are part of tl-re story of Hasaw Chan l('awil, which folloivs.
rz6
There are no
be raised at
Maya lowlar
fortune for J
structed fror
wrthin it.
temple
Be
br-ri1t
configuratio
the dead, a
Templc zz. I
was lower in
Hasaw Cl
place to beg
was excavat
most sacred
builders ha<
Skull's final
temple was
to be buried
pit inside th
hiirtus of thc citl: Dr-rring thcsc ycars he was extremely br-rsy re-builcling the
prcstigc that had bccn lost during the years of domination. One of his activitics
was thc collstruction of Structurc 5D-11-rst, which covered his fatl-rer's tomb.
know whicf
razed as wa
cache dedic
the mighty r
At the sa
Stela" that I
t-arms kind
allegiance
ter the Yax-
n a panel
of
nque's most
: that Pacal
gns against
tectorate of
5726
heled
ed forces
of
d Skull on
his last skirLst
firm date
was Hasaw
z must have
lter texts at
s note to his
[ather" in a
rw's mother
Lnite
as
[neage
the "man
;pent a gre:1t
I
z3 beneath
g the
North
way for
The build-
that led to
;h follows.
s
''great man"
time of year
heralding
into the role
ry,
did
literary
I the
en years
building the
his activities
ther's tomb.
to
There are no firm dates for this building proiect, the first trr-rly great temple
the
for
architecture
of
style
be raised at the site and the first to herald a new
of
Maya lowlands (l/1.75). The raising of this building signified the reversal
can be reconfo.t.rr-r" for Tikal and the evenr was sr,rrrounded by ceremony that
enclosed
caches
it
and
beneath
deep
burials
structed from the stratigraphy of
earlier
an
existed
there
began
within it. Before Hasaw's constructiot1 project
tomb
latter
This
temple built over the tomb of Stormy Sky, one of his ancestors'
Stormy
or-rdlt, temple were centered on the sacred axis of the Nort6 Acropolis'
stair
on two
the
flanking
masks
with
Sky,s tempie was beaurifully decorated
of
grandeur
the
obscure
levels of i"r.n..r, but was still low enough not to
Acropolis.
Temple zz, thehighest structufe looming above the north side of the
until the higher building was created above 5D-33-znd, the architectural
of
configuratior] of ,h. North Acropolis served as its own cosmogram, a realm
point'
high
its
own
on
the dead, a realm of kings rullng as lods' focused
in state'
Temple zz. The originaltemple of 5D-33, below which Stormy Sky lay
was lower in height br-rt on the same sacred axis as 5D-zz'
Hasaw Chan I('awil char-rged all that. He selected the site of Temple
3l as the
z3
Burial
burial.
father's
hls
place to begtn a ltew cosmogram and began with
the
become
deep into the bed rock of the very ridge t6at had
in,
""."uuied
most sacred place rn Tikal, a little south of the tomb of Stormy Sky. The tomb
builders had to excavate down through the existing temple to create Shield
new
Skull's fir'ral resting place. Part of the ritual of the construction of the
stela
temple was rhe sacred burial of stormy sky's most important monument,
ihi, stela had been desecrated during the occgpation of tl-re usurpers from
3r.
caracol. Now it was reverentialiy placed into the old temple itself, treating
both the temple and the old stela as if they were themselves deceased ancestors
a
to be buried Lrrd", the new architectural wonder. First the stela was set into
pit ir-rside the back room of the old temple. The roof of the temple was then
a
razed as was customary for temple renewal, covering the stela as if it wefe
of
Constrr-rction
it.
above
cache dedicating the new strucr;re that would rise
the mighty new temple proceeded above the revered ancestral cache'
At the same time a similar ceremony was conducted for Stela 26, the "Red
don't
Srela" that haj declared the glory of either the zoth or 2rst ruler, we still
Stela
Sky's
Stormy
of
that
know which. This stela had suffered the same fate as
comwithout
time, but
3r and Hasaw tended to its reparation at the same
honoring and restoring
was
He
temple.
the
razing
or
burying tl-re stela
it.t"ly
rL7
RETURN
OI--
clor-rbtless
many orher
71 (tight),Structure ,1D-1.3-ist tuLts the lirst tempLe built in the TikaL style dnd the first
temple of Hasatu Cban K'dtuil, designed to L:olier the tomb of his fatlier, ShieLd SLutL.It
is on the Nor/:lt Terrttt'.e, facing the Clredt Plazd.
alie ancestors
rewal aucl res'c his father's
lr.rLl
resitln. A
tuctule
u'ith
;r
of
rd finallr,', the
" ls king of
rrance of thc
verfLrl all,v
in
Tikal's nrost
ya lor.vlands.
,norccl death
rf tinrc. On
L
tl're inscrip-
on Altar r,1
I Gror-rp" or
follor.vcd :rn
J katun, tl-re
:h bears the
'acol, a st,vle
ination. The
ll utrlize this
rrnccl to this
rl; 1.
:t'
'^.!j:,;'l'
li . -
at colorecl
1C
it
COltstl'LlC-
tlreacl,v bcc-n
this urrusual
lr across thc
ral; anothcr
hat u'ill bc
rhc Ccntr:rl
Ltion
of the
nanv otltcr
:l
the first
,:ld
.\kull. It
1..!
.:
,r._'
It w:rs i,t wilr event that reversccl Tikal's fortr-rnes arrd changecl forer,cr: the politic:rl lanclscapc of the lowlancls. This cver-rt was recorclcd by Hasaw on Lintcl 3 of
his mortr::rry building, Tenrplc I, as having h:rppcned on -5 Augr-rst eo 695.Ia
This war w:rs a major evcnt, following irr thc traclition est:rblishccl by Caracol's
.lttack or-r Tikal r3j )rcars earlier. Detelnincd i1 its tiltilg by the positiol of
the plar-ret Venus, this engagernent was launched agaitrst thc long-establishccl
rival Clalakrnul, rvhich for u:rny katuns had been har:rssing Tikal :rncl cncircling the city with allies. It w:rs undcr thc patron:1ge of C:rlakmr,rl that Caracol
rlo
76 Drau,ing of
of r
Lotuer zone
5D-.17, t: Stalace
C
K'att,il in the
in
el
.562. Fo
engaged in b
Hasaw defini
onist. The de
mul and agai
The possible
turning r
this defeat of
r-row
u,hole series
Tikal were nc
Thirteen d
that an offic
eo 695.16 Thi
the Calakmu
structure in tl
by Hasaw. Al
itself. Two dr
76), in fr-rll bz
mcmoratiorl
is for-rr-rd orr tl
plate-likc app
but to date
v,
the deveiopTect
of thesc
in
positive
re context
of
o the history
ortant of the
rnd effect olr
Lhouse in the
rdonment of
:d above, all
e are
known
ceremonies,
tce has been
rtemporane-
of
ever.rts
itr
the ruler's
ere includecl
occLlrrence,
kalomtc on
Itest ruler of
ant political
e
had a pro-
18 Rabbit
*mul in el
at the time,
tl-rat
',ere
famous
frienclly
1akmul.
beer-r
able to defcat
in,r.l
el
politin Lintel j of
:r the
st
el
695.14
ry Caracol's
position of
-establishcd
Ar-rgust
rJI
occur at Tika
r 3 days after tl
couched in
a sl
Forty days
three more
Temple
eve
and
seqLlence thes
symbolof the
Ir
name - Nu Bi
observed by th
--)
i
V;'j;'
,/"''.1$
ceremony too
occurred, it is
"i.i'.t,
location. The
Sky." The act
Throne" and'
The next r
tn 695,2t n7
r>
'
Y)
sh
an incised bor
his tomb und
captive was d
d
VA
closely resem
Hasaw had b,
m'
#
'rll
Royal sorrow
Wt
$/
s#?
As tin-re progt
,s
_.1:
. .:a.v
\,. )
AI
\B
sv,
'
irt
/
ty
/
*--@
,fl
LI
] *G,_--
lt
Maya calend
Temple IV, br
The group is
Excavation o
built against
rll
but probably
.offiw]tr)i
dedication of
r^,
bit of
,';*,
evrden
most point o
the closing c
Although it i
the group, th
AD
7rr
recorr
major archit,
77 Drauing ctf the complex and intricate caruing of LinteL
lord seated ctn a thrctne.
As with al
in TempLe l, shc,,tt'ing the
stela and
ac<
As time progressed, the ncxt important thing we know about Hasaw's life is thc
dedication of another twin-pyramid group marking the end of katr-rn r4 itr the
Vir
,&'i
t'4,r
#fr'
M
rvl
ffi
rg
W
tnt
tn.l
N
he
Maya calendar. This group was constructcd close to the present location of
Tenrplc Il but well before that highest of a1l temples at Tikal had been built.
The gror-rp is iclcntified on the maps of the site as "N Group" or "Group 5C-r."
E,xcav:ltion of the grorlp showed that the north boundary of thc compler was
built :rgainst the wall of a prc-cxisting causeway which lcd to a point unknown,
but probably to an earlier vcrsion of Temple IV, as we know it.2r This intrigr-ring
bit of evidence suggcsts that when N Group was built it was not the westcrnmost point of thc city center. The twin-pyramid complex was br.riit to celebrate
the closing of katun 14 r-rnder the reign of Hasaw, on r December eo 7rr.2a
Although it is an archaeological convention to consider this date as thc date of
the group, the structures obvior-rsly took time to build, so that its dedication in
AD 7rr rccorded the culminatiotr of thc construction process. This is true of all
major architectural monumcnts.
As with all twin-pyran-rid groups, the r.rorthern cnclosure containecl a royal
stela and accompanying altar. Here, they are Stela 16 depicting Hasaw in full
r13
cercmonial livery, and Altar 5 which lay at his feet. However, the contents of the
depictron on the altar are unique among twin-pyramid gror-rps at Tikal, and
indeed of all aitars in the city (iLls.7B-So). The scene on Altar 5 is totally different from any carved before or after. This altar has an importance likely greater
than any othcr at the site because of its multiple roles, recording a complex
scgment of Hasaw's life and carefully positioned so that the location itself supplemcnts the story contair-red. The altar would later detcrmine an axial line
that would define the alignment of Temples I and II in the Great Plaza itself.25
The ring of glyphs surrounding the edge of the altar could not contain the
whoic story that had to be told.26 Therc are supplementary panels within the
backgrour-rd on which the narrative continues. The scene depicts two nlelt
shown either ir-r kneeling position, or standing behind a flat object, facing each
other, dressed in quite distinctive livery, both in the heraldry of their hcaddress
designs, and in the objects of symboLc rank held in their hands. Between thern
is a neat arrangement of human bones, apparently piled in a quadrant and sur-
mounted by a jawless human skull. The tert speaks of a woman who was
Hasaw's wife and it is presumed that the bones are hcrs. The name given for thc
woman is not the same narrre recorded elsewhere in the city as the mother of
Hasaw's son Yk'in Chan K'awil (Ruler B). There is a mystery here regarding
the various names ascribed to Hasaw's wife (or wives, as the case may be). The
inscription on Altar 5 is very compler but Grube ar-rd Schele have worked out a
decipherment of the sequence of glyphs and the strange story which they tcll.
The figure on the left is interpreted as that of Hasaw himself,while the figure on
the right is a nobleman, probably from Calakmu1.27 At the time, Tikal and
Calakmul were stil1 in a state of high hostility, since Hasaw had killed the king
of Calakmul 16 years before. The bones are thought to be those of Hasaw's
wife who had died on z4 May Ao 7o3,28 some eight years before the dedication
of this altar. The interpretation followed here suggests that this woman had
been buried at the site of Topoxte, a small city to the southwest of Tikal on a
lake of the same name. Presumably, this was her: place of birth and her remains
were returned there for burial. This small city had come under the domination
of Calakmul in its campaign of expansion in the region now known as the
Peten. Under sr-rch domination, royal burials were in danger of desecration,
and because of Hasaw's role in thc overthrow of Calakmul, any relative of his
would be a direct target for such desecratior-r. The complcx text of Altar 5 indicates that the lord of Calakmul escorted Hasaw with safc passage into the
enemy-hcld territory of Topoxte in order to collect and retrieve the bor-res of
this royal lady.2e The irnplication is that the lord from Calakmul was also
related to her by blood rather than marriagc, and for this reason co-operated
under truce with Hasaw to save the lady's remains from desecration. All of this
action took place shortly before the er-rd of the katun, so that the dates involved
lcad up to the katr.rn dedication itself (i//. 8r ).
Xl
The mosaic jade uessel from Burial r96 bears .t str()ng resembLance to a similar one
found in BuriaL t t6 (ill. 8f ) but portray s .t tl'oman (Hasaw's wife? ).
)lltents of thc
rt Tikal, and
rotally differ-
likely greatcr:
tg a complcx
on itself supan axial line
iaza itsclf.rj
t cor.rtain the
:ls r'r'ithin the
eir heaclclress
,etweelt thcm
who
'uv:rs
re motl-rer of
:re regarding
may bc). The
worked out ir
uch ther'' tell.
the figurc cin
e, Tikal :rrrd
illecl thc king
: of Hasaw's
re dcclication
rvoman had
rf Trkal on
Ihel rcmains
rdomination
nown as the
desccration,
elative of his
Altar
incli-
into thc
the boncs of
rul rvas also
age
co-opcrated
n.
Allof this
ates
involved
similtrr one
The mystery
Altar
5 the nar
ren-roving the b
given elsewhert
tions of these
than one wife;r
'.:l';
::rrst
Iili'i
Grube and
diplomacy of
{i:{ll
major polities
rty and that tr
record this exp
exhibition of a
In addition t
analysis sugge
tremeuts are l;
This same prir
the layout of a
in its phystcal
Twelvc).
The complt
en 7rr. This
noted3l that
liri.
<
r.rnknown dat
incised obsidi
struct the col-l
similar to ot
"!
pyramid grou
number of bo
On the stel
mask, fr"rll hez
very jacle
bea
waistband wi
Hasaw holds
while his hea
typical of the
1'.::I3
i.1i!n..
.:,,"'. -1.i1.
..,I
The Paint
abandonment.
dccurdte.
The mystery of the woman's identity revolves around the use of names. On
Altar 5 the name given initially is Na Tunte Kaywak. Later in the context of
,"-ouirrg the bones a different name is giver-r. Neither name is the same as that
given elsewhere as rhe name of Hasaw's wife (Lady Twelve Macaw). Explanaiio,-r, of these multiple names include: the possibility that Hasaw had more
than one wife; that the woman's Topoxte name and her Tikal name were different; or that two of the names were titles rather than proper names'
Grube and Schele also noted that while we know little about the rules of
diplomacy of the Sth-century Maya, this interpretation suggests that royal
bones and their continuing care was important and that an arrangement to
retrieve them from enemy territory was a possibility' This further suggests that
major polities were in communication with each other even in times of hostilthat truces were negotiable. Further, it was to Hasaw's advantage to
ity
"1J
record this exploit and display it in a public place, a place usually reserved for
erhibitior-r of a bound prisoner.
In addition to the unique quality of the content of the decoration on Aitar 5,
analysis suggests that the surface cor-rfiguration of the figures ar-rd their accoutrements are laid out according to geometric rules of integral right triangles''10
This same principle of artistic planr-ring by geometric rules is important also to
the layout of architecture in Tikai, and particularly to the placement of Altar 5,
(see Chapter
ir-r its physical relationship to Temples I and II of the Great Plaza
Twelve).
Xll Rollout scene from d Late CLassic uessel found in Structure tC-49 of the Lost \Yorld
group. The present:ation of tribute in the form of a jaguar skin is typical of
administratiue functions of p aLaces.
Xlll The painting by CarLos Vierra made in 19t.1 depicts Tikal in the years folLowing its
abandonm"nt. Df,sfite neuer hauing uisited the city, Yierra's reconstruction is quite
dcaurdte.
II
in
katun.
uife.
79 (right)
t.
from Calakrnul.
r)9
RT,TLTRN OF
ar::?
--l:ar,ia
8z (left) Dratui
of
seueral incist
the graue of Ha
gods trdnsPort '
underruorld.
83
(righr) Drau
caruetl Lintel z
Tutelue Macdw
ceremonial rob
lintels of TemP
temples facin
center
cosmos
of th
- the
Structure 5t
largest yet bu
tures boundr
j3-rst becaff
ing the heave
their part in
commemora
otl-rer pre-exi
arrd these plz
Clemency
of Hasaw's
r'
o/"-,
(left) Drauing
equipment in
8z
s being trans-
of
taken to the
y of creation.
the bonc, the
l accompanyenemy
reen celebratwas an
lt
24 January
rm the site of
hegemony of
:ive of Hasaw.
impor-
rt he was too
ported by the
temples facing each othcr across the Great Plaza actually delirrc the new cosmic
:r of the nert
ars later than
center
likely werc
w to hrs city
(p/.1). Their
ildings are so
rhey demand
[taneously or
r one cosmic
the two great
architectural
the necropolis of kings. Temples I and II form a triad with the temple
Structure.SD-33-rst on the North terrace. This triadic formation was the
largest yet built at Tikal, obscrving the classic configuration with tcmple structures bounding the north, east ancl west sicles of a sacred space. Structurc
33-rst became the ncirtherrl synonym for the North Acropolis itself, representir-rg the heavens whcre the kings resided. Temples I ancl II were constmcted for
their part in such a manne r that their physical position alignecl with Altar 5, the
conrmemorative stone of Hasaw's wife, as well as in specific configuratiort with
other pre-existing structures in the city. All of this had to bc carefully planned,
and these plans were clearly made by Hasaw
Clemcncy Coggins36 first suggestcd that Temple II was constructed in honor
of Hasaw's wife. The name asslllncd for this wife is "Lady Twelve Macaw" the
cosmos
r4r
If
Hasaw
reign of this
cycle of the c
Hasaw's t,
excavations i
axis of the
discovery. Ev
Parts of the
upon {irst en
the standard
out on a rair
and shells, a
imparts the
exceptionall'
necklace be;
shaped and
originaliy pa
'collar'com1
to two inche
(ill. se). rn t
lidded cylinc
of
a cor-rch sl
organic matt
The jade
binding had
lid of the ves
him as a "fot
meaning "lo
ably a portrr
himself.
A coverlet
mat. The afc
tive feature c
some remarl
rr 5 remains a
II and Altar 5
: altar and the
of the Great
aphy that the
I construction
reasons. The
r years before
te of Hasaw's
gap in time, it
ld have begun
Hasaw's own
on of Temple
6nal years in
ruilt after his
e
included on
noted above,
other
archaeology
rportunity to
ze
and loyalty
tomb ever
lrts Coggins'
ot house her
:a
'monuments
nent.
Jer his greatrat the tomb
ccess for the
lied his own
Hasaw had
emembering
If Hasaw died in the same year that his son acceded to the throne, then the
reign of this great ruler had lasted 5z years, coincidentally the same as a fr,rll
of t1-re calendar. Comparing his rergn with that of Pacai of Palenque who
had ruled for 68 years and died in his early Sos, the two rulers each fr-r1filled the
role of "great man" to their respective cities.
Hasaw's tomb was discovered in the spring of ry62 as a result of tunneling
excavations into the core of Temple I. The tomb was not located on the central
axis of thc structure whrch commemorated it, an ur.rusual fact which delayed
discovery. Eventually, the presence of dense layers of flint and obsidian - chips,
flakes and cores - in the construction filI indicated the nearby presence of a
majcir burial to the north of the central axis. A sealed capstone was finally
located in thc "floor" of the tunnel. In November r96z,the tomb of Hasaw was
opened with some forrnality and considcrable care, approximately r,zz8 ycars
after its closing (ill. 8 5) .
The storie, when lifted, proved to be the central capstone of a large vaulted
chambcr. The capstone was painted with a large circular spot in red cinnabar,
perhaps representing thc sun disk shinrng forever over Hasaw's mortal remains.
Parts of the chamber's walls and vault had collapsed, obscuring the contents
upon first entry into the tomb. The chamber was large and rich in content by
the standards of previously excavated tombs at Tikal. The single male was laid
out or1 a raised dais "richly adorned with r-rnusual quantities of jade, pearls,
and shells, and surrounded by grave furniture." Aubrey Tirk's descriptionsT
imparts the sense of awe erperienced by the excavators: "The jade, some of
exceptionally fine color and quality, consisted of headdress plaques, tubular
necklace beads, bracelets, anklets, and earplugs. Many well preserved peashaped and baroque pearls were found in the neck and chest area, probably
origrnally part of the jade necklace. Across the lower chest was a surprising
'collar'composcd of rr4 spherical jade beads, graduated in size from one-half
to two inches in diameter and weighing a total of eight and one-half pounds"
cycle
(ill. S6).In addition to a vast array of painted ceramic vessels, there was a
Iidded cylinder vase made of jade mosaic (ill. 87), an alabaster dish in the form
of a conch shell, many shells, slate plaqr-res, stingray spines and the remains of
organic materials.
The jade mosaic vessel was constructed of fitted jade plates for which the
binding had disintegrated, requiring pair-rstaking reconstruction. On the apron
lid of the vessel was an inscriptio n of rz glyphs, naming Hasaw, and identifying
him as a "four-katun" batab. The batab title at Tikal is a substitute for "ahau,"
meaning "lord." The knob handle was in the form of a human head, presumably a portrait made of intricate, tiny fragments of jade representing the lord
himself.
A coverlet of jaguar skin 1ay beneath the ruler, under which had been a straw
mat. The aforementioned incised bones were an unusual and highly informative feature of this tomb, providing both chronological information as well as
some rernarkable rconogr:rphy.
r43
87 One of the
spectdcuLdr pie
Hasatu's tomb
of jade.
o:
uesseL m
pieces
tJte underLuorld.
86 (beLctu)
lidded
Luorks on the
uncouering the delicate graue
-g
e'\
:"
goods.
3y'-
decades to co
rA\^
o
for
'@\
'
.:
a/.r^ )
r_x
The cor-iter
influence wil
ar-rother
grandson in
Hasaw made
powcr than I
monumcnt)
Or-re
final{
cal layout of
around the C
tions were sa
II form an a
alignment es
tells thc stor
3-4-5 integra
t'v
known to co
configuratior
politically m
ady Ttuelue
tmple I across
{fn
The contenrs of his tomb and those details known ro us of Hasaw's life ar.rd
influerce will continue to be a subject of analysis and cliscrssion for many
s"
16\
:
@"
.,tg
&
9za
IM
I
decades ro come. As we shall see, his descendants continued the work he began
for
3-4-j integral right triangle with Structure 3D-43, ar-r Early classic ie-pl.
known to contain an important burial. In this way, Hasaw used a geometric
configuration to connect himself and his wife to an ancestor, either a real or a
politically motivated connection (pl. X).
14i
Table,l
Date
Name
r trrl
.lnLl z4rh
RLrlt'r:s
lost rn thc
Hi:rtus:
-,lo
734
j5
years)
Euent
RulerNo
No data
zydlz4h
Nu Bak (lhak I
Ar:gust eo 659
August en f'59
Dcccr.nber eo 672
Dcccr-nbet rn 677
(Shielcl Skull I)
Victory
ir-r
battlc
r.vitl-r
Yexchilan
had establish
encc for the "
ture was col
desccnt.'il/itl
5 t1-r
Bearer')
AD
6llz
Nlarcl'r eo
692
StcJa
August ar
69.5
August eo
695
jo
Septcnrber
lo 695
Nor.'cmtrer,+o
A4ay eLr
695
7oj
Decembcr eLr 7r
AD 7
j2,
731
(iD
frorr
II
power, while
in the succer
iZ)
mcans of spe
Hasaw's ir
architectLlre
Hasaw Chan
names not l
Llnclear, spec
z8 in the sr-rc
diffcring intt
ultimatc siler
Yik'in's n:
offcred the li
tional Maya
pir-rg out of
nahual for tl
the father, a
artificial rne
nificant snal
in terms of
rright sky."
nodern tim
record, the
cven thougb
The brillian
this birth
cloud.
Er-rough
hc built
r16
ir
ever
CHAPTER
A FAMILY AFFAIR:
HASAW'S DESCENDANTS
rd/z1th
TheloveforhiswrfewhrchHasawdemonstratedthroughhispublicactions
family man' Consciously or otherwise l-re
suggcsts that he *n, nt'o *os a good
who demollstrated a reverhad established a t.aditior-r throJgh his descendants
ttuy'' Hasaw's new style of temple architec"great man" in
-urty
of
son'and grandson who followed in his line
tf-tt
t'f
continued
was
ture
r.rew heights of glory in its public
descent. Y/ith their *.,iinrl.", Tikal achieved
at the city of both great wealth and
architecture demonstrating the presence
pivotal ancestor was maintained by
power, wl-rile all the time 'iut"'ltt for the
planning'
-.nr-t, of specific architectural
rrrler
was lris son Yik'in Chan I(,awil, the zTth
,.,..",,o,
Hasaw,s immediate
was
father
his
that
states
rn the succession. Yik'in's own parentage record
(her
other
"Lady Twelve Macaw"
H.saw Chan I(,awir ""J r-,i, mother *o, ih.
yik'in,
tl-re line of descer-rt is briefly
llames not withstaJi;rt. Following
lacking about one king, Ruler
specrfically b..oirr" information rs stiil
unclear,
z8inthesuccession.Alsothesuccessionisconfr"rsedbytheeristenceofmany
diffcringinterpr.tatio,-',oftt-'.namesoftl-reremainingfewrr'rlersbeforethe
ultimate silence descended r-rpon Tikal'
Eprgrapher Steve Houston lras
Yik,in's name has not been easy to tratrslate .
of the Night Sky'" Giver-r the tradioffered the likely translation of "Darkness
tionalMayahabitofr."-i,-rgachild,especiallyaroyalchild,bythefatherstepfor a "sign" of a soul spirit or
ping out of the irir,f-,J"g q.rl"rrers and iookir-rg
how Yik'rn got his name' Hasaw'
nahwdlfor the n.* f-'"ing, we can speculate
would not likely have settled for
the father, although i,-,nluntiu. in cha.a.t.r
\while
the sighting of I jaguar, a sigartificial means of naming his royal heir.
certainiy have been convenient
nificant snake, b";;;f]y;r a crocodile would
"
he saw: the "darkness of the
what
for
in terms of pr"r,ig", H^1"* r1"a to settle
of the naming cannot be lost in
night sky." fh" norr"r,y, n' *tll as the beauty
brrth date in, the hieroglyphic
modern times. Although there is no recognized
bo'n during the dark of the moon
record, the name ,.,ggl"' that Yik'in *n'
"dark."
at Tikal wor-rld not normally be considered
even though ,r-r"
Therefore,
"igiirr.f
landscape.
the
The brillian.. of ,.n,, nlo,-'e is enough to illuminate
thisbirthmLlsthavebeenintheseasonwhenthenightskywasobscuredby
cloud.
Enough is knownaboutthereignofHasaw'sfirstsuccessortoir.idicatethat
Much of
puL,li. works on a g'a'-td scale than did his father'
he br,rilt even
-or"
r47
A FAMILY AFFAIR
this he did in honor of his father. It is likely thar the rule of yk'in chan K'awil
represented the peak of the Late Classic achievement and wealth at Tikal.
The other
tains quite a
n'rent. This
Nig/rt SA),
(Yik'in Chan K'atLtil)
Hasaw, and
to power. Tl
event descril
the fact that
son of I('an
to his past b
br-rilt Ternplt
an event ilr
immediate fr
The lintel ol
An irnposinl
thc southerr
ally constru,
text
associa
doorway of
component
is
cides with a
Yrk'in. The l
sirnilar devi
example of
depicted are
iconographi
Structure
into smaller
stories show
over the ravi
new structul
know was th
a view must
to be a marl
Yik'ir-r. The
orrly
guess.
retreat housl
rounds the s
cot'itaining a
thc shield cz
when Yik'in
multiple imr
yard (ill.9z)
'{
A I,AMILY AFFAIR
r Chan K'awil
at
Tikal.
:ign of Yik'in.
id can reasons
glory
8 December
accession was
(l//. ss) is an
r marked this
tes on a steia
The otircr tcxt which mentions Yik'in's accession date is on Stela -5 and contains cluitc a lot of other information about him, including his parentage statement. This stela was located in front of Temple -5D-33-rst, built by his fathcr,
Hasaw, and it was set in placc on ro June AD 7 44,3 ten years after Yk'in acceded
to power. The date has other importance. It is the r3-katun annivcrsary of the
event described on thc adjacent stela (Stela 3). The srgnificance of this lies in
thc fact that the earlier date, at 6 March an 488,4 was placed by the rSth ruler, a
son of I('an Ak, and an illustrious ancestor of Yik'in. Thus Stela 5 links Yrk'in
to his past by both placc and time. It serves as a monlrment to his father (who
built Templc a3), his grandfather (buried under Tcmple 33) and the date marks
alr event in his more distant ancestry. The samc stela records Yik'in's own
immcdiate family history, but lamentabiy, not the date of his birth.
ry important
Lscribed dates
:al sequence.
,nt in his life.
to be the date
Lssed
'
zr
is
the
ords
later.
(ill.
9z).
89 (left abot,e)
ctnt:
of' Yik'in's
9r (right) Dr,t
Structt.trc.;D-5
dltentletl
b1' d
aortnoritn[ j
I it'ert'.
rL]l
9z (btlou,) Dt
tl)(
t.tpper zon(
design mcr:' be
Kiniclt Ahttu
t'
sltiald on Lintt
i i';
srFF-s-'.-i',
'.::,.:.!:...
:.:..:1
.,r, - .,1:.i;t*i*
',F..n,
"-.""
.,rrS-i,-,.
-."i
plr
;-iJ
-,..
#-,
..;;.(
.9rt._i:]!!w..::..r*{..t,r-'.-.
].ld***s
fa :'
rJ,
9o (Left
9t (right) Draruing of
S:,!
li4
.6ilr
9q Drtttt'ing o[
ctrptttred ptLanq
Tt:mpLe I portr;n
Yik'in's greate
Thc construct
project rvhich
Temple
ar.rd
clcriver
flonr thc
scconcl :rnd th
scene featurin
turecl
palanclr,
rcsr-ilts
of tlvo
statcment thal
1j4,,a1111,,',
r,erif
stories told or
the life of a ro
lt
s'
,1
t't
I;
Lord seated on a
.nl)tur.ed paLanquin in uictoric.tus glory. The scine ret'lects a similar one on Lintel
TempLe I portraying his father, FIdsatu, in a simiLar situation.
j of
l\
A FAMILY AIJFAIR
are histories, possibly colored by propaganda, the tale of events as the king
wanted them remembered, and therefore they are structured through a series of
dates. This series is a great boon to the archaeology of the city, ranking in
importance with the inscriptions on Stela 3r and Temple VI.7 Thc progression
of evenrs is listed here in their chronological order which requires that the readings move back ar-rd forth between Lintels z and 3 of Temple IV
The temple itself stands c.64.6 m (z:'z ft) from the base of the great supporting platform to the sr-rrviving top of the roof comb, n-raking it the tallest surviving New'$7or1d structure. By comparison, the Tigre Compler at El Mirador is
55 m (r8r ft) and the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan rises a little over 6r m
(zoo ft) . In both cases the actual nass of coltstruction was greater than Temple
IV due to the size of ground dimer-rsions, but Temple IV remains the taliest. The
pyramid is formed by seven stacked terraces of diminishing size, with a central
grand stair leading to the temple. The proportion of the temple building is
somewhat longer and squatter than on Temples I and II, and 5D-33-rst, the
prototype. There is however, the single doorway which was introduced as the
signature of Hasaw for this style of temple architecture. The massive roof
comb suffered loss of detail as a result of the early clearing done by Maudslay,
but the heavily sculpted figure of the seated king can still be discerned, facing
r51
and design th
the doorway,
Ridge that br
that the early
ing from the
distance are t
not a separat
mark visrble
friendly neigl
A single pl
east-facing C
The lintel datr
The earliest
3. This recor
\7akah, thor
another wesr
The subject t
of
qr-rin
ground; II and I in the distance, Temple V off to the right or south' visible
behind the massive South Acropolis (see ilLs. j and t9).
Reconstruction of the Lost World Pyramid has exposed this giant construction to view of Temple IV today. One realizes that from this vantage point,
lookir-rg east, all of central Tikal was visible in ancient times when the foliage
was under control, and not coverirtg the plazas as it does today. Spaces that had
been designed to be open are now hidden by the rainforest.
Inside the temple there were three doorways separating the three narrow
rooms, each narrower than the one before from front to rear, in the fashion of
the Great Temples of Tikal. The lintel over the front doorway, now gone, is
assumed uncarved. Those over the secorrd and third doorways now reside in
Basel, Switzerland. A cast of Lintel 3 can be seen in the National Museum in
Guatemala City These great ntasterpieces of Maya art, including the lintcls of
Temples I and II, must now be viewed or-rtside the realm of their creation. The
lintels had been carved from the wood of the zapote tree, apparently outside
the temple and installed after the artwork was rendered. Impressions in the
plaster of the lintel beds high above the doorways teIl us that the wooden
beams were wrapped in reed mats for protection and tied with ropes for transportation. These reconstructed details of the intricate engineering that was
required to raise this exquisite temple or-rly reveal traces of the energy, thought,
temples face
the east (Ten
the
There exists
father Hasai
and one sho
phy remain
west. Additi
protector
is
are visible.
jaguar identr
(or perhaps
appear to dt
on Tcmple I
palarrquin)
event celebr
tifying a pal
imagery pat
qLlestion the
are recordec
like son.
One day
the capturet
sanctificatic
A FAMILY AFFAIR
ts as the kir-rg
ugh a series of
ty, ranking in
te progression
that the readlreat supporttallest surviv-
ElMirador
is
ittle over 6r m
r than Temple
he tallest. The
with
central
'le building is
D-33-rst, the
rduced as the
massive
roof
by Maudslay,
:erned, facing
Iemples I ar-id
rgle side-inset
ve). The view
I in the near
south, visible
ant constfucantage point,
:n the foliage
aces
that had
three narrow
he fashion of
now gone, is
row reside in
lMuseum in
the lintels
of
:reation. The
ently outside
ssions in the
the wooden
pes for trans-
and the sccncs shown on the can'ed lintels of Temple I, the work of Yik'in's
father H:rsaw. In each case there is onc lirrtel showing a jaguar protector deity
and onc showing a plumed serpent protcctor. Despite the fact that the two
tcmples face each other, one facing to the west (Temple I) - thc other facing to
thc east (Temple IV) - thc rclative positions of the jaguar and serpent iconogrephy remain the samc: serpcllt irnagery on the east and jaguar imagery on the
west. Addrtionally, there is a difference in thc jaguar imagery. On Tcmple I the
protector is a very large and clear figr:re of the animal. Even traces of the tail
arc visible. On Temple IV the imagcry is of a very large hunan figure wearir.rg
jagr-rar identifiers - spots on thc visible arm and 1eg. Another possible difference
(or perhaps it is incomplete ktrowlcclge) is that both lintels on Temple IV
appear to deal with the victories and capture of enemy palanquins. However,
on Temple I, Lintel 3, we have evider-rce only for an identical event (cepturc of
palancluin) at a different city (Calakmul). For lack of the con-rplete tcxr, rhe
event celebrated on Lintel z of Templc I is not known, br-rt thc clements identifying a palanquin are certainly present with a great deal cif plumed serpent
inragcry paralleling that on Ternple IV, Lintel 3. While there is no reason to
qLlcstion the tnrth of the events rccorded on Temple I! the likclihood that they
are recorded ir-r imitation of those on Temple I cannot be igr-rored: like fathcr,
lil<e son.
One day laterll some kind of damage or destrr-rction was perforn'red against
the captured palancluin from El Peru (or thc new site).It may have bcen a desancti{ication cercmony designed to dissociate thc holy object from its placc of
r5
A I-AMII,Y AFFAIR
origin. Thc tcrtr-ral phrase errds with the arrival back home of thc Lord of Tikal
(Yik'in).
About six morrths later,12 another ceremony was recorded r5 days ilftcr a
neilr totel solar eclipse at Trkal. The action seems to bc the placing of an offering in il cacl-re plate by Yik'in, but its timing is relatccl to the cor.rquest which is
the main tl'reme of the narrativc on Lir-rtel 3 of Temple IV
One day latcr, on 4 February AD 71113 a new "star war" event was rccorded
on Lintel 2.. This timc the place of attack was thc city of Naranjo to the east of
Tikal, ancl the object of att:rck the patron god of Naranjo. Again the action
involvecl thc royal palanquin of thc attacked city. The capture of Yax May I(an
Chac Sak Chucn, a known king of Naranjo, and his palanquin wcrc rccorded.
The actor, oncc again, was the chacte of Tikal, Yik'in.
Tl-rrcc years after the capture of the palar-rquirr of E,l Perr-r (or the alternate
site),1a yet another cerernony w:rs pcrfcinned by Yik'in iu commcmoration of
what must havc been the most significant achievement of his reign. This ceremony invoked a "rencwal" of the god of the captureci palar-iquin which is now
idcntified as the "god of thc chacte" of Tikal. The implications, both religious
ar-rd politic:rl, are astounding. By right of capturc, this inanirnate obiect,
viewed :,rs a god of a foreign capitill has, through ceremony, bccome a god of
Tikal. The tert dcscribes how Yik'in was carriecl on the palanquin with its own
llArle, and how he danced in the Great Plaza at Tikal. Probably these are anniversary celebrations of thc capture of the palanquin and concluest of the
distant city; accompanied by declication of this holy oblect to usu in its new
home at Tikal.
Tlre follolvitrg year, on 7 March AD 74715 we are told that Yik'in conclucted a
vcry similar event but this tirne celebrating the anniversary of the capture of thc
palanquin of Naranjo. This trrrre the ceremony inch-rdccl a serpent vision expcrienced by the king, like the one dcpicted at Yaxchilan.16
\ile can only guess at the meaning of thc parallels between the texts.on the
lintels of Templcs IV and I. Like Templc I, Temple IV could be the mortuary
strllctllre for Yik'in, as is believed by many scholars. Nevertheless, hc was
clearly emulatirrg his father in at least onc rcgard, the recording of conqucsts in
the most striking manncr. Terr-rple I! t1-re tallest strllctur:e to have ever been
built in Tika1, was carefr-rlly placed in space, not only facir"rg Templc I, residence
of the god-ancestor Flasaw in such a way that no intervenii-lg strllctlrre (either
before or after) obscured the view from dclorway to cloorw:r1', but also in a way
that fulfills truly rcmarkable geometric rclationships to earlier import.rnt
temples. The gcometrv of Tikal architecture is described in Chapter Twclve.
The dates recordcd on the Ternple IV lintcls span a period of a little uncler
four ycars. We do not know the date of construction of the building itself,
altl-rough :r suggested date bascd upon a varietl' of sourccs is in the year AD 74r,
coincident with the known datc of construction of another br-rilding raised by
Yik'in in thc Central Acropolis, Structure 5D-52-rst, describccl earlier.
Howevcr, the questior-r always arises at Tikal concerning thc relative dates of
ri6
constructl(]r
The reason
Maya built a
Egypt, the c
few mor.rths.
conccrning
the huge bu
the dates of
completion.
constructior
against a lat
not actually
thc lintels w
Thus
Yk'in,
end
but
CoLumn ALtt
Pl,aza tn ry6
This small t
placed on
Structure
51
altar was pr
classic activ
from some
stood
ar.rcie:
hallcourt m
another sin
is finely de
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Lord of
Tikal
days aftcr a
g
of an offer-
luest whrch is
was recorcled
to the east of
in the :rctior.r
fux May I(an
ere recorcled.
the altcmate
rmoration of
;n. This cerewhich is now
,oth rcligious
mate object,
rme a god
construction for a Great Temple as opposed to the dates recordcd on its lintels.
The reason for thrs problem is qurte an intercstit'tg question about l-row the
Maya burlt and completed a temple on these proportiot'rs. Like the pyran-rids of
Egypt, thc construction ;ob was clearly a vcry big one, not accomplished in a
few rnonths. The same interpretative problem exists for both Tcmples I and IV
concerning thc dates recorded on the wooden lintels ar-id the probable dates of
thc huge building's construction. L'r both cases there is a good argumcnt that
ti-re dates of events on the lintels are a few years later than the probable cliltes of
completion. This suggests that the lintels were installed several years after tl-re
constrllctiol-I. Conversely, what we know of the construction sequence argues
agair-ist a later installation of the lintels. This wor-r1d mean that Templc IV was
not actuaily finishecl r-rntil some littlc time after March, AD 747, assuming tl-rat
the lintcls were carved bcfore their installation.
Thus ends the hieroglyphic record from the largest monument raised by
Yik'in, but by no means is it the last we hear of him.
of
Lese
quest
se
of
the
in its new
conductecl a
9;
aptlue of thc
vision expeI
textS.on the
K'aruiL.
he mortuary
:less, he was
conquests in
ve ever becn
e I, residence
rcture (either
also in a way
:r important
er Twelr'e.
r little under
rilding itsclf,
year AD
74r,
ing raised by
ibed earlier.
.tive dates of
t A smali
r57
A n_AMILY AI,FAIR
parallcls with Altar 8, also showirrg a bcir.rnd prisoner and dating to Yik'in's
twin-pyran'rid group (Group 3D-z) of slightly Iater date. It is suggested that the
salne artist carved bcith monuments.
The inscribed date is ro Dccember en 74817 and the text recorcls the capturc
of a noble by the name of Chac Toh Waybi \fluk Tzukls (no trarrslation),
thought to be from Naranjo becausc his name also appears on llore than one
cer:rmic vesscl from that site at the same time pcriod.
Grou'p.;l)-z The twin-pyramid gror.rp which marks the end of the r6th katun
96
Temple Vl
could weLl be
in his right hand a vertical staff ending in a three-bladecl weapon while his left
arm supports a small shield. He stands bcfore a throne bearing the face of a
jagr,rar wearing !'r "tie" knotted under its chin. Thc ruler holcls a bag in his left
hand probably holdir-ig incense or tobacco. His large back-rnask is topped with
a bent human lcg as on his earlier Stela -5. The iconography of this detached
human leg rnr-rst bear somc meaning to his conquests.
Toward the north end of the Maler Causeway, which leads to thc North
Group, there is a very large rock sculpture, the only one of its kind known at
Tika1, carvcd into the exposed and hardened bcdrock. TI're scene depicts twcr
figurcs, one a prisoner. The accompanying inscription, although eroded, sug-
Mendez Car
found durin
gests
project of
Pr
temple diffe
doorways ar
tecture befo:
measures r2
of the longe
historical re
room templ
cant archite
the East Pla
r58
palace coml
Temple VI (
The Temple of the lnscriptions was dccmed to be a Great Ternple at the timc of
discovery because of its imposing size and connection to the central zone by thc
In front o
,//.8s). AIth
rg to Yik'in's
estecl that the
[s
the captr-rrc
tmslation),
.ore thelr one
c r6th katr-rn
the
LnclLrc'lrne
7. The
group
the maps
as
<al is locatcd
ie catlscw:l),s
'nretion. The
rge pt,ramicl
l sec today is
rext to it sLtgrvetions conrarl,v Classrc
rorth of thc
nplc 1C-4
j is
9(, Temple Vl, knotun as the Temple of the Inscriptions, u,as dedictted b),Yik'in and
couldtuellbehisburialmonument.Theroof combuiththeinscriptionsisthoughtto
hdue been atltled after Yik'in's death.
like Stcla z r,
Yrk'in holcls
rvhile his lcft
:hc face of a
ag in hrs
lcft
topped li,ith
his clctached
o thc North
rcl knor.vn at
clepicts tr,vcr
e
roclecl, sug-
t thc time of
lzonc b1'the
Mendez Causewa,v. This was thc last cliscovered of the largc temples of Tika1,
for,rnd during exploration in t 9 57 by Antonio Ortiz, forcman of the excavation
project of Pennsylvania. Although measuring more than z5 m (8o ft) ta1l, tl-ris
temple differs quite markedly frorn other Great Temples at Tikal. It has three
doorways and is proportioned in thc squat wide fashion characteristic of architecture before thc reign of Hasaw (iLl. 96). However, the remarkable roof corrL-r
mcasrires rz. j m (ao ft) in height and the central panel at the rear contait-rs one
of the longest inscriptions at the site. Since inscriptions ere our tnain soLlrce of
historical reconstruction of the city, this panel is very i11po.rant. The tworoom temple faces west into a large walled coLlrtyard, devorcl of other significant architecture. The Mcndez Car-rseway leads from the southeast corner of
the East Plaza down a iong inclinc interrupted by t1-re presence of G Group, a
palace complex, and ending along the north side of the courtyard that fronts
Ternple VI (ill. 97).
Lr front of the Tcmple stairway and facing wcst are Stela zr and Altar 9 (see
ill. 88). Although half-missing, enough text rcmains to know that Stela 2r was
ri9
A FAMILY AITFAIR
lnscrlptlon,
story of the
of early settlt
itself may be
The earlie
those small
r,
archaeologic
founding of
remarkable.
The next
<
Middle Prec
date of r56 n
lis was alrea,
lowed by a
review of th
various stela
available to
unknown ev,
The rema
Yik'in, inclu
97 Shadetl ared indicdles a group of building projects attributed to Yil<'in tuhich are
cctnnected b1, the Mendez Causetual'. They include Group G nedr the upper (Left) end of
the Cduseutd)4 ancl TentpLe Yl at the bottom of the Causetady (right).
figure in Har
life, meaninl
fall only thr
Ain II, or Ru
ro
of Yik'in's monuments, and its locatiori indicatcs dedication of the temple
before which it stands. Thcrc is also reference to Yik'in ir-r the greet inscription
of the roof comb. Tl-rere is a possibility that the roof comb was added at a later
date by a later king, but nevertheless collstructiorl of the monuncnt is essociated with Yik'in. Because of the architectural integration of the Mcndcz
Causeway and the palace Group G, these features can :rlso bc associated with
one
this ruler.
The mystery of the dates from Ternple VI
The recorded dates inch,rded in the massive inscription extend over a pcriocl of
r9o5 years, reaching back into what must have beer.r mythological tirne for thc
Maya who carved the text.zo Further dates concern later historical cvcnts that
remained in the oral tradition or were contemporary.
The chosen location for the temple may well relate to thc carlicst mythologi-
cal dates. Christopher Jones2r has argucd that Tikal was first settled in this
rcgion ancl Patrick Culbert has dernonstrated that one of the earliest cerarnic
deposits of trash camc from the immediate region of Temple VI. Lr this
t6o
Tl
zr in fr
766.27
Stela
roof comb
it
tive possibilr
himself in tl
little doubt t
of Yik'in's p
Yik'in's n
his father's'
and Temple
'
II. There is
structure 3(
paralleling
and 5D-33-
detailin Ch
In summ
include Ten
A FAMILY AITFAIR
ubich are
(left) end
of
rf the temple
inscription
Ced at a later
Lt
period of
time for the
a
I events that
t mythologi-
:ttled in this
liest cer:amic
VI. In this
inscription, were the Maya trying to reach back in time to recreate an entire
story of the settlement of the site, skipping most of the middle parts but telLng
of early settlement and then relating this to contemporary events? The location
itself may be ar-r attempt to raise a monument at the point of first arrivai.
The earliest date at rr39 BC22 is a time when Tikal could have been one of
those small villages described in Chapter Three, although it is earlier than any
archaeological evider"rce for humans on the site. If this is the true date of the
foundir-rg of Tikal, tl-ren its maintained memory until the Sth century is truly
remarkable. The alternative is that the date is a mythological guess.
The next date is 457 BC,z3 which falls during the Tzec ceramic period of the
Middle Preclassic, and Tikal definitely was occupied at this time. The third
date of :r56 scza is during the Late Preclassic, by which time the North Acropolis was already an established and sacred entity.25 These early dates are all followed by a Tikal emblem glyph, strongly suggestittg that they represent a
review of the eariy historical events in the settlement and growth of the site.
Just what these events are remains a mystery.
The next five dates on the Temple VI roof comb are also found carved on
various stelae set on the North Terrace of the Great Plaza and so were readily
available to Yk'in. What these record are some tun-ending dates and other
unknown events falling between AD 5r4 and 528.26
The remainder of the text is historical in nature and deals with the life of
Yik'in, including his mother's name, the Lady Twelve Macaw (the romantic
figure in Hasaw's life) as well as Yik'in's claim to be in the fourth katun of his
life, meaning that he was over 6o years of age. In this series, the last two dates
fall only three years before the succession date of Yik'in's son, known as Yax
Ain II, or Ruler C. The last recorded date in this historical series is r5 February
to 766.27 There is an exact ir-rterval of 3o years between the date on Yik'in's
Stela zr in front of the temple and the final date on the roof comb series. The
roof comb itself could be an addition erected after Yik'in's death. The alternative possibility is that Yik'in made the addition himself very late in life, placing
himself in the chronological flow of the entire history of Tikal. There remains
little doubt that the temple itself and its accompanying stela and altar were one
of Yik'in's projects.
Yik'in's monumental architectural projects were prodigious, exceeding even
his father's work in sheer quantity. The constructiort of Temple VI on the east
and Temple IV on the extreme west of the city created a ne% expanded cosmos
for the city Temples VI and IV face each other in the manner of Temples I and
II. There is a known geometric relationship between Temples IV and VI with
Structure 3C-4 in the North Zone28 as well as the formation of a new triad,
parallelingthe triad formed by Hasaw in the GreatPlaza with Temples I, II,
and 5D-33-rst. The role of geometry in city plar-rning is discussed in greater
detail in Chapter Twelve.
In summary, known works of Yik'in's architectural contributior-rs to Tikal
include Temple IV, Group 3D-2, palace Structure 5D-52-rst, Temple VI, and
t6t
A FAMII,Y AFFAI]T
possibly the roof con'rb attached to it. Associated by inference, we must also
include the Mendcz Causeway, Group G palace complex, which may have been
Yik'in's private palace quarters, and possibly the Maler Causeway, inclr-rding as
it does, the giant rock sculpture attribllted to Yik'in, as well as the E,ast Plaza
"tnarket place."
3r'
/i
.,
'ru
The questi<-rn of this great ruler's place of burial is complex and unresolved.
Either of the Great Temples whicl-r he built, Temple IV and Temple VI, rnight
l-rave been raised for mortuary pllrposes. In the absence of excavation there are
ariuments against botl-r. The only cast-facing Great Templc that has been
archaeologically tested is Temple II where no burial was discovered. On the
basis of this single example it is risky to conch-rde that al1 threc of Tikal's eastfacing Great Temples (II, III, and IV) scrved only as colnmelnorative cenotaphs
to ancestors, and yet this possibility is real. While thc inscriptions on Temple
IV are a celebration of Yik'in's own exploits, the location and position of the
monument were set in such a manner that homage to his deceased father
(Hasaw) was integral to the building's existence. \We still do not know if any
tomb is covered by either Temple IV or Temple lll.
The identity of the personage in Burial r96 is important because its contents
clcarly belonged to a member of the royal family. This burial was discovered by
Nicholas Hellmuth bcneath Structure 5D-73, a very curious structurc in its
own right . Located immediately south of Ternple II, the structurc is a pyraruidal series of platforms with no buildirrg at thc summit. Comparable in height
to many temples in t1-re North Acropolis, the mystery of why a pyramid containing a lavish royal tomb would be raised with no masonry building at the
summit is unanswered. The contents of the tomb ceramics and stylistic
designs of non-ceramic objects - place the tomb as nearly contemporary or
slightly later than that of Hasar,v (Burial r r6 under Temple I). This would place
the tomb at about the right time for Yik'in's burial. The grave included one
adult male laid centrally, face up, with his head to the west (i//.98). The grave
goods were superb and on a par with those of Burial r16. They included some
truly remarkable polychrome vessels and a jade carving of a baby jaguar, in
addition to one item of special interest. This is a lidded cylinder vessel of jade
mosaic (pl. XI) which is rn apprrent cornpanion piece to the one described
earlicr from Hasaw's tomb. The piece from Burial r16 has a male human head
as a handle to thc lid, and an incrsed inscription which identifies Hasaw's name.
Conversely, the vase from Buriai r96 has no inscription while thc human hcad
on the lid has features which rnatch those of Maya women, especially the l-rair
design. A protuberant device ertending from the cylinder vessel's exterior wa11
has been interpreted by some as phallic, but its complerity of desigr-r suggesrs a
more abstract concept. The two vessels (from Burials rr6 and 196) look like a
pair manufactured simultaneously of a male and female couple. The male
r6z
sr.-*s".
W'r;r-.
so@
#i
gV^
L
"
q9
^ t.))
o"
-44ffi
ffi,tr*^
42' YC
@'?'
';6
A FAMII-Y AFI,'AIR
we must also
tay have been
;
including
as
he East Plaza
sa[')sq$
I unresolved.
ft
/*
_1
/t
/i
sffi88.. tt
E g"*o;
%*j
l0-
ryS's;e"
cenotaphs
q
15
99
gffi
,vF' .*.
eased father
if
tht: Lctrd.
on Temple
'sition of the
Ls
know
\\\
'\rL#;l
5lr"*.i"'
Tikal's e ast-
-_5
..4
-.
f*'t$ 56
ov@
52-"'
any
t*
.t . iit:'t':S
$;T
i.
.,
f[+q.1";s: .f
l its contents
Iiscovered by
ucture in its
r+'
is a pyrami-
ble in height
,1,1
yramid con-
'i_
r,;1..
@r1,',
\w
m
ilding at the
stylistic
)mporary or
,.+":t,*)
ar-rd
would place
ncluded one
'). The grave
rluded some
ry jaguar, in
essel of jade
re described
ruman head
saw's name
ruman head
ally the hair
:rterior wall
;n suggests a
) look like a
:. The male
lM
A FAMILY AFFAIR
version was placed in Hasaw's tomb (l//. 87) . The second vessel with female
head likely represents Hasaw's beloved wife, to whom considerable amenriorl
had been paid following her death, including the construction of Temple II.
Yik'in may have placed the vessel bearing his father's image and name into his
father's tomb but retained the representation of his mother for inclusion in
another grave. The fact that this second tomb was buried beneath a structure
adjacent to and facing Temple II, the mother's monument, is compelling. The
question still remair-rs of who is buried in Burial r96 (ill. gq). Could it be Yik'in
himself, as some have suggested or could it be another brother of Yik'in's, one
who never ruled?2e Finally, Burial r96 could be Ruler 28, who followed Yik'in in
Yik'in Ch
(Darknes
succession.
Related to the mystery of Yik'in's burial place is the question of the author-
ship of Structure lC-+l in the North Group. The triadic relationship of this
structure with Temples IV and VI is a strong indication that this northern
building was part of Yik'in's greater architectural scheme. However, we know
very little about the date of this large Classic period temple other than its geometric relationships to Temples IV, VI, and I and that an important Early
Classic structure forms its base.
The second from last date or-r the roof comb of Temple VI is connected to an
event which has a particularly relevant reading made by Schele and Grube.3o
The date is rz February to 7663t and the reading says: "Smoke entered the
waybil shrine taken by the z8th king in the succession." Tlwo points are important: smoke entering a shrine describes a ritual found to be associated with
death in other contexts, and Yik'in was the zTth ruler in the succession, not the
z8th. The z8th ruler was his successor for a brief time and we do not know who
he was, perhaps Yik'in's first son - and perhaps also, the personage in Burial
196 under Structure SD-ll in the Great Plaza. The implication here rs that the
whole inscription on the roof comb was added by the zBrh successor who
recorded the life of Ylk'in and only alluded to himself in this last phrase which
deals with a death ritual connected to Yk'in's burial.
The very next available date in the history of Tikal is eo 76832 two years larer
from Stela zz, and this is a retrospective date telling of the succession of
Yk'in's son, Yax Ain II, to the throne of Tikal. The interver-ring rime was presumably filled by the unknowr-r zSth ruler, but the record is incomplete. The
mystery of the location of Yik'in's burial remains, but beneath Temple VI is the
most favored location. Like Temple I, Temple VI faces wesr, toward the direction of death and the underworld. Yik'in is known to have emulated his father
in many respects, including the formation of a new and spatially erpanded
cosmos for the city. For these reasons, Temple VI is the better candidate for the
location of his burial.
164
z.8th Rul
(Dark
SLr
A FAMII,Y AFFAIIT
I with female
lble attention
of Temple IL
name into his
: inclusion ir-r
lh a structure
npelling. The
ld
it
be
Yk'in
:Yik'in's, one
wed Yrk'in in
Table
Time span
Name
AD
LTth
8
l)ecembcr.ro 734
zz luly
of this
his northern
nship
to
ortant Early
7'13
rnected to an
tnd Grube.30
Fcbruary eo 7'14
Fcbruary
: entered the
impor-
ociated with
sion, not the
rt know who
el
74,1
r 3 July
re is that the
eo 746
de.lic.rtiurr,'f
he
p.rlrrtquin
ccessor who
rhrase which
7
,o years
El Peru
(Jn Lilrrel 3, Ternple IV:
ceremony at Tikal, cache
commcrnorating conquest of
El Peru
On Lintel z, Templc IV
another "star war" evettt
ag:rinsr Naranjo
Placement of Stcla 5 before
.5D-33,, on Stela 5
On Lintel 3, Terrrplc IV:
ro June ao 744
rge in Burial
know
r Ar-rgust eo
36
ts are
RulerNo
Euent
Date
I tK ln \_lll]n N .lwll
f the author-
ver, we
March ar
(ln Lintel
7,17
later
Naran
rccession of
me was premplete. The
rple VI is the
rd the direc-
z8th Rulcr
:d his father
(Dark Sun?)
ro December au 748
5
z, Tcn'rple IV:
cclcbration of anniversary of
capture of palanquin of
May eo 75r
jcr
katun
zStlr
rz February
,tl
766
y expanded
idate for the
r,5
February au 766
comb of Templc VI
On Temple VI roof comb:
lo-ycar anniversary of Stcla zr
and declication of Temple VI,
and possibly the date of thc
addition of tl.rc roof comb
r6s
CHAPTER ELE,VF,N
{inal thr:oes of dynastic rLrle at Trkal were to last for slightly morc than
anothcr century with only three mcire known rulers filling this timc pcriod.
They are Yik'in's son, now known as Yax Ain II; the ruler who built Temple III,
now knowr-r as Nu Bak Chak II (or Shieid Skull II); and finally Hasaw Char-r
I('awil II, obviously named after the "great man" of Tikal. This chaptcr deals
witl-r thc ccintributions of these last thrcc rulers, even though little can bc rcconstructed. As the fortunes of Tikal begin to declinc, infonnation becomes scantier for each nrler. Less construction was done arrd fcwcr, if any, ir-rscril.tions
exist to help in the reconstruction of the decline. This ncrt-to-last epoch is the
cnd of history as recorded by thc Maya of Tika1. The final epoch has no l-ristory
and is restorcd solely from the archaeology
T1-re
too
Curl Nctse
(Yax Ain
Il)
when the fortunes of thc great were slipping once again. The monumental
public works of Yirx Ain II still werc a major contribution to thc configur:rtiot.t
of the city :rs we know it, but there arc hints that the moment of grcatest glory
had passed with the life of his father.
Yax Ain ll's public works are sharply divided bctween those that are certain
by associated inscription and those that arc inferred by stratigraphy ancl
archaeology The lattcr are the largest and more important, but they bear ncr
rrnlrgual.le sigrrrt rrre.
The certain works ir-rclude two separate, br-rt adjacent twin-pyramicl compleres cach rrrarking the end of katuns 17 ancl r8 and spaced r katun (zo years)
apart. Thesc nonuments were Yar Airr II's declaration that he was rulcr i,rt tl-re
tirne of thc ending of these katuns. Bccause they are physically:rdjacent, the
t66
Reconstr
stela enclctsur
The configura
two comple
tiated by th,
guislied bv t
and also, by
modcrn visi
As noted
provided or
two fixed d
pyramid gr,
Group 4E-4
This architt
cast of Ten
built by
Compler (
too and to,
times large
tory monul
and roz)
ar
ly more than
time periocl.
It Temple
III,
Hasaw Chan
chaptcr deals
can be recor.rrcomes
scant-
, inscriptions
t epoch is the
as no history
Ls
recognized
cation of the
, hc receivecl
1
At the r995
:rocodile, rerd. Thus one
:
the death of
in the Great
al of such an
age at a
time
monumental
onfiguration
reatest
two cornplexes were called collectively "Group E" on the map and differentiatecl by the terms Complex Q and Complex R.2 These two groups are distingr-rishecl by being the two physically largest twin-p1'1nrr.rid gror-rps built at Tikal,
and also, by location, the first architectural entities that are encountered by the
moderrr r isitor lo lhe sile.
As noted before, Yax Ain II's accession date is z-5 December ,q,o 768,1 a d:rte
provided on Stela zz in Group Q, the earlier of the two llroups. Tl-rere are only
two fixed dates after this time. one from each declicatory stela in each twinpyramid group.
glory
Group 4E-4 (Complex Q)
.t are certailt
igraphy ancl
:hey bear no
This architectural monument was constructed roughly half a kilorneter northeast of Temple I. The location lies directly east of Group 4D-r (Complex O)
built by Hasaw, and may have been deemed auspicious for this reason.
Cornplex Q is the largest twir-r-pyramid group ever constructed at Tikal (i//s.
rooand roj).ltisraisedonahighplatformcoveringr.B8hectares,nearlythree
times larger than the group rmmediately bcforc it at Complex P. The declicatory monurnent for Complex Q is Stela zz accompanied by Altar ro (ills. ror
and roz) and thc datc of the katr-rn-ending is zo January to 77t.4 The artistic
style is a closc
Templc VI som
ccremon)r or tl
observation of
rnessage says
completed ano
Vhile Yax /
this tert, nor I
woman has par
Tiventy years
ately wcst of h
on a high plat
1
down to rvhat
pyramid is br-ri
Tirc declicat
Thc inscriptio
t
toz (aboue)
SteLa
TikaL.
groLlp comme
another imitat
badl.v eroded,
to3
of this
t1,1te
of
roq
ComPlex R
ttt'in-pl,rdntid
gt
itnntediatelt, adl
the open sPace t
Q. Its pristine st
tlemonstrates th
in u,bich ttn une
groLrp LL'ils foutl
fallen stelae.
north enclosure
of
beginning of the
Ain Il in AD 77r.
t.l
to be found in
p ctn a tour of
amid
of
,in-btrdmid
'restored
vPe
.tp
of
ai Tikdl.
uds reached
lairs.
Comstlex R is another
ttuin-pttramitl group
i mme di dt: ely a dj d ce nt tct
the open spdce of Complet
Q. lts'pristine stdte
,l( monsttrI('s Iltt condiIion
in tt,hich dn unexcauated
group tLids found. Note the
faLlen steltte.
tct1t
of Tentltlc \/ is
roof of
Mtrl.er's Pal.ttce
front tlta
I in the (]re:at Plctztr
oucr thc roof of Mdler's l'ttlttte in
tht: Centrrtl Acropolis, sbott;s tha
t
fi'ottt oI
TernS.tle
trLigntncnt
trith
in tlte btrckground.
cLlrrent rlller. C)n Altar 6, there are or-rly four ligtrrcs, trncl they are separatccl by
largc glyph p:rne1s rvhicl-r lamentably arc illcgible.
Yar Ain ll named himself irs thc zgth rulcr in the succession on Stcla zz. The
relative lack of clatecl rronulnclits fror-n his rcign suegusts s()m.: clecline in his
abiliti,- to colnlrlurcl tlrc lvcalth to builcl large public nrolrlllnents. Only the trvci
trvin-trryranricl groups cr)ntilin c(ncrete lssocintcd clatcs irnd trace clefirritc
a.Llthorship to hinr. Hi)$'ever, there are othcr ancl larger lvorks tl'rat c:rn bc
to:
A delail,
Complert:s Q
Yax Ant ll
Group F, d
Iikel),tht: sttr'
of
of
cleclucecl to
\vorks of hl
and the imp
(5D-65), n:
engravcci ot
buildrngs
ar
pilttern of f
thougl-r one
strong geor
that they
rvt
There is
of the
itsclf
palar
rvor-rld
the palacc,
titv of lill
rr
on the ravin
separated by
Stela zz. The
lecline in his
Only tl-re two
race defir.rite
that can bc
ro7 A
detdiL
d relations h ip
bettueen the twct carued steLae in
Complexes Q and R, both the uorl<
of Yax Ain II, uith tlte centraL axis
of Group F, a pdlace comPLex, and
likeh, the sttme Lctrd's residence.
th
gh t- angLe
name
cngraved on the jamb of one of the palace's doorways (ill. ro). Thcse two
br.rildings are related by stylistrc details of forrn and decoration, including the
pattcrn of facing stones and masks in the upper zone of both structures' evcn
though one is a palace, and the othcr a temple (iLl. rc7). Further, there is a very
strong geometric rclationship that binds the structures togcther, suggestilrg
that thcy were constrr-rcted sirnultaneously.6
There is yet another link between Te mple V and Maler's Palace . The raising
of the palace involved t"rrllch more constrllction labor thar-r the mcre building
itself would suggest. Cor-rrt z of the Central Acropolis was buiit up as a base for
thc p:rlace, as wcll as to provide the ambient space for the courtyard. The quantity of fiIl required to complete the Courtyard measured z6 m (85 ft) in height
on the ravine sidc (south) and approximately 7 m (4 ft) on the north side where
parable in effort zrnd voillmetric fiIl to the building of a medium-sizcd ternple for crample, Templc VI.
The jr-rstificatior-i for ascribing this rnassivc effort to the reign of Yax Ain II is
based upon thc stratigraphy of the Central Acropolis. It is known that Structure 5D-52-rst, thc basic elcrnent of the Five-Story Palzrcc was br,rilt by Yik'in,
Tcrrple V
There is one other architectural project that can be attriburted to Yar Airt Il,
calculated on the basis of geomctric relationships. This is the palace grollp
knowr-r as "Group F," a quadrangular compound locatcd to the north of Gror.rp
G, at tl-re top of the Mendcz Causeway. The Gror-rp F palaces lie sor-rth of Yirx
Ain's gi:rnt twin-pyramid group, Cornpler Q (Gror-rp +E-+). A line conncctit-tg
Stelire r9 ancl zz,both erected by Yax Ain Il, forms a perfcct right-angle with
the r-rorth-south axis of Group F (ill. roZ). The relatiortship cannot possibly be
:rccidetrtal. Rather, it suggests that Group F was constructcd togethcr with thc
latcr Con-rplex R (Gr:oup 4E-3) maintaining the right-anglc exactly at Stela zz.
Despite these qr:itc fr:r-ritful inferential attributiot'ts of a number of architectural monumcnts at Tikal, therc remain a siguificant number of features for
which no attribLltion, however speculative, rs possiblc at this timc. For example,
the Bat Palace (Strr-rcturc 5C-rl), the entirc compler of the South Acropolis
(5D-ro4 et al), the East Acropolis, the whole of the Seven Tcmples gror-rp (5D96) including its major soLrthern palace (lD-gt), are all unattributed, to name a
few. Hopefully, future rcsearch will be able to irnprovc this situatior-r.
lf pushed to speculate, one might guess that tl-re Bat Palace was a royal court
built by the 3oth Rr-rler (see below) for two rcasolls: proximity to Templc III,
which was built by this ruler; and the similarity of the layout of the spacious
cast-facing forecourt which imitates the entrance of G Group, likely built as the
royal court of Yik'in. The imitator had to come later. Furthcr the steppcd vattlt
style of interior finish is a late fcature at Tika1. These factors add up to a tentative attribr,rtion to the 3oth ruler.
The Sor,rth Acropolis, devoicl of any ber-refit of excavation, rentritrs ltt
enigma with only alignments and geometric connections as a clue. Thesc connections (ilL. rc8) show reiationships to lrany far-fiung structlrres built by
many differenr rulers. Thc central tcmple serves as a fulcrum for rclationsl-rips
to at least scven other structures outsidc the South Acropolis.
It is a long reach by iconography, bllt one can note a similarity of decoration
r7z
ro8 A serie:
dmongnum
projects is n
between
t.
Temples g
the figures
on his hea
references
Temples g
evidence ir
The final
Identificat
stelae or t
comtemple -
te was
ed
(ax Ain II is
that Struc[t by
Yik'in,
hat Malcr's
rs. It is concre tenable,
ace was the
w:ry
: which prer such a
rndson, was
strrlction of
rYax Ain II,
alace group
th of Group
outh of Yax
: connecting
t-angle
with
possibly be
her with the
at Stela zz.
of architecfeatures for
lor example,
r
:h Acropolis
; group (5D,d, to name a
rclatictnships
these
is not known.
n.
a
royal court
Temple III,
the spacious
y built as the
teppecl r,ault
lp to a tentar
temains an
:. These conrres built by
relationships
rf decoration
betweenthecrosseclbonesontherearofthecentraltempleintheSeven of
of one
i"rrrpt", group nr-td ,hor. that appcar as decoration on the headgear device
heraldic
same
th. fig.rr.i of Altar 5. The "Lori of Cnlnk'tt.rl" bears this
the associated stela r6 bears multiple
<tn his headclress. Alro, Hnrn*'s skirt on
monLlnents, either
Identification of rulers by namc, and association with
stclaeclrbuilclirrgs,carronlyconefrominscriptions,ancltowardstheerrdof
173
rro
The cart
at the fctctt o1
head lying in
mdt symbol
It is unfr
only by a s
altar that s
ro9 On\ the restored temple dnd roof comb
of Temple lll are uisibLe aboue the forest
ctrnopy as uieued edst from TempLe lV.
The date or
end of the -
in a twin-1
resources v
Tikal's glory these are very scant. The last clustcr of such inscriptions cenrers
on Great Temple III: onc from the carved wooden Lintel z of the temple itself
and the other from Stela 24, erected in front of Temple III; both relate to the
3oth ruler of Tikal. A single inscription on Stela rr in the Great Plaza relates to
the last recorded ruler of Tika1, the 3rst in succession.
Nu Bak Chak II (Shield Skull II)
Like most of the rulers of Tikal, the name of the 3orh in succession has undergone a number of interpretations. The name "Dark Sun" appears on the stela
in front of Temple III (Ste1a zq) as well as on Stela 20, one of Yik'in's stelae.
This
his optionr
pyramid gr
The
acc
around the
ated by erc
One of the
(ill. rrc).
Temple
interior tar
detail of tl
cality rend
The
spe<
lative: for
not have
Why
is
it lc
a role that
are a few tl
fit well wi
oof comb
orest
tv.
ions centers
temple itself
relate to the
.za relates to
through
3o.
Temple VI,
ersonage in
4 connected
t is the same
k Sun" may
iness
of the
only by a single Great Temple (ill. rc) with a carved lintel and the stela and
altar that stand before it. However, it is more than we have for the final ruler.
The date on Stela zqis zq June eo 8ro8 which in fact is a katun-ending date, the
end of the rgth katun in the Maya count. Such a date should have been included
in a twin-pyramid complex but none was built for this katun. 'J(/e infer that
resources were badly down by this time and that the ruler had to choose among
his options, and the construction of a Great Temple won out over a twinpyramid group.
The accompanying altar is a notable work of art' The carving wrapping
around the periphery of Altar 7 is divided into four sections with figures separated by eroded mat symbols as found earlier on Yax Ain II's Altars 6 and ro.
One of the four figural designs is clear - a deity head resting in a tripod bowl
(ill. rrc).
Temple III stands roughly 6o m (r8o ft) in height, faces east and has two
interior tandem rooms instead of the three found in Temples I, II, and IV Little
detail of the sculpture on the roof comb has survived, but its height and verticality render the temple comparable to Temple I in proportion.
The specific reasons for the choice of location of Temple III would be speculative: for example, why does it face east? Does this mean that the Temple does
not have a burial and serves only a commemorative function like Tempie II?
'$flhy
is it located between the earlier Temples II and IV and why does it not have
a role that we recognize in expanding the cosmic plan of Tikal? However, there
are a few things which we can recognize about the reasons for its location which
fit well with the rest of the geometry of Tikal. The integral right triangle
175
'_i i r The locatictn ctf TempLe lll uas determined by dn integral right triangLe thdt used the
sacred axis of the North AcropoLis as its baseLine.
-..1
r z Drawing of I
identified ds ShieL,
',Ts
.i-"9ffir6 ^"r.
d.'
:.d,. .,
i,"
"ti.
'L','/
"G(
fr, \
b6.i!;;
s%'.{i
@a
,"(
r'1,
l
g
rq
!ry
it
It-
line of the
f 5D-7r of
Acropolis
Lrly perfect
a
style that
uncarvcd
s a jaguarC
r the obese
--;,"i,6
luals, their
cld trident
I('awil on
.,
ttz
t.r
Drautingof Lintelz,TempLelllTheportLylordinatight-fLttingjaguarcoslLtmehasuariousLybeen
occurrcd
figure has
rs those
tfo.
of
ted ceram-
Juring thc
r77
in front of
ruler
as Ha
the 3rst in
The extr
missing fro
lasting mor
indeed fill
probable s1
free of war
A burial
ren'rarkable
rnember of
around the
The last
predecesso
The finalre
as the man
tt
city.
utas
Accorcling to the Ar-rstin Group (rggS) rhis ruler's name is Nu Bak Cl-rak II,
which makes him "Shicld Skull II", the name of the gre at Hasaw Chan I('awil's
father, who was buried undcr Temple 5D-33-rsr. The full rcadi'g of the text
tclls r,rs a bit more abor-rt the changing times. The tert says that this ruler
"erected a stela near Temple III in the company of Yokorn Hc of Twelve
Servants, Holy Lorcl of Aguatcca." The yokom title identifies this lord as a
member of the Calakmul hegemony. His fricndly prescnce sLligesrs that a rapprochement has occurred by this time berwcen Tikal arrd the Dos Pilas polity of
which Aguateca was a part.
These scant data indicate that thc aoth ruler oversaw a rime of peace
between Tikal and its traditional cnemies. Of course, this cor-rld be historic
propaganda.lo
Name
Yax Ain II
Nu Bak Chak II
(Shicld Skull II)
of
Tikal. The paired lnonurrents of Stela rr and Altar rr stand on the North
Tcrrace ir-r front of Templc j3, close ro rhe now ancient sacrcd axis of the North
Acropolis. Thc stela date is, like on Stela 24, a katur.r-ending date. However,
two full katuns of zo ycars have bcen skipped. The ending is for the second
katun of the tenth cyclc at ro.z.o.o.o in the Maya collnt. The date is r3 Ar,rgust
nl 869 with a gap of 59 ycars since the previous date or.r Shield Skr-ill II's Stela z4
ru
[J
?,oro.
pdnt is
Table 6
]ak Chak
Il,
I('awil's
of
the text
4
rt this ruler
han
: of Twelve
ris
s
lord as a
that a rap-
las
re
Name
Yax
Air
Euent
z5 Deccmber eo 768
zo.f anr:ary at 77r
Accession on Stela zz
IT
RulerNo
zgth
II)
polity of
of
Date
7 October eo
peace
79o
Dedrcation Group Q,
Stela zz
Dedication (iroup,
Stela r9
be historic
II
ll)
Nu Bak Chak
(Shield Skull
3oth
z4 Jr:ne
ao
8ro
katun on Stcla z4
Probably depictcd on
rded lord of
the North
f the North
:. However,
(Heavc'ly Stardard
II
Bearcr)
lrsr
r3 August ,ro
869
the second
s r3 August
II's Stela zrg
17c)
CHAPTER T\(ELVF
frontal dot
smaller
sca
style, but
r;
tiorr establi
(ill. t14),3)
tered throu
Palaces,
clusters of
variety in f
1ittle variat
micro-acac
The history of a great city like Tikal is the story of its rulers and their works. A
great pol'tion of the archaeological field research performed at Tikal has yet to
be published, but this drawback is compensatecl for by the speed with which
epigr:lphers have cleirlt with old as wcll as new tcxts. In following the course of
the city's history, I have de:rlt with topics of city growth, buildings raised by
certair-t rulers, whcn this inforntation was available, along with the succession
of rulers and Tikal's vacillating fortunes. However, there are sufficient gaps in
thc knowledge that coverage of the architectLlral style and growth is necessarily
uneven. This chapter will contir-rue where Chaptcr Seven left off with discr-rssion of style and growth dr-rring the Latc Classic period. Becausc of its central
importance to city growth in the Late Classic, mention has already beer.r made
in Chaptcrs Nine, Ten, and Elcven of the use of geomctry and alignment as a
device for planned growth. This importalrt feature of Tikal architecture will be
further cxplained in this chapter.
In gencral, the city did not have any progressional p:rttern of dcvelopment,
such as from the centcr outwards. \We saw that the earliest settlement wrs in a
scries of villages scattercd near thc cdges of thc Bajo de Santa Fe. Settlement
thcn spread westwards to a series of locations which included the sitc of the
North Acropolis as well as the Lost'World Pyramid. These scattered scttlements were likely unified into a definable small city by the timc that Dynastic
rule began, probably aror.rnd AD zoo. The architecture of Tikal took ot-t its owtt
distinctive clualities during the Early Classic, partially rcflecting an influence
frcim Teotihuacan. By the completion of the Early Classic, Tikal was already a
dominant force engaged in warfarc and alliancc with its neighbors in the Peten.
By eo 6oo Tikal was a substantial city with a population that could l-ravc been
anywhere betwcen z5,ooo-5o,ooo inh:lbitants, or more.
The Great Temples of Tikal, the city's signature style of architecture, all
date to thc Late Classic period, beginning with 5D-33-rst (AD 672-68z) ancl
concluding with Temple III (eo 8ro) , spanning a period of approxillately r35
ycars and six lords of Tikal. Stylistically, this period was not withor-rt :rrchitectural variation. Only three of the six named Great Temples have the basic interior three rooms. Templc VI reverted to an earlicr style of proportion with three
r8o
Twin-pyrar
Twin-pyra
becn founc
marker of
lord
as a
katun, wht
dominatin
and altar
directions
"palace"
world.
r
tq
sl
Temple
the tol) of tl
Causeway
the East
ct
PIa,
rkJl s htstL
unknown.
frontal doorways. During this period mar-ry other Lilte Classic ternplcs of
smaller scalc werc built withor.tt reference to the magnificent "Great Temple"
style, but fathcr conforming to the ancicnt three-doorway, low/broad proportion cstablished in the Preclassic inclr-rding for exarnplc, 5E-38 in thc East Plaza
(iLL. r r 4), lD-+l irr the North Group, as well as dozens of smaller tcmples scirttered thror-rghout the sitc and of unider-itificd authorship.
Palaces, twin-pyramid groups and ballcourts form the other most sigr-rificant
cllisters of architectural style. Of these, palaces demoustratc the greatest
varicty in form while twin-pyramid groups :rre the most rigldly stylized with
little variaticur in form. Such broad generalizations are subject to challcnge on a
micro-academic leve1 since two identical buildings of the same type arc rare.
RE,
E
:ir works. A
al has yet to
Twin-pyramid groups
'beer.r made
lnment as :r
world.
with which
re course
gs
of
raised by
: successicir-r
ient gaps in
r
necessarily
:ture
will
be
:veloprnent,
lnt
rvas
in
:r
Settlement
: site of the
:ered settleat Dy1n51i.
< on its or,vn
Ln influcncc
as already :l
n the Peten.
d have been
itecture, a1l
z-682) :rud
imately r3.5
r,rt architecbasic
inter-
r with three
ing high
ab
ture likely
The
s,
othe
Temples wl
plaza. The
the Seven Tr
fields of th
courts are t
ruler is not
The play
used in the
Adjacent at
could watcl
viewing plz
game playe
have served
Ten as one
the East PL
<
rrJ
Reconstructiondratuingctf thesmalLbaLLcourtbettueenTempleIandtheCentral
Acropolis. Note the uieuing shelter on the highest architectural element. This shelter is
on the axis ctf the baLlcourt.
markers
mz
that it was
ment
us that ther
was r(
destroyed d
An analogy to this theme is found in the Great Plaza itself, whcre Temples I
and II form the pyramidal functions marking the movement of the sun; rhe
North Acropolis served in the role of the northern heavens (and in this case,
burial place of kings), while a pair of mr-rlti-doored palaccs of differing clate
nrark the southern boundary. Structure 5D-7t was an Early Classic br-rilding
whose central axis rnarked the sacred north-south aris of the North Acropolis.
Still of Early Classic date, an adjacent nine-doorway palace (Structure 5D-rzo)
was later raiscd to the irnn'rediate east, but off the sacred axis.
Altogether r-rine twin-pyramid groups are knowr-r from the site, but it is not
known if they are consecutive. The earliest groups are in irrcomplete condition
and have no associated inscriptions. However, the beginnings of the practice
are clearly in the Early Classic period, whiie the Late Classic versions are betrer
preserved, dated and larger in scale.l
Ballcourts
The few ballcourts known from Tikal vary more in scale than in form. One
large example is located in the East P\azaz and is of Late Classic date but not
associated as yet with any particular ruler.
The most obvious ballcor,rrt today is the small group ir"r the Great Plaza jr-rst
soLlth of Temple I. Numbered 5D-l+,the axis of this court aligns with a buildr8z
Palaces
The catego
Maya socie
understood
tion. How
sense is not
lines of evir
Other fu
retreat hou
for the trair
ion; perhap
were captul
The Cen
vated as
show that
\
'\
be
Centrdl
is shelter is
ing high above in the Central Acropolis, and the northern room of this structure likely served as a royal viewir-rg stand (i//. rr5 and see ill.7).
The other most prominent examples are found in the Plaza of the Seven
Temples where three playini courts spread across the entire north side of the
plaza. The structure numbers are 5D-78-8r. From the north side' the Plaza of
the Seven Temples could be entered only by passing througl-r onc of the playing
fields of the three parallel ballcourts. Al1 known eramples at Tikal of ballcourts are tentatively assigned to a Late Classic date, but their authorship by
ruler is not available.
The playing colrrts are all oriented north-south. Slopir-ig side benches were
used in the game to bounce the ball back into the playing field (see ill. rr5).
Adjacent at a higher level were platforms accessible by stairs where viewers
could watch the game. The court in the East Plaza showed cvidence that these
viewing platforms were covered. Our only eviderrce for the specific type of
game played is in the form of displaced carved monuments that coulcl easily
have served as ballcourt markers. Column Altar r'was described in Chapter
Ten as one of the works of Yik'in. A very similar monument was found re-set in
the East Plaza, just as Column Altar r had been ir-r the'West Plaza. The two
markers may have originated from the East Plaza court, which would imply
that it was built by Yik'in. A much smaller fragment of another similar monumellr was retrieved from the Postclassic debris in the Central Acropolis, telling
us that these small monuments wcre dragged frorn the ballcciurts and often
destroyed durrng the collapse of the city.
re
Temples I
in this case,
ffering date
sic building
h Acropolis.
ure 5D-rzo)
but it is not
re
condition
the practice
rs are better
form. One
late but not
rt Plaza jr"rst
rith
build-
Palaces
The Central Acropolis is the only palace group that was cxtensively excavated as a surviving above-ground group. Excavations elsewhcre at the site
show that earlier palace groups were buried in their entirety, either as the result
The Central Acr:opolis is unique at Tikal because of its locatic)n on the soLith
side of both the Great Plaza and East P\aza at the sacred core of the city; and
also by its known length of developmental growth, ranging from thc Preclassic
through to the very collapse of the city, a period of roughly rzoo years. This
important group will be discussed at some length, br-rt first it is useful to look at
other types of palace structures and groupings that are different from those
found in
tl-re
Central Acropolis.
taincd after his death as his personal property. These consrrucs (called
'pandqds) were quadrangular in formatiotr and contained resiclential as well as
religious fur-rctions. Also they date to half a millennium after the clowrrfall of
Tikal, so thel e is no connection other than analogy. At Tikal there are four such
groupings arranged almost (but not quite) in a cardinal distribution about the
site center. They are: Group G, associated with the Mendez Causeway and
Temple VI possibly built by Yik'in (Rulcr B);Group F associated by geomctry
only with the works of Yik'in's son Yax Ain II; a group callcd the Bat Palacc to
the in-rmediate west of Temple III; and a lrolrp to the south of Tcmple V,
including Structures 6D-42 through 6.5 in two courtyards, facing east. Thrcc of
these examplcs face east (all br-rt Group F), the direction that a residencc shor-rld
face towards the rising sun and the directior-r of hfe and rebirth. The cast-facing
guoups are fronted by large spacious platforms. Both the Birt Palacc grouping
and Group G h:rve broad stairways that connect their spacious eastcrn
approaches to the surrounding terrain. In the case of Group F the orientation is
south, as the map clearly shows that the open ambient space "frot.rting" the
enclosed group lie s to the south. The southern grolrp (6D-az-65) is rnade n'rore
complex by the presence of a greatcr number of small buildings and is without
the large approach space on the eastcrn side, althor-rgh the courtyards do open
to the east. This group is vcry important in the configuration of the Late
Classrc geometry of the city in that it ties togcther the locations of Temple VI,
Te nrple IV and the tenrple called 3D-4; in the rrorth grolrp, known as Group H.
r84
116 A uiew of
into the MendL
Yik'in.
Only Gror
spaces have
knowledge o
rr5). In eacl
sometimes n(
ments were c
routes of acc
These limi
some buildin
an "acropolir
cation. It is rr
Yax Air-r II, br
are visibly La
known other
Freestanding
This categor
handling a r
(r) highly
e1e'
iC-XVI. This
consisted
rave
partially
was
i1led.3
Similar
est a compar-
r on thc soLlth
years. This
>o
:ful to look at
rt from those
..t$<
*i
::?:, .r'
, .- ,a
r_::g.t
rped the
r -:i-_ . :
*
--;-.F1 ' -: ^'l<: t
main
.es st:rnd
out
;;';-*ur-]-ia-_J*-:
!d[: '*
yard cor-rfigr-re
central core
in Highland
lit was main-
t6
C),
into the Mentlez Causeuay and is thought to be the work of the zTth lord of TikaL,
I
tK rn.
ructs (callcd
tial as well as
: clownfall of
four such
about the
auscway and
by geornctry
are
Lon
Bat Pal:rcc to
rf Temple !
)ast.
Thrce of
dence shor"rld
Ie
east-facinFi
ace
grouping
ious
easterr-r
rrientation is
ronting" the
s
Only Group G has been partially excavated, and none of the open easrern
spaces have been itrvcstigated. Howevcr, standing architecture allows some
knowledge of thc room arrangements in Groups F, G, and the Bat Palace (ill.
r16).In each of these groups, the known room arrangements are complex.
There are transverse rooms and rooms in tandcm, sometinles interconnected,
sonctimes not. In ali observable cases there is eviderrce that the room arrangements were changed over time: big rooms were divided into smaller ones, and
routes of access altcred, common features of palaces.
These limited cor-rrtyard groupings are all raised on elevated platforms, with
some br-rildings raised even higher. The decision to designate certein groups as
an "acropolis" or not is to date entirely subjective and without analytic justification. It is relatively easy to ascribe Group G to Yik'in and Gror-rp F to his son
Yax Ain II, but tl-re othcr two groups are still shrouded in mystery, though they
are visibly Late Classic in date, excepting the 6D group about which nothing is
known other than what can be seen on the map.
made more
rd is without
ards do open
of the Late
f Temple VI,
as
Group H.
face
CENTBAL ACROPOLIS
TIKAL,
G.oup
GUATEMALA
Lii.s
Ssclion
lndictl
The Cer
of differingl
The Centrz
The most
group, and
interpretat
architectur
Ccntral Ac
tion of spar
of
architec
out the
flor
pre-existin
ex:rmples
The survey
(r) Each bu
tion for the
formed by
central do(
tion
is the I
(z) Alignn
Trkal, so t
points of t
buildings.
:es
that face
re,5D-r5, is
'es
known at
Lost World
; and 5E-5r,
om a pubLc
-9r (ill. rry)
monial stair
terparts are
is. Structure
line lies on
ghly limited
I
rbination of
East Plaza.
ldate uncer-
nto Court 6
:ping
with
of the Late
'
a painting b1t
of the Seuen
tp. Structure
tackground is
0dssdge" type
NTRAL ACROPOLIS
TIKAL, GUATEMALA
Group Plan
CE
"---li-i"
rr8
(r) E ach building has a single critical poirrt in its plan that determines the location for the new building. This point is the juncture of the two lines that will be
formed by the front wall of the building and the central axis through the
central doorway. These lines intersect at right-angles. Their point of intersection is thc location point of the building (ill. r 19) .
(z) Alignment of location points was apparently important to the Maya of
Tikal, so that placement of a third building in alignment with the placement
points of two earlier buildings demonstrated respect or honor of these earlier
buildings.
r87
TFacade
Line
( j) The placement of the location point is established by reference to the location points of two carlier buildings which have importance to the new building.
The rnost corrlrrron reason for importance is ancestry, that is, structures raised
by anccstors who will be honored by this new building. The three poinrs, rwo
pre-eristing and one new are connccted in an integral right triangle (ilL. rzo).
(a) The new building may now find its floor plan, with the location poir-rt
alrcady fixed, by a direct-sight survey from one of the two pre-existing reference points on the triangle (ill. rzr). The sr-rrveyor stands over his reference
point, and, holding an instrumer-it, sights the turning right angles from al1 the
visible corners or other architecturally impc,rtant points or-r existing burldings
that are in view. Two clear exanples of this technique are available in Court z
of the Central Acropolis. The result is that sufficient new points can be laid out
on the flat sr-rrface of the proposed br-rilding, and with the application of symmetry, the entire floor plan can be achieved.
The survey i
The instrur
could be m
tions in
tt
rl
:
-:==::===T
thr
become the
-:
'tlb
-:
the necks o
in ill. uz
:.'1
from Tikal
these are rr
t,
t,1
origin.
lt
While th
lt
system of u
ll
ll
rl
lt
'il
COURT
50.2
,r-r..+r.l llll
I t,il lil IIl
" Ii : llll
I iul r:
llil
; !.nil
;lr--
rzo
in dooru,ays ctf
Structures yD-7r and 1D-58
ruhich trtredate its pLanning and
construction.
Palace is rctoted
I t|-.:.--
U{ - -'r
tzz An Earl
found in a to
prototyl)e su,
turning right
lt
rl
ll
it
tl
tl
lr
ll
tture
line
rl
rt,
(ill. rzo).
i{,iil
c0uRr 50-2
iilil
i.tf,d
t;=
,r.1I ,!t
11
!ti
t+.i.
:ation point
:isting refer-
l.:t-:
zr
ris reference
of Maler's
rg burldrngs
e
in Court z
n be
laid or-rt
:ion of sym-
Thc instrument for sighting right-angle turns is a flat ce lt-shaped object, which
could be madc of wood, but only examples in jade are known. Threc perforations in tl-re surface forrn the right-angle. Pegs placcd in these perforations
become t1-rc sighting rods. Sucl-r objects are frequcntly depicted h:rnging around
the necks of kings, and are r.rsr-rally identified as "pectorals." The oblect shown
in iLl. rzz is from a royal toub in Caracol. None has been retrieved as yet
froin Tikal. Numcrous eramples have becn for-rnd in Costa Rica, and while
thesc are recognized as tradcd Maya picces, we do not know their places o{
origin.
While the Central Acropolis has proved the bcst l:rboratory for revealing this
system of urban planrring, it extencls over the rest of Tikal.
ru
ru
ru
---
11
r90
'-'{-:
l,_TEMPt
.\.-
',,
li4"
Lzj
Map o
relating it t'
thcre is
nc
ment und
upon a sh
sion of *
what we
The gr
Caracol v
the movet
of the M
control
who used
of
ancest
layout of
more thar
ngle system
period, bLrt
ed to corrfiber of quite
; the
period
nd Yax Ain
:liest highly
ine. Hrs
tri-
)eneath thc
: triangular
ture in this
i of the for-
:mple I r,vas
and so the
creation of
up, and the
rple IV ancl
;tructure il-r
in the Lost
h the main
number of
)oniplex O,
of
TempLe V
:s, dividing
spin
off of
Lppropriate
iay that the
ed
progres-
:ific to two
dents of its
,4aya cities.
re evidence
aises more
,r,
in practi-
formidabie
rm outside
lns of land
\ile. Later,
ure. While
there is no connection between the two societies, a similar process of development undolrbtedly was in operation. As an agricultural society dependent
upon a shifting fie1d system, the use of land measure is logical. The transmission of this rneasuring techr-rique to art and architecturc follows, and this is
what we see in the Central Acropolis and throughor-rt Tika1.
The greenstone survey instrument found by Arlen and Diane Chase in
Caracol was an instrument belongrng to a member of the elite. I(nowledge of
thc movement of stars and of thc calendar represented power to the clite class
of thc Maya becausc it related to essential food production. Knowledge and
control of the manipulation of spacc likely was understood by every farmer
who used it to lay out his milpa. At the elite level, it was used for the vencration
of ancestors expressed by city planning. In light of these observations, the
Ii:Lyout of the crty of Tikal is a massive erpressiot't of ancestral venerrtion over
tnore than one-and-a-half milletrr-ria.
CHAPTE,R THIRIE,E,N
DE,CLINE AN D FALL:
THE LAST DAYS
The decline of Tikal had already begun before the last recorded inscription at
13 August eo 869 (ro.z.o.o.o) . The abser-rce of a recor:d for thc important
katun-endings which preceded this last one testify to thc fact that the city was
in trouble.
There is a small ceremonial center called Jimbal that lies rz.5 km to the
north of the Great Plaza inside the settlement range of the grcater city. This
center erected a carved stela at the Maya datc of zz June to 879 (ro.z.ro.o.o),
ten years after the last date at Tika1. The inscription contains some non-Maya,
probably Mexican, glyphs and makes no mention of Tikal. lt is probable that
this small centcr at this time considered itself indeper-rdent, lying outsidc the
r92
til/her:e a secor
story remaine
part of a burl<
was subject tr
David Freu
condition of
the burlding,
Freidel found
had been ritur
oblects.lSuch
terns of prot
physical collr
involved at th
as evidence ol
to the Eznab
The largest
olis during
rir
cliscovered
e>
palace locate,
will be that fr
The physic
catcgories. Tl
rior locations
divisions of t
and musical i
up, probably
periods of e;
found as part
found in asso
about re-cyclr
city that neve
manner that i
The three
Courts 5D-2,
ductive. For c
their operatic
Court 5D-2, O
The midden
5D-62 and 5l
Eznab date ar
real burials in
location sugg
rooms of 5D-
lscflptlon at
e important
the city was
5 km to the
ter city. This
ro.z. ro.o.o),
e
non-Maya,
robable that
; outside thc
such as
Ixlu
: lowiands is
sa
Ll
confused
disinte gra-
cause
of the
alor-re,
but to
by scholars
rred to as the
rmplex. The
: lasted
for
orway Even-
:d buildings,
eterioration,
; quite clear.
\7herc a second story wall coincided directly over a lower story wall, the lower
story rcmained prcserved intact. However, where the second story covered or-r1y
par:t of a buildir-rg below, the part of the lower floor that was exposed on its roof
was subject to collapse.
David Freidel has argr-red with referencc to the northern lowlands that this
condition of semi-collapsed structures is the rcsult of "ritual terrninrtion" of
the building, and he offers evidencc of termir-ral conflict. In this intcrpretation
Freidel for-rnd that thc debris and artifacts over the floor of a collapscd br-rilding
had been ritr-rally placed thcre with "white carth" deliberatcly spread over thcsc
objects.r Such a case was found at the site of Cerros in Belize. Howcver, tl-re patterns of protected versus unprotected structure and their coir-rcidcnce with
physical collapse at Tikal indicate that tl-rere is no intentional termination
involved at rhis site. At Tikal we interpret thc objects for,rnd on a structrlre floor
as cvidence of thc very last occupants of that structure, and we date the objects
to the Eznab phase.
The iargest body of evidence for this pl.rase was found in the Central Acropolis during my ercavations of that architectural complex. Bill Haviland also
discovcred ertensive deposits of Eznab matcrial similarly distributed in a
palace located in a more remote part of the city. The evidence described here
will be that from the Central Acropolis.
The pl-rysical material used for evidence can be examined in several differing
categories. Thesc are midden deposits insidc rooms; middcn deposits in erterior locations; and burials. Within these categories there are fr,rrther interesring
divisions of types of material, the most intriguing of which are food remains
and musical instruments. Because the Maya were so meticulous abor-rt cleaning
up, probably in cyclical occasiotis related to the calendar, midden deposits from
pcriodr ol crll ier occupxtion ere very rere. Arteienr garhagc is mott often
found as part of construction filI ir-r large buildings except whcre middens are
found in association with rural houscs. The Maya were apparently very good
abolrt re-cycling. Therefore, the deposits from the terminal occupation of the
city that never were cleaned up offer us a glimpse of daily life at this time in a
rlanner that is rrot availablc from the peak of the Classic itself.
The three major sources of these deposits in the Central Acropolis are from
Collrts 5D-2, 5D-4, ar-rd 5D-6, the latter two bcing the more extensive and productive. For discussioll purposes, the important middens will bc identified by
their operatior-r and sub-operation designations from the excavations.
Court 5D-2, Operation SoC
The midden called Operation 8oC was located in an alley between strLlctllres
5D-62 and -5D-63, a U-shaped structure. This deposit contained ceramics of
E,znab date and also human bones. The bones represent one of several cases of
real burials in middens for.rnd in the Central Acropolis for this tirne period. The
location suggests occupation of the east rooms of 5D-63 ar-rd probably also the
rooms of 5D-62,(seeill. rr8).Thesebuildingsareof typesthathadccremonial,
r93
possibly spccializecl, br,rt not domestic residence, during thcir peak rn the Sth
ancl 9th ccnturies. The domestic refuse found for the ternrinal period is not
cot.tsistcut wrth thc original furrctions of these buildings. Althoi-rgh we do rror
havc middens for the ear:lier Classic period to verify the functions for: that
period, the dorncstic naturc of the Eznab middclr in Operation 8oC is clefinitely
at variance with the cercmonial natllre of thc origir-ia1 br,rildirrg. During the termirtal phase original fr,rnctiot'rs of the strllctures have been abandoncd, ancl any
storre building in good condition was occupiecl by survivirrg residcnts of Tikal
as shelter. Elscwhere, thc midderr'contents provide evidence that thesc people
were using objects that belongecl to the elite nrling class, bur they wer:c livilig rn
conditions that are vcry different from those of thc Classic period. The very
fact thilt the midderrs were not removecl is indicative of this differe'rce.
5D-:'zq Q
rtyard
The str
ately over
cou
(spearthrr
introduce
cer.rtury T
warfarc),
polychror
lapsed sto
on top of
another
excavated
rcmains ir
fron
vessels ar
seeds
earlicr La
Late Clasr
more inte,
tion of
t zq A uiet.u into the open sp.tce of
Court q in Lhe CentrdL AcropoLis.
'lhe court is surrounded bt smalL
Ltt, (.lossrc p.rl,r;es llt.t! ucrc
ce
absencc ol
of Maya l
this room
lhc presen
uncharact
Midden 97
Ncarby, ju
97A. Thc
blcnd of n
of wealth.
The mu
fragrrcnts
(uscd for
hammer c
ccramic cc
spindle wl
of chert ar
of domest
On the
lowing:
r,,1
fragments
burning in
plete); 6 e1
Lk
in the Sth
,eriod is not
;h we do not
ons for thart
)is definitely
rring the ter.red,
and any
:nts of
rhese
i'ere
Tikal
people
living in
concenle Structure
er words, on
1Ost
:cupatioll of
of Strr-rctr-rre
ace
of
rclis.
;mdll
re
t
of the
y trash
5D-rz4 (ilL. rz4). This refuse was no doubt thrown from thc living ilrca in the
courtyard abovc.
The stratigraphy of thc n'ridclen inside 5D-5 r is of greatest interest. Immediatcly over the floor the refr-rse of occupation included the rernair.rs of an atiatl
(spcar:thrower) with carved bone handlcs. This is the type of object that was
introcluced from Highland Mexico back in the times of Jaguar Claw I in the 4th
centlrry. This examplc, inclicative of purposeful food collection by hunting (or
warfare), was associatecl with ceremonial paraphernalia such as fragments of
polychrome ceramic vessels and ceramic figurinc whistlcs. Above this, were collapsed stones frorn the vault of the front room. A thin layer of guano (bat dung)
on top of tlre stoncs indicated a period of abandonment. Above the gwano was
another occupation layer with most interesting contents. A fire pit had been
excavated into the layers below and this was surrounded by organic food
remains including not just com, beans and squash but also a wiclc variety of
from frr-iits :rnd nuts. Associated ceramics were a mir of brokerr don'rcstic
vessels and ceremonial polychrome vessels, some identical to those of the
earlier Late Classic Imir phase. It is possiblc that these latter origir-rated in a
Late Classic tornb which had been looted, but such a thesis is unprovable. Even
morc interesting was the presence of a human coprolitc (fcccs). The combination of ceremonial and prestige ceramics with the evidence of cooking and
absence of hygienic measurcs provides a very stranie and uncharacteristic view
of Maya habits. lt has beer"r suggested by a mcmber of the Austir-r Group that
this rocim may have served as a prison, an intriguing suggcstion supported by
the prcscnce in the doorjambs of the entrance of secondary holcs that indicate
uncharactcristic closure of the doorway.
seeds
of wealth.
The mundanc pursuits of daily life were represented by: 19 flint cores;33
fragments of chert or olrsidian Lrifirces (axes or knives); 24 mdno fragments
(r-rsed for grinding grain or nuts); 3z metate fragments (grincling plates); ro
harrmer or rubbing stones; r fragment of a chcrt dagger; r fragment of a
ccramic colander; r stone spindle whorl; 6 perforated sherds, probably r-rsed as
spindle whorls; atrd 248 fragments of animai bone. Not countecl were dctritus
of chcrt and obsiclian, human bone fragments, charcoal, and many kilograms
dom. stir' ct'rt trt it' frlgnrent s.
On the other hand, itcms reflecting wealth and high status included the following: 14 ceramic pellcts (from rattle feet on ceramic vessels) ; z4z figurine
fragments; 45 fragments of modelcd-carved vessels; j4 censer fragments (for
burnir.rg incense); 3 identifiable whistle fragmcnts; r ceramic box (almost complete) ;6 effigy vessel fragments; r ceramic flute fragrnent; r ceramic ear-flare
oF
rgt
extended
the origin
charred st
that had I
included r
gestion oi
found frer
pret this
vator,
my
n'rixcd wit
represent
not the ca
Midder
the wcster
tz6
Recon
of Jaguar (
scene of fin
rz; ln the foreground is Structure ;D-rzB in the Central Acropctlis tuith Court q in the
background, both Iocations ctf collapse period middens. The tdLl structure in the redr is
1D-yz, the "Fiua-Story Paldce."
fragment; z polychrome sherds (one with painted hieroglyphic tcxt) ; 23 stucco
fragrner-rts (architectural adornmerrt); r bone tubc (probably a fan handle); r
cach of shell: linger ring, fan handle, pcnclant, and 4 shell tinklers. This list is
typical of the contents of a Terminal Classic midden in the Central Acropolis
and demonstrates a curious blencl of domestic daily refuse and costly ceremonial paraphernalia (ilL. rzy).
The middens of 5D-46
Once again, the clan lineage hor-rse built by -Jaguar Claw I ir-r the mid-4th
century figures in the story of Tikal, even at the very end. \Whether the last
members of the lineage were indeed the last occupants of this house, or
whether it had been taken over by interlopers is not known. Thc longevity of
this structure as an important building is rare in Maya archaeology.
There were five importarrt rr-riddens associatcd with this structure, two in the
outer courtyards of the building and three inside rooms. Two of these will be
surxmarized here because of therr special importance for the reading of the last
days of Tikal.
Midden A (Operation 98A) was located in the north patio of 5D-46, a spacc
that had been added sometime quite late in tl-re Late Classic. Thc cxterior
midden was heaped against the north wall of the Early Classic building and
r96
-,,*W
gestion
are
found freqr.rently in midden deposits cluring this period has lccl sotne ro intcrpret this evicler.rce as just altother burial that was attacked by rodertts. As ercavator, lny own interpretaticin is that these particul:rr humatl remaitls were
mired with other food refuse together with direct eviclencc of cooking ancl tl-rey
represcnt part of the kitchen nridden. Such mixture with kitchen matcrial was
not the c:,rse with the true midden burials.
Midden C (Operation 981() was ilir interior middcn in the central room on
rhe wesrcrn side of the building . The midclen was bar-rdccl by alternating soil
tz6 Reconstruction of Courl 6 inthe CentrdL Acropolis uith 1D-$ onthe let't,the house
CLatu l. Pdlaces uisible in this group span tao years of builtling trntl utere the
scene of final occupation during the colldpse.
of Jaguar
rt
,.
q in the
the rear is
N
X
H
F'
.);23 stucco
r handle); r
. This list is
rl Acropohs
itly ccremo-
:he mrd-4th
two in the
hese
rg
will
be
of the last
r-46, a space
'he exterior
,uildrng and
K
r.l
colors and piled r-rp against thc rear (east) wall of the room, sloping down
through the doorway and out onro the cxrerior platforrn. The layers of debris
were dense with typical E,znab midclen arrifacts, and the banditrg indicated
pcriods of cyclical deposit. Hopes for some stratigraphic divisions of the Ezna[-r
phase were dashed when parts of the same polychromc vessel were retrieved in
both upper and lower levels of the deposit. The tin-rc periocl for accumr.ilariorr
of this midden, r.8 m (y.9 ft) in depth, rrusr have beeli rclatively short. Thc
method of accumulation can only be explainecl by the presence of a hole in the
ceiling of the now absenr roof. Remnants of rooms on the second story showed
that indtviduals cor-rld have becn living on the uppcr level, dr-rmping their trash
i'to the room below. The wide physical separatio' of two parts of the sarnc
vessel fr-rrther sllggests that wide ir.rtervals occurred betwccn bouts of cleaning.
This, again, is not typical behavior with any paraliel in the moclcrn erhnography of the Maya.
Nearly all erterior doorways in the heavily occupied parts of the Acropolis
showed evidence that attenrpts at blocking them with sorncthing nrore subst:rntial than the usual curtaitts were employed in the Classic period. \(hether these
door blocks were designed to keep things olrt or to keep people in is a n.ratcr of
conjecture. They do suggesr a tinre of small popr-rliltion ancl high stress. This
stress is evident in rn:rny signs: the charred and chewed human bones, the presettce of kitchen items mixed with ritr-ral and rare items of wealth, thc blocking
of doorways. A number of ceramic specimens are of a type known to corne
from Belize in this sirme Termin:rl Classic pcriod. The idea th:rt a trade ncrwork
was still in operation under thesc conditions of declining social order seems
strange, br-rt the evidence is tl-rat this was the case.
Musical instruments
Onc of the more interesting featurcs to emerge in the :rrtifactr-ra1 assembl:lge for
the Terminal Classic is the number of musical instruments th:rt founcl their way
into the midden deposits. Those found included ceramic drums, e ccramic
"flute" with a' anthropomorphic figr-rre, a set of ccramic pan pipes, a bone rasp
and nrimerous whistlcs scattercd throughor-rt tl-re acropolis. This orchestra of
instruments may wcll be reprcsentative of types that were present throughor-rt
the Classic period and only happen to be prescrved for our edification because
the refnse of the final occr-rpation was not cleaned op (ill. rz7).
no single
cause of
mously
c<
spread of
Recent
Inomata
that warl
Tika1, as
cor-rflict
r,r,
erable inf
factors w
argued to
ering of tl
a powerfr
environm
to be accc
the addec
brought a
we call th,
The pa
shows Ti
(pl.xIIl.
of a magr
of the rair
The Postc
Little rs kr
The cerar
have been
relate to c
especially
west. Sitet
the lake ar
evidence
<
The small
Causes
of the collapse
This topic has already producecl a multiplicity of academic papers with dozens
of explanations. The volume trtled The classic Maya colLapse edited by T,
Patrick culbert has most ertensively cxplored the variety of offered causes.
Very briefly, the n'rajor calrscs favored by scholars includc social unresr ancl rcvolution, disease, drought, change in water-leve1, land mismanagement in food
production, and warfare. Over the years scholars havc agreed Llpon one thing:
tz7 (left) A flute-like ceramic utind instruntent thdt tuas recouered in the centrdl
Acropolis prouides a hint of pre-Columbian ntusic.
passed th
behind
so
Tayasal cc
conquere(
Tikal,
as
the aband
Finally,
remnants
cping down
:rs of debris
rg indicated
rf the Eznab
'retrievecl in
:cumulatiolr
'short. The
a hole in the
tory showed
g their tr:rsh
of thc
s:rrne
of cleanirrg.
'n ethnoirare
Acropolis
substan-
ore
hetl-rer these
matter of
;a
stress. This
Les,
the prcs-
:he
blocking
wn to come
lde network
order seems
remblage
for
nd their way
;, a ceramic
,
bone rasp
orchestra of
throughout
.ion because
with dozens
:dited by T.
ered causes.
rest and rev-
nent in food
n one thing:
ntral
Little is known of the Postclassic at Tikal becar-rse the occupation was so slight.
The ceramics are distinguished by the compler name Caban, and examples
have been retrieved from scattered portions of the site. These ceramic types
relate to other sites that preserved a strong occupation during this late period,
especially small sites close to or on Lake Peten Itza some 6o km to the southwest. Sites like Motul de San Jose, Ixh-r, Punta Nima and Tayasal surrounded
the lake and contir-rued to be occupied into the Postclassic period. The dates for
evidence of this occupation at Tikal are set rather arbitrarily at AD 95o-rzoo.
The small number of artifacts found suggest that visitors from the lake sites
passed through or stayed briefly at Tikal, perhaps on ptlgrimage, and left
behind some evider-rce of their visit. As described in Chapter One, the site of
Tayasal continued to be occupied until the late rTth ccntury when it was finally
conquered by the Spanish. By this time, it seems that there was no memory of
Tikal, as the Spanish neither heard of it nor did they leave a record of visiting
the abandoned ruins.
Finally, there was a small settlement at Tikal in the rgth century for which
remnants have been recovered - late Colonial forms of pottery and evcn metal
r99
Thc cyclc o
time to visi
tional
Retrospect
occur,
though the lirst occupation of Tikal was somewhat late in the framework
of the entire lowlands, it nevertheless was occupied for at least r,67o years. T1-re
early stages of development reflected those of the lowland Maya as a whcile,
seeing the evoh-rtion from scattered farming villages into a cohesivc community
with an agricultural cconomy and a strorrg ritual framcwork.
By ,tl zoo thc concept of family dynasty was inrroduced, a concepr rhat
gripped thc city Llntil its last rulcr carved alid set his last monument in eo 869.
Ahnost certainly the farnily line did not stay inract, but was broken and
usurpcd by interlopers from outside more than once. The longest break was the
Hiatus, lasting r3j years when Tikal was under outside domin:rtion, likely
frorn the southcastern city of Caracol. The Early Classic period ended in darkness ancl silence in the ir-rscribed records.
With the emergence of the Late Classic, Tikal struggled in a difficr-rlt renaiss:rnce which finaliy burst into flower by eo 68o with the rrppcarance of its grcatest rlller Hasaw Chan l('awil I. Wealth and power grcw under this man and
reached a peak in the rule of his son Yik'in Chan I('awil. Dcspite conrinued
we:rlth, thcre then began a decline with thc zgth ruler Yar Ain II, Hasaw I's
granclsor-r, who diecl around eu Boo. The decline accclerated with thc final
rect,r.-1. rltcr lorrp. gltps. irr eo li69.
Investigations of thc history and:rrchaeology of the site have been cxtcnsive,
perhaps greater than at any other Ncw World site. The results of thcse investigations are only partially available to date, ar.rd whcn fully availablc will still
represent knowledge of only a small percentagc of the vast city. Certainly Tikal
still holds secrets and sr-rrprises yet to be rcvealed. The history of a singlc city
like Tikal casts light on the Maya crvilizarion as a wholc. Study of Tikal has
illur"ninated many facets of Maya culture: how the Maya engaged in politics
and warfare; the fr-rnction of royal coLirts; the manncr of architectural surveying and city planning; the role of outside influence, particularly from Merico;
and not least, attribr-rtes of a city's style in art and architecture.
As visitors to the site strll cxperience at Tikal, the presencc is overwhelrning.
The horizontal and vertical scales are vast - the erpenditurc of hr,rmar.r effcirt
hard to con-rprehend. Thc beauty and dangers of the setting are humbling. This
volumc has only been able to scrape the sr.rrface of many complex topics. We all
wait with bated breath for the next chaprer in Trkal srudies.
Evcr-r
dry
accuratcly
espe(
El Niilo
ha
scason, thcr
cvcn fcwcr t
The polit
must alway:
There art
park in your
is
payablc
south of th
The second
short distar
ticket is
gcr
and costs rc
At Tikal
opcratcd m
travel on a r
visitors at t
Lodge) whi
overhead far
rvelcome sr
watcr), a m
tl.rosc who r
are resort
Hclcna, wh
many in th
agent for cr
groups arc
few miles ea
even grande
ar.rd close r
Camino
Rcr
providecl by
group, rvhic.
it
is still
pcr
by one of
archaeologir
because
it
recount intr
a way that n
At the sit
These inclu
neither of r
near the en
Cescribed
Visiting Tikal
in
ually driven
he ruins lay
rnd the Uni:njoyed pcr-
'andonment
,framework
o years. The
as a whole,
community
The c1'clc of rainy and dry scasons has rnadc thc bcst
timc to visit Tikal from February to May, the traditiorral dry season. However, there is no way to
accurately predict just when the cycle of rains will
occur, especially ir-r recent years when the influence of
El Niiio has clisplaced the rrormal cycles. In the dry
se:rsolr, there are fewer flying insects, less humidity, and
even fewer tourists, making a visit ideal.
The political situation for the country of Guatem:rla
must always be checked in advance, but in the past this
had very little effect on the safety of tour:ism.
Tl.rcrc arc two cntrance fees to p:ry if enterrng the
park in your own vel'ricle. The lirst is for the vehicle and
is payable at the gated park entrance several miles
south of thc arcl'raeological zonc on the pavecl road.
The secorrd is a day fee paid at another gate located :r
short drstance west of the hotel and museum zone. A
tickct is goocl for e:rch day allowing multiple entrics
and costs ro US clollars, subject to raises.
At Tikal there :rre sever:rl hotels ancl a c:rmp grouncl
operatcd rnainly for thc youth group who choosc to
travcl on a vcry lorv budgct. The hotcl favorecl by nrost
visitrrrs at the site is the Posada de la Selua (or Jungle
l'ras
oncept that
it in eo 869.
broken and
:eak was
the
Ltron, likely
continucd
, Hasaw I's
th the
fina1
n extensive,
rese
:1e
investi-
will still
tainly Tikal
l single city
f Tikal has
in politics
rral surveyrm Mexico;
rwhelming.
rman effort
rbling. This
'pics.
\{/e all
Pennsylvania
road frorn
Sar.rta
the
has
thc
sial. Thc n:
changccl in
KL]O\\ n
Chapter r
re b
is
p tr
ni
ure, editetl
1.
1 Tht Strnto
1, 962.
J(
rr,
llu. \n /.rr/l
.\1.^.r
I ttltllnilttit\
in
Dumbirrton Oaks,
zoz
Congres lnternationdl des Antt:ricttrti-ste-s, Vo/. 8, Paris, r979. "Bajos Rcvisitccl: Visual Evidence for One Svstcm of
culture,ccl.
b,v Pe te r D.
Harrison
encl B.L.
of Nerv Mcxico
l7:ten,
Chapter
; Chcrt
is thc
being vcry sirlilrr irt tttribptes, espccrallf in its suitabilrty for kn:rpping lnd
rlru'
.1r11'111g
Chapter z
r Malcr, r9rr,
z C
Peaborly.
ablc the mlps lnd increcliblc photogrxphs takcn throughout the r\la)a
arca, incluciing Tikal.
5 Teobert Miler, L,xpLorations in tha
I)t:pttrtment of the Peten, C)uatemala,
Vo1. { No.r, Tikal, Ciambridgc, r 9 r r.
a, A. X4. -fozzer, A Prelirninart, Study
of tht Prchistorit Ruins of Tikdl,
(]utttemdLa Vol. V. No. z of Mcnoirs of
the Peaboclv Museuu, Harvard LJniversit.r',
Crmbriclgc, r 9r r.
lrrrrtt. L,. V,,rlrr.
Sl
of thePeten,
8 R. B. V/ooclbur,v and A.S.
Ruins of
Comptn),, r951.
9 Secret of the Rain Forcsr, Life Mega
zinc, Vol. 45, No. r5, October r 3, r958,
pp. 84 9f,. Rich l;intl ctf MLtya Bones,
Lifc Nlagazinc, VoJ. 47, No. r7, October
26, r959,pp.9j 96.
rescarch group.
r r .J. P. I-aporte
Problerns:
rr 1ik.rl,'it
Ir:ion.tn,l R,ti,i,'n
Clancy and P
itt
D.
,( r ll)
Chapter 4
7r-rr9.
z D.
JS
l3
this form in
rurresolved ar
rulcr b,v thc n
long reign is
tiolr-
rz
Schele an,
Willian Mor
r 1 "Thc Arr
r:rn,rnrl Toll,
bl Dalid
l]osllllll
Sn
In
crn
Princcton Li
Teotih
r
u a
998.
14
P. D. Har
Lis, Tiktrl, I
Sttub,
Mal';,
cclition, p.r45.
Chapter
sented Nithi
of
1hg
(:omlonents
J. P Laportc, rbirl.
\V. R. Coe, TR 14, r99o.
; ibid.
,1 R. J. Shrrcr, The Arttient
Period, Aut i
r5 Ercavatic
southrvcst of
5th
Houstor:lr
srrated the I
historq
-5
clv n
Scc
1996.
16 Hrrrison.
r7 As rotcd
clacla hrs be
reaciing is /ra
mcaring.
Sr
Texrs) No. 5l
I havc sonct
tcrnr "chactr
brordl),
und,
highest ruler.
r8 Pctcrtr4at
5 This situation
rccognition o
entl Revision
time it is in print.
6 In Maya notation 9.o.ro.o.o
7 Mava Earl,v Classic lylonnncnts lnd
Irrscriptiorrs, it A Cutsitleration of the
Larly Clcrssic Periotl in the Matu Lowlntds, ed. bi- C. Wiiley ancl P Mrthovs,
Albanr', N! r985.
8 In Maya notation,!.12.14.8.r;.
9 As wrth r11 rulers in thc carlv p:rrt of
rlte h.trl' Cl.r"i, Pr ri,,.l rlr.r. i. !i,ntr(,
vcrsy ovcr the interpretetion of thc namc
phrase . Here there is no rclding,vct rraclc
in Nll,ve enc] the rvord "moon" sorrctimes prcccdcs thc "zcro" in the vrrious
scholars'rcaclings.
ro In lrer re-anal1'sis ol Tht: RttLers of
Drau,ing
mlcr of
Tikal.
rrost of
tht
19 Llporte
Chapter
Clemency
54,,
scrtation, Ha
u The other
of lenple
crcd at Tikr
materiel for I
the citl:
3 C--lcrrcncv (
4 Exclvation
conducted ur
Eclrvin M. Sh
Projcct at the
Scott was in
operetious dr
ancl I hacl th
briclly in th
goocls in Buri
5 Thc tcrm
qucrtlY enou
crte a
kincl
l:alomte it is
pects
of !ilatcr
iouthern I'layl
aic
Aspects
of
the Prehispdnic
,ugh and B. L.
was
onc.
phy has conrc to bc rccognizecl as emphasizing the clarv rather th:rn thc soft paw.
\Whether onc or two rulers lre repre-
r(ttt..l
enturt Phl,sical
tt, and Naturo|
owldnds, t,1,1i.
L variett, of flint,
t chemicrl com
rr
t(
\1. IrlllJill\
rz
pp.7r r19.
I,
of Kings,
I cutting, scr:rp-
r4
r 998.
o.
clcnron-
of rvirrfere in Meya
history See elso Martin rncl (irubc,
strf,tecl thc powcr
r996.
.r4.8.r 5.
ame most coDr-
of the lvorcl
's
rnter" and "the
cholarly man
: fourder of
rseum, Philedel-
'e constalltly at
s it is incvitable
es usecl in this
modified by the
r6 Harrison,
ideration of tbe
the Maya Lowrnd P Mathervs,
.r4.8.r5.
he early part of
thcrc is contro
:ion of the nanrc
'e ading yet made
"rloon"
some
The Rulers of
chcl has now
rd as a rulcr of
of this ruler's
n
ains controvcr-
Lrsc
is
taken from the rvork of a group ol cpigraphcrs callecl herein "the Austin Group"
n'ho mcct annually in Austin, Texes to
discuss and update thc on-going work of
trars!ating thc corpus of Maye hieroglyphs. The principal lcaclcrs of this
group are Linde Schele of Austin, Texas;
ancl
6 In Ma,va norxtion,3.r8.r5.rr.o.
7 ln Maya notation 8. r 9. ro.o.o.
ncaning.
explainecl
e Copen Note
(Austin,
Terrs) No. j8, Stulrt, Gmbe and Schele.
I heve sometimes choscr to rctain the
Johl
fusteson clicl
vi.iur
Chaptcr 6
Clemenc.v
StyLes
of the
Burirl ro.
frcqucntl,v cnough in ruler's names to inclicilte r kincl of titlc. Llnlikc ahau and
kdlonttr: it is nore
z3
r
z5
ancl
thcsc
r I This reading is l speculltivc onc proviclccl b,v thc present illlthor and is
Se
zr In M:rya notation
Forest
of
r7
I)ratuing
to.o.o
v4onuments rncl
" Its
es almost daih,
new meeting of
includes e skeletal lorvcr jarv, hc was prcviousll, called "Jaguar Parv Skull I." This
is now knorvn to bc a gl,vph variant for
thc basic nane Jaguar Pau' rvhich has
Martin.
Chapter 7
Chapter
A Forest of Kings,
and Society in Ancient
Masoamerict, r99z; Martin, Simon and
r
99o; Hassig,
'V/ar
Ar,/,n,,,1u.g.1
rcad
Le)
9.
event.
ol ry,.4.
Chapter 9
r In Meye notltion 9. r l.o.o.o.
z Lindr Schclc ancl Nikoler Gruhe. Sozr:
lleuisions
Texrs Note
ar7,
Mlrch
ancl
n riting
progrcssing rapidly;
IO
all
nt.rr
is
rcaclings from
ru
11, ,111.1r'rr
r!\i-
II.
z r ( lrri. loltc..
tlonJ r99t.
l,( r.,,il.11
\'umnIililLl
lIt(
( t L,ti I r,
zo1
1 r fones, r9Ez.
lz ln Mayr notation 9.14.ri.r. r9.
l l ]r Vrv.t nur.lnon g. r+. ri.6. rJ.
(,.
3 In Maya not:rtion
j.o.o.
rvas clescribed
in
T/:c
c)74.
7 lhe
Me,ve
heartlrncl.
Notc
in
rz
baseline that
6D-6r in thc
has its right a
cirstcrn trianl
6r. The
signr
ture is not kn
to cluc rvcst
have been th,
<
of Yik'in
z9 Thc
south of Tetr
proximitv of
reverence for
Horvever, dur
docs not co
huried in
cllncc
ing
ir
con
impor
king. This
brother of Yi
3o Tcxas Nr
Relisions
tct
Februar,v L AD 744
1, Tcnrple IV
(9.r;.rz.r r.ru),
9.rt.r2.rr.r3, oll
3r
In Ma.va
3z
Frorn Stel
In Maya nota
Lintel
ri In Mava lrotiltion
Lintel z,Templc I\1
s far
loca
Schclc ancl G
7.
Chapter
rr
Thc lirst
ic
age rvas maclt
r8
zo The primlry
9.2. r l.o.
9. r 5. ro,o,o.
r Christophcr fotes,
Col, Mrcue
Corle, Thrnr
lo4 pp., 1992
Cor., \ll R.
Excauations
Terrace antll
volumes, N4o
of Pennsylvar
AI
r977,
-Tikal,
NIdyd Ruins,
Oommerce ttnd
r,aria Muscu
pp.z8-6o.
5.\.o...
9. r 5.
rs. t.('.8.
r
Chapter ro
t Irt \r1.r1.r rot.ilion
z6 In Meya notation
respectively:
9.r6.rt.o.o
9E8.
CoccrNs, Cr
Drauing
Styl
dnd Iatrutgra
scrtation,2,
sit;', r975.
Cur.rtnr, T.
25, Part A,
VesseLs from
Problematica
Thc
LInive
r\{useum, Phi
lt4aya
Institution,
\Vorlcl
Serier
Sabloff, St. Rt
nque, Chrapesi
tL'dr" deoinst
alencluc Rouncl
N{acri encl J.
bian Art Insti-
,|
L,z.z.
,r
e to the west of
:d on or near thc
le
wrter route to
racked by Tikal
of El Pcru. The
'
n become intri
'ed citv is closcst
does
ally of
rcw inscriptions
known
Mlrtin
mon
in
5.r2.2.3), a clate
of Temple IV.
(9.r5.ru.r r.ru),
.ri.r2.rr.rl,
orl
9.r5.r5.2.j), on
).r t. r t.r:1.o,
jo
Chapter r r
notation 9.r8.o.o.o.
6 This very importrnt geometric rell
tionship is described in Chapter rz.
7 This translation is from Schele encl
Grubc, Maya Hicroglyphic Vorkshop,
March 9 r8, r995, Austin, Tex:rs.
8 ln Maya notation 9.r9.o.o.o.
5 In
NIa,va
9 Coggirrs,
ro
Princcton Prcss), that all tcxts had a propaganda function, recording history in
only thc wa,v that thc rulcrs rvantccl it tcr
be rernenrberecl.
6rst idcntilication of this pcrsorrage rv:rs macle b,v Chris Jones n'ho sinply
j Leporte, t99o tn
in Mavtt Stutliu.
r997.
lized
Hlrtung originallr',
itself.
and
u:
Chapter rz
OLassic i\4ayer Architecturol
Assembltrge
r Thc
RAPHY
Pattern:
Franci sco.
r988.
Jo,vce
r (i.
IBL IO
Harrmond, pp 47e5o,3,
Prcss, N! 977.
Acaclemic
pre
-\,1icro-
plring the
o11
rtwork is fronr
uhich l.ecl.v Xok,
ccivecl r serpent
NIdl,a
Acrop oli s, T i kal () u at end a : A P rc liminory Studl, of the Functions of its ,Struc-
of
rs been made by
nla," in Ameri-
, No. r,
Bibliography
(-,
I assi c
r977,
-Tikal,
Mdya Ruins, The Llniversity of Penlsyl-
Commerce dnd
qucrquc!
a, in Historie cle
r 9811.
ritten in r99z).
.o.o.o.
4.t6.9.16.
f,.o. o. o.
:s to
conform
tcr
nc and 156 rc
i
tc
ancl r57
nc
respectively:
;cries
of Temple
r notrtiolr
is
rianglcs share a
sitv, r975.
Cur-ennr, T. Pemrcx
Tikal Rcport No
The Llnivcrsit,v of
Pe
nnsylvania
,1
r,1pp. r 978.
University
of
Pennsylvanil Museum,
ancl
Peabod,v
998.
SHARF.R,
20-5
Ch:rsc, Arlcn r1
Chase, Diane r
chert r5,455o
Chiepes rr; ro
of V.-rnont.
ancl
Wrshington, lll of
l ika1 6z-,1
chicle
r8
(lhilde, Corclor
Chitem 166; -se
Chol rr
Cholti 69
chrorologies r<
Chucn ccremic
chultuns 5o
Cini
ceramic p
(ilessic pcriod:
61-r99
climrte r4,,15
Cobe r6
Coe, \X il[anr Ii
Coe, \Irilliam R
(ioggins, (ilenr
r4 11!
Colha 46
collapse r9z u<
Copan 3o, ror,
(iortcs, Hcrnar
cosnrologv 5r,
Orocker, Erhvar
(lucllo r1,46
-1.
Culbert,
cult of rhe
cult of rhe
Curl Hcad
l)inrick,.lobn
Doublc Bird 9z
Ylrx K'uk M,
clynasties 65 8:
D,vson, Robcrt
a/-scr
fauna r8-r9,,1,
Iire-Born:3,7,
sih
Fn'e-Sror,v Pela,
35
zo6
I 9r,94, r<
le l[ 92, roz,
llzneb ceramic
Yich'ak l('ak
First Crocodile
98, roo, roz,
Crthenvoocl, Frcclcrick
cmblcm glypirs
fi
sl, rllo
3,1
F. Te
bll<tur:,1
Ceyo
Mirador r6,
[.] Peru r55
El Z:rpotc 82, 8
r82
bejos,15
F.l
4r
r84, r86
cffigy vessels 8r
r8 Rrbbir r;o
rSth rulcr 95-9
F-l
(lrlrkrrrul
Eb ccramic pha
Index
cecro 87
Oekchirlucl
Bal
r8r
Yir Ain IT
9u,,
East I'laza
18, iit,
plur
Kalonte
Fiast
Pat
jegu
Flinr Morrntrin
flora rt,,15
Flores 3.1,,1o
Foliated.fagurr
1tr:I1
ajT,
6l
6,1;
Great.Jaguar C
(ihrk Toh lcl
IN D F,X
deIhir
UPr\{, Neg. #
# Tikrl 65
rr39;
z; 36
likal 69-5-r;5;
-52
1;53.54 clreii'ings
Juan Antonio
Ltemah;5-5 photo
oto Sruert Rome,
Ieg.
# Tikal 69 5
;9-5-r8B;
-59
UPM,
rrrving H. Stanlei'
q8 ; r; 68 llPII,
{artirr rrrcl Nikolai
fikal 6q-s-e6; zq
;8o UP\I, Neg. #
;. # Tikal 63 5 8:;
97; 85 UPM, Neg.
Ieg. # Tikal 6:- 1a:ourtcsy AtrlF;9r
:;94 UPM, Neg. #
rp of Tikrl ruins,
98 UL\I, Ncg. #
icholas Hcllmuth;
ror
nson;
UP\1,
TR rr,
mnglc,
fter Great
Lakc Pcrcn
Chikle, Gorclor rz
Chitam rl'6; scc,il-.o Ak, Rulcr C, Yex Ain II
Chol r r
t6
Cr:oup F
Cholti
69
chronologies zo z4
Ohuen ceranrrc phlse 6z
chultuns 5o
Cini
j9
Colha 46
hieroglyphs
l,c l.lLrrrr,.l
.crr', t r r.
s.r.,
conipile
Phihclel
awing bv \\rilbur
Drnrick, John 35
Dos Pilas r7, rz) 126, t4o, t78, t99 to
r76,
r8l
Yrx I('uk Mo
clynlstics 65 8u, rzerzr,
l)r'sor, Robcrt S. ;6
F.l
zoo
l9z,94, roj;ssc
lr,
;7,61
63;
19,
57,
(iimi
5r,6u; Eznab
e al,so
II
r98
f:runa r8 r9,45,,19
Fire Born 71,79 8L, r19; 80;
1lora r8,45
1.1,,1o
Foli rtecl Jlgurr
Grcrt
o5; sr:a
roo,
r9z r93,
Florcs
rj8
'I
Tc II 9:,
Eznab cerlrnrc phesc
tL4-1 15
forti6crtion
sarc
sr:r: a|-so
Hrurrl Brhm
llso
roj;
69 7o, 8r;
75
d/-(o
145, r;+7,
t6t; tqt
kzt 29,3q, t99
Lrra, Euscbio 3r
Leiden Pl:rquc
7e7r
Tc II
ro6
lou'l:rlcls rr, r4) 22.
t91. r99-zoo
,+5.
rzo, ruu,
ru
8, r 1o,
Mltlcirl,
Pe
rc,v
3 5
:OOl
I l. r'\,: I'flelll\
.lllqll.lElC\
Pcru r55
F-
ir 62,64.8;,
Jurac
jasuar r8-r9,8l
Jrgu:rr (ihrv clan house 76 78, I t 1, 196
Jrgu:rr Cl:ru' lincage 7e7r, t 1, 7 6, 8 2,,2 q, 98,
L51,
Nlrthcu's, Pcter 7o
Lromata, T:rkeshi r99
cfligy vcsscls 86 8;
r 8 ILrbbit r3o
rStlr ruler 95 96,93 97
El (ieyo 3,1
El Mir:rdor r6, r5,1
rE4,
aguar
'rl-so
46
Tikal
67,&1,79,82,
'2.
p,6j
Horcluras rr, jo
housenounds r 5
Houston, Stephen r99
trlso
:y Loten.
, 42, 41,62,
14 rr5, rz8,
l?+,
writing
Holmul
r.rr
see
rrj rl,
r60, T98
rs
r 1,'r
(iuello rj,46
r.11, r72; r JE
\X/oman of
'r|so
also
16
(lohr r6
.'rlr
6a,
61 tgg
clinate r 4, .15
Plrrza
IZ
l\{csoarlcricln cirilization r j
Miclrcl, (icncvicvc 91 95, rzl
nriclders 48, 5o,
r9;
r98
Jimbal r9z
Joncs, (ihristopher 3o,68,9:,98, rro, r17,
r60
I('rk'
ndbudL
He :rcl
rjj
I tl
topographv 9,
19 Laj
29, r47
Nakurn 46
nane glyphs 65, 67, 6,1 7r, 8o, 82, 88, 92,
94 95! ror-roa! rr.),r27;6i,7a 7i,,1o,,92,
88,,12.9q 9;,93, r.i8
N:iranjo 46, rzr ruz, rz4, r56, r58
Nl Tuntc K:rvrvak r 37
Night laguar 56,86; sr:e o/,<o cult of thc
jrgurr, I(inich Ahati
North Acropolis a6, 12, 16,,+8 5i, 5 t 60,
62 64.68 69,71
t-5,1J6, llE.
rj8,
9r9r,
ro.+,
INI)}.X
ll
Ir
Orrrz. \ntonio
r 5,1
l.rcc
++. aJr.
rS
uirrrl :1
l.
\,':rgtrc \crrr
:: :;
nrrfrrc
-i
+.)
-1c--
llrirer: I ror'lich rr
c. I )on 1rg()ia()ntlrs+.1.4)r).
I{ ir
r+, r l:,
I6J
Scotr. Snrrrr 8 1r N;
Scil.ei +c. rq:r rr
2.O8
-l-crnplc
6S.
rar. SI.
1),1,1-6
\\orn.rrr of likel q;. qS;-.r'r,r1-ro I ;rLlr I il<rl
$ ritine r r. 6+ arii -r.r' .r1so lricroglIphs
Tcnrpls
Ttgrc (ionrplcr
Slrectr, l)rvrorr
ShrcltJ 5kull
rrlrrsco
s,rlrrl -.)
Sen.iosc:g. rof;; r.. r.N
Srrtr ,\l,rr trr crvc r l
Sclrclc. I irrJr -- -S. r:1 rr\.
'I.rnrlrincliro r:1
T.rr rrsrl :9. -1o. t.t.r
rI
l.
r-Jari
-{.r,.//-\o
Nl
r 5,1
tr tl'
lcro XIoon llircl -e-
Z;rcrr]crr