• The Maya Ruins—Lonely Sentinels From a Bygone Age
    Awake!—1990 | May 8

    • Classic Tikal

      Deep in the innermost recesses of the Petén jungle in northern Guatemala lies Tikal, the largest Classic Maya center discovered to date. The heart of this 50-​square-​mile [130 sq km] city covers about 6 square miles [16 sq km], in which are found over 3,000 structures varying from humble abodes to tall, zigguratlike temples. The tallest, Temple IV, the towering Temple of the Double-​Headed Serpent, is 212 feet [65 m] high. The core of Tikal is the two-​and-a-half-​acre [1 ha] Great Plaza, with Temple I, the Temple of the Giant Jaguar, on the east and Temple II, the Temple of the Masks, on the west side.

      What was the purpose of these temples? While there is still uncertainty in this regard, Maya archaeologist Edwin M. Shookb told Awake!: “These were temples in the religious sense, and they were built for that purpose. Secondarily, they were used to honor an individual by putting his remains in such a revered place. For example, Westminster Abbey was not built to house tombs. But the British honor their great by putting them in Westminster Abbey. That’s exactly what you have in the whole Maya system. There are few exceptions.” It was Shook who discovered and named Tikal’s major causeways after former explorers​—Mendez, Maudslay, Maler, and Tozzer.

      On the other two sides of the Great Plaza sit the North and Central Acropolises, believed to be palaces and administrative buildings. Close to the South Acropolis is the Triple Ball Court, which once resounded to the heavy thud of a rubber ball deflected by players dressed in protective clothing. Since Tikal is situated on a porous limestone base, through which precious rainwater easily filters, it was necessary for the Maya to construct several reservoirs, some of which were originally limestone quarries. These cisterns were lined with a special clay to prevent seepage. The South Acropolis, the East and West Plazas, the Plaza of the Seven Temples, the Central Market, the four major causeways that were used for religious processions, and the Lost World complex​—recently restored by Guatemalan archaeologists—​are the landmarks that make up the remainder of Tikal.

      The Demise of the Classic Period

      What brought the Classic period to its end? Theories are legion, but no one really knows. What is known is that the erection of dated stelae, palaces, and public buildings suddenly ceased. The last stela found in Tikal is dated 869 C.E. The populace abandoned the great Maya city-​centers and took up living in small, scattered, agricultural villages. The jungle, previously held at bay, now surged forward. Tree saplings took root in the nooks and crannies of the host buildings and became great trees. Their roots, now several feet in circumference, cracked corners, broke limestone blocks, weakened walls, and crushed corbel vaults. Forlorn and forgotten, Tikal and its sister sites were hidden from the outside world to lie dormant within the jungle’s choking embrace.