El Petén - Guatemala - page 507

Due south of the Gran Plaza, Templo V is a remarkably steep structure that was built
sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD. Unlike the other great temples, this one
has slightly rounded corners. A recent excavation of the temple revealed a group of em-
bedded structures, some with geometric designs and Maya calendars on their walls. Rath-
er than using the broad front stairs to scale the structure, you ascend via a steep wooden
staircase on its left side. The view from the narrow platform at the top is wonderful, giv-
ing you a 'profile' of the temples on the Gran Plaza.
Excavation has hardly even begun on the mass of masonry just west of the temple,
known collectively as the South Acropolis. The palaces on top are from late-Classic times
(the time of King Moon Double Comb), but earlier constructions probably go back 1000
years.
Plaza de los Siete Templos
To the west of the Acrópolis del Sur is this broad grassy plaza, reached via a path to its
southern edge. Built in late-Classic times, the seven temples with their stout roof combs line
up along the east side of the plaza. They're currently the subject of an ongoing excavation
project to restore them to their early splendor. On the south end stand three larger ' palaces
OFFLINE MAP '; on the opposite end is an unusual triple ballcourt .
El Mundo Perdido
About 400m southwest of the Gran Plaza is El Mundo Perdido (Lost World), a complex of
38 structures with a huge pyramid in its midst, thought to be essentially Preclassic (with
some later repairs and renovations). The pyramid, 32m high and 80m along the base, is
surrounded by four much-eroded stairways, with huge masks flanking each one. The stair-
way facing eastward is thought to have functioned as a platform for viewing the sun's tra-
jectory against a trio of structures on a raised platform to the east, a similar arrangement to
the astronomical observatory at Uaxactún. Tunnels dug into the pyramid by archaeologists
reveal four similar pyramids beneath the outer face; the earliest (Structure 5C-54 Sub 2B)
dates from 700 BC, making this pyramid the oldest Maya structure at Tikal.
A smaller temple to the west, dating from the early Classic period, demonstrates Teoti-
huacán's influence, with its talud-tablero (stepped building) style of architecture.