Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Whatever the approach to managing these newer parks, what is certain is that Petén's vast
wealth as the heartland of the Mayan civilization remains largely untapped.
If you are fortunate enough to visit Tikal, go home with the knowledge that you have
been afforded a glimpse into the vast wilderness that remains mostly untouched north of
this complex. In the forests beyond Tikal are countless other sites, some still undiscovered,
which deserve as much protection and require the vigilance of international travelers and
activists to ensure their continued preservation.
Tikal was settled somewhere between 900 and 700 B.C. on a site undoubtedly selected be-
cause of its position above seasonal swamps that characterize much of the terrain in this
part of Peteén, as well as the availability of flint for trade and the manufacture of tools and
weapons.Itremainedlittlemorethanasmallsettlement foratleast200years.By500B.C.
the first stone temple was erected and later used as the basis for the large Preclassic pyr-
amid dominating thecomplex nowknownasElMundoPerdido.Tikal continued itssteady
progressduringthelatePreclassicperiod,sometimearound200B.C.,withtheconstruction
of ceremonial buildings found in the North Acropolis and the completion of the pyramid at
El Mundo Perdido.
Classic Period
By the time of Christ, Tikal's Great Plaza had begun to take shape and by the Early Classic
period,aroundA.D.250,Tikalwasanimportant religious, commercial, andcultural center
with a sprawling population. King Yax Ehb' Xoc established his dynasty at this time, one
whichwasrecognized bythe33subsequent rulersofTikal until recorded historyatthesite
goes silent in A.D. 869.
The history of Tikal is closely tied to the emergence of Teotihuacán, a powerful city-
state to the north in Central Mexico, which it should be noted was completely non-Mayan
in origin. Its influence began to be felt during the middle of the 4th century A.D., when
Teotihuacán dispatched a warrior by the name of Siyak K'ak' (Born of Fire) to aid Tikal
in its war against the neighboring city of Uaxactún. Siyak K'ak' introduced the use of the
atlatl, a wooden sling that allowed Tikal's warriors to defeat their enemy by firing arrows
without having to engage in hand-to-hand combat. The aid from the north, according to
recorded texts chronicling the execution of Tikal's Jaguar Paw I, amounted to a military
takeover with the installation of Yax Nuun Ayin I (Curl Nose or First Crocodile), of Teoti-
huacán royalty, who later married into Tikal's dynasty.
With Teotihuacán hegemony now firmly established, Tikal dominated central Petén for
most of the next 500 years. It grew to become one of the richest and most powerful May-
