Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tikal's Great Plaza
The path continues alongside the temple and you are at once greeted by the magnificent
Temple II, which faces Temple I, as you enter the large, grassy plaza. Also known as “El
Gran Jaguar” (The Great Jaguar), Temple I rises to a height of 44 meters (144 feet). The
imposing structure was erected to honor Hasaw Chan K'awil (Heavenly Standard Bearer),
the ruler who successfully led Tikal to victory against Calakmul. It was built to harbor his
remainsandwascompleted shortlyafterhisdeathinA.D.721bysonandsuccessorYik'in
Chan K'awil, probably with instructions from his father.
The tomb was situated at the temple'score andcontained the ruler'sremains surrounded
by jade, stingray spines, seashells, and pearls, which were typical of Mayan burials. It was
believedtheinstrumentswouldaidthepersoninhisjourneyintotheunderworld.Thisjour-
ney is depicted on a bone fragment, also found in the tomb, showing a royal figure in a
canoe rowed by mythical animal figures. Tikal's museum harbors a reconstruction of the
