Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Continuing along the Tozzer Causeway, which is one of the original elevated walkways
connecting various parts of the city, you'll come across Complex N on the left. Complex
N is a twin-temple complex of the variety frequently constructed by Tikal's Late Classic
rulers, supposedly to commemorate the passing of a
katun,
or 20-year cycle in the Mayan
calendar. Found here is the beautifully carved
Stela 16,
showing Hasaw Chan K'awil in a
plumed headdress. The complex was built in A.D. 711 to mark the 14th
katun
of
baktun
9,
a
baktun
being 400 years.
Altar 5,
also found here, depicts Hasaw victoriously presiding
over sacrificial skull and bones with a lord from one of Calakmul's former vassal states.
The corresponding text also mentions the death of Lady 12 Macaw, Hasaw's wife.
Farther along, you'll come to the colossal Temple IV, the tallest of Tikal's temples at 65
meters (212 feet). Like the Great Plaza's temples, it was completed in A.D. 741 by Yik'in
Chan K'awil and may have served as his burial monument, though there is no concrete
evidence as of yet. In addition to offering the best views of the site from its summit, it is
also known as the origin of some excellent lintels depicting a victorious king surrounded
by glyphs. As in the case of the lintels from Temple I, you'll now have to travel to Basel
if you want to see the originals. A replica of Lintel 3 is in Guatemala City's archaeology
museum.
The climb to the top of the temple up a series of wooden ladders attached to its side can
be described as simply breathtaking, both for the effort required and for the spectacular
views of the forest on all sides.
Temple V and the South Acropolis
The South Acropolis, due south of the Great Plaza, is the site of some excavations that are
just beginning to unravel its significance. Its top layers are from Late Classic times, much
likeelsewhereinTikal.TempleVliesjusteastoftheSouthAcropolis.Standingtoaheight
of 58 meters, it may be the original of Tikal's six temples dating to A.D. 600. A wooden
staircase provides access to the somewhat cramped area below the roof comb, from which
an interesting side view of the Great Plaza can be had.
Plaza of the Seven Temples
This small plaza can be found to the west of the South Acropolis and contains a series of
seven temples arranged in a straight line dating to Preclassic times. There is a triple ball
court on the plaza's north side similar to a larger one just south of Temple I.
The Lost World Complex
Known in Spanish as El Mundo Perdido, this complex is strikingly different from the rest
of the site owing to its Preclassic origins, which may help to shed light on Tikal's early
history.Theareaisdominatedbythepresenceofa32-meterpyramid,itsfoundationdating
as far back as 500 B.C., when it served as an astronomical observatory similar to the one
