Tikal – Guatemala

Posted on 23/08/2023 by Michael

Tikal

Tikal – Guatemala

Location

The site is situated 68 km by road from Flores and the airport in the Department of Peten in Guatemala; it is 98 km from Melchor de Mencos, a Guatemalan town on the Belizean border. To protect the ruins in this fascinating city, in 1955 the Tikal National Park was created, the first and largest (576 sq km) in the whole of Central America. Nowadays, the site forms part of the core area of the Maya Biosphere Reserve. The Guatemalan government granted National Monument status to the site, which was ratified by UNESCO when it became a World Heritage Site in 1979 and a Universal Monument in 1986. Inside the park there are three hotels and restaurants serving national and international food. It is also possible to purchase handicrafts. Tikal has a visitor centre offering information on special birdwatching tours as well as guides for accompanying visitors who wish to explore the rainforest trails at the site. Access to Tikal is via an asphalt road from Flores. If you are coming from the Belizean border, you will automatically join this road and then just follow the road signs. The road that will connect Tenosique, in Tabasco, and Tikal is nearly finished.

History of the explorations

Tikal is an outstanding site not only because of its monumental architecture but also its long dynastic history. Archaeological research commenced with the recording of the sculpted monuments and the description of the buildings by Modesto Mendez in 1848, who published his findings in the Gaceta de Guatemala, but it was not until 1881 that the first topographical map of the site was drawn up, by Alfred Mudslay, showing the five main temples and the core area. In 1895 Teobert Maler produced a more accurate map of the central area and altered the nomenclature of the buildings, and in 1911 Alfred Tozzer drew up another map. All of these people also took extensive photographs of the site.

The first scientific interventions commenced in 1956 with the research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, and continued until 1970. The first field director, Edwin Shook, led the excavations in the Great Plaza, part of the North Acropolis, the Central Acropolis, the main temples and many of the palaces situated in plazas in the core area of the site. Strict photographic records were taken and drawings were made of the trenches and tunnels to register everything that was uncovered, given that in certain cases the excavations were conducted at a depth of 20 m.

In 1958 the excavation of Temple I commenced, ending six years later; temples II, III, IV, V and VI followed. Between 1964 and 1969 the North Acropolis was excavated under the supervision of William Coe, the second project director, and priority was given to the restoration of temples I and II, the buildings in the North and Central Acropolis and other groups on the site. By 1964 Complex Q had been investigated and excavated, and was one of the first groups to be restored by George Guillemin. Subsequently, the Guatemalan Institute of Anthropology and History and the Tikal Park funded a specific project at Group G, also known as the Group of the Vertical Grooves, led by Miguel Orrego and Rudy Larios.

Between 1979 and 1986 the Guatemalan government conducted a vast research and restoration programme at the site, creating the Tikal National Project. Led by the archaeologists Juan Pedro Laporte and Marco Antonio Bailey, the works initially focused on the Lost World Group, with an emphasis on the excavation and restoration of nearly 15 buildings. The programme was subsequently extended to other areas of the site, such as Group 6C-16, the large buildings and palaces in the North Zone, and the consolidation of buildings with problems in Group F, the North Acropolis, the Central Acropolis and the Palace of the Windows. One of the final projects was jointly conducted by the governments of Guatemala and Spain and focused on the partial restoration of Temple I. The support continued with the excavation and restoration of Temple V and the investigation of the Seven Temples group is currently nearing completion.

Pre-Hispanic history

Thanks to the advances in epigraphic interpretation, we now know that the original name of Tikal was Yax Mutal and that the founder of the ruling lineage was called Yax Moch Xoc, who was followed by another 33 rulers who made references to their ancestors to demonstrate their right to the throne. The origins of this city date back to 800 BC, and the first settlers lived on two small hills, now known as the North Acropolis and the Lost World. The city continued to grow uninterruptedly for nearly 2,000 years, experiencing its golden age during the Classic period, when it was ruled by magnificent statesmen who catapulted it to the very peak of civilisation. By around 500-400 BC, the functions of the North Acropolis and the Lost World had been clearly defined, the former being used for ritual activities and the latter for observing the passage of the sun and controlling the time cycles associated with the 365-day calendar.

By the Late Preclassic, the two sections had been connected by a wide sacbe or causeway, forming a larger urban settlement that eventually grew into a very large city. By the 1st century AD, Tikal had become one of the most important centres in the region and its’ leaders decided to employ the arts – architecture, sculpture and painting – to create large public stages which, decorated in the fashion of a theatre, impressed the people who attended the public and religious ceremonies. The Early Classic rulers, followed by those of the Late Classic, who had much longer periods of government, expanded the city in all four directions. Each successive ruler would set in train new projects, with buildings that boasted architectural and decorative innovations, masks on the fagades, friezes on the palaces and enormous roof combs on top of the temples. Above all, however, these new constructions were painted in bright colours, seeming to come alive. Even so, not everything was glory: Tikal suffered various setbacks during the Middle Classic and then again at the end of the Late Classic when the political crisis that led to the collapse of the Maya civilisation occurred. The city was abandoned between AD 950 and 1000, although a small number of settlers continued to live in the core area and conduct ceremonies in the temples. Nevertheless, by then there was no administrative control and certainly no means with which to combat the thick rainforest vegetation that encroached further over the city every day, finally devouring it completely.

Urban planning at Tikal: site description

The great Maya cities like Tikal were centres of intense political and economic activity where thousands of people pursued all kinds of trades. The central section is composed of monumental groups where the elite and the ruling family lived. Here, temples, palaces and pyramid platforms were built, forming plazas with constructions on all four sides. The main groups were connected by long, wide avenues, called causeways or sacbeob, often 2 km long and 70 m wide, which were used by the people going about their daily business and also for the processions in which the king was carried on his throne, accompanied by musicians who announced his presence. Another type of architecture was the ball court, which at Tikal was in constant use. The excavations of 1980 uncovered a model sculpted in limestone showing 14 different types of buildings, including the ball court, elongated platforms and pyramidal structures, which indicates that building projects were presented to the ruler for his approval before any stones were laid.

Tikal – Temple II

The most important groups at Tikal are the Great Plaza, the North Acropolis, the Central Acropolis, the Lost World, the Seven Temples complex, the Palace of the Windows, the North Group, the Palace of the Vertical Grooves, Group F, the various twin pyramid complexes and the six tall temples. The various buildings display architectural details such as cornices, mouldings, stairways, friezes, recessed and protruding corners, roof combs, giant masks and palaces with several storeys, all of which have helped us define the Peten style of architecture.

Six giant temples, standing nearly 70 m high, were built in the core area of the city between AD 600 and 830. Situated in the great plaza are Temples I and II, built around AD 700 by the ruler Hasaw Chan K’awil I, the most powerful of the Tikal sovereigns. On his death he was buried with great honours inside, accompanied by rich grave goods to assist him on his journey to the other world and for his reincarnation. Temple II was built inside Temple I and together with Temple 33 forms Tikal’s cosmic triad. However, Temple IV, built a few decades later by his son, boasts all its grandeur in its immense proportions, with the view from the top taking in everything with a radius of many kilometres.

Tikal – Temple IV

The great palaces where the king’s relatives lived were situated in the central a c r o po lis, which includes threestorey buildings, plazas, residences, schools and spaces for diplomatic receptions. Situated between this group and Temple V was a reservoir or artificial lake, which also served as a recreational area. The ball court was highly symbolic in that it recreated the struggle between the supernatural forces, and five such courts were built at Tikal; the most important one is the Triple Ball Court near the entrance to the Seven Temples group. Smaller but no less handsome architectural groups were built around the core area for occupation by middle-ranking people such as artists, craftsmen, administrators and traders. The farmers and people of more modest means occupied the outlying areas, leaving large expanses of land for crops, vegetable gardens and recreational gardens. Architecture was a means for expressing the importance of families, determined by their proximity to the ruler.

The urban planning process also involved the provision of water for the population, farming and construction purposes. The local topography was exploited in this respect: the buildings were erected on the highest terrains and the plazas had slightly inclined pavements to drain off the rain water. This was then channelled to proper drains, canals and other collection points. This system was used throughout the history of Tikal with gradual improvements to supply thousands of people. Numerous water reserves were prepared at different points around the city, although the largest were in the centre and eventually became small and highly scenic lakes where people would stroll, fish and take a boat out. During the Early Classic, the successive kings of Tikal had a defence system built to protect the city. The excavations have uncovered several sections of a moat that surrounded the city; these alone are 28 km long, but the total length is not yet known. The moat clearly had a defence function, although there were several bridges, some of them 6 m wide, to allow people to enter and leave the city. In addition to moats, the defence system also comprised several swamps, which are extremely difficult to cross during the rainy season because of the mud and thorny lianas. The defence system was built when Tikal became engaged in a series of power struggles with Uaxactun, El Peru and Caracol. Although it often worked well, it sometimes failed to prevent the invading army from entering the city. However, by the Late Classic the situation changed, giving way to a new era of peace, and the moat was filled, enabling the city to expand its boundaries to unprecedented limits and become the most important metropolis in the Maya region.

History of the rulers at Tikal

The sovereigns made reference to their origin in the sculpted monuments, lintels, carved bones and painted ceramics. They inscribed stelae with their number in the dynastic sequence, beginning with the founding ancestor. This has enabled researchers to identify 33 kings in a period of nearly 600 years. The first known sovereign was Foliated Jaguar, sculpted on Stela 29, who was the ruler in AD 292. Other better known rulers are Ch’ak Tok Ich’aak I, mentioned as the ninth sovereign (AD 360-378), who was followed by Yax Nuun Ayiin (AD 379-404), born of the union between a Tikal princess and a nobleman from the Mexican plateau, which enabled the two regions to forge stronger links. Their son Siyaj Chan K’awil II (AD 411-456) was one of the great sovereigns; he had numerous works built, inscribed his identity on several stelae and is mentioned as the 11th ruler. Next came his eldest son K’an Chitam (AD 458-486), sculpted on Stela 40 discovered in 1996, who was followed in turn by his son Chak Tok Ich’aak II (AD 486-508), as the 12th and 13th sovereigns in the line of succession.

It has been suggested that during the governments of Yax Nuun Ayiin and Siyaj Chan K’awil II, Tikal extended its relations to other regions, such as Copan, Rio Azul and Waka (El Peru). It also had ties with Teotihuacan, as demonstrated by the appearance of cylindrical tripod vases, stucco vessels with foreign iconography, artefacts made of green obsidian and buildings in the talud-tablero or slope-and-panel style. The government of Siyaj Chan K’awil II reinstated the local traditions, as can be observed in the architecture, ceramics and sculpted monuments. This king enjoyed a long reign, which consolidated the city politically and brought peace and prosperity. The two-storey palace in the eastern sector of the Central Acropolis dates from his government. As a sign of enormous respect for his memory, the palace was never altered or covered by later constructions, indicating the degree of admiration he inspired and the desire to perpetuate his memory.

As the most affluent city, Tikal created its own emblem glyph to distinguish the name of the city of Yax Mutal in writing. This hieroglyph appears on sculptures at other sites within a radius of 60 km from Tikal, such as Uaxactun, Xultun, Yaxha, Waka, Polol and Balakbal, suggesting a political dependence. It was during this same period that the two monuments with the longest glyphic texts at Tikal were built: Stela 31, which commemorates Siyaj Chan K’awil II, and Stela 40, dedicated to his successor K’an Chitam. The two stelae bear great similarities, suggesting that they were sculpted by the same person.

Another group of lesser known rulers commenced with the 14th governor, Wak Chan K’awil (AD 537-562), who is mentioned as having waged two wars with Caracol, winning the first but losing the second, thus diminishing Tikal’s power. A new era of prosperity emerged under Nuun Ujol Chaak (c. 657-679), who embarked on an ambitious revitalisation programme to return Tikal to its former prominence. Despite a turbulent government between wars, he promoted the construction of monumental works such as Temple V and two ball courts, which served to reaffirm the mythological ideas associated with the creation of the universe and the future reincarnation of the men of Tikal. His wishes were fulfilled when his son Hasaw Chan K’awiil I (682-734) succeeded him on the throne, followed by Yik’in Chan K’awiil (734-746), Yax Nuun Ayiin II (768-794), and several others.

The young Hasaw Chan K’awil I and his descendants conducted a major expansion programme between AD 679 and 830, proclaiming their status as magnificent statesmen and the promoters of ambitious public works, including temples I, II, III, IV and VI, the twin pyramid complexes, the large two- and three-storey palaces with their corbel-vault ceilings, and the extension of several causeways to link the core area with new elite groups, such as the North Zone complex. The noble families flaunted their increasing wealth by importing exotic goods from distant lands, such as jade, quetzal feathers, cotton fabrics, cacao, tobacco and salt. The 8th century is regarded as Tikal’s ‘golden age’ due to the stability achieved by its rulers, its colossal buildings and its exquisite polychrome vessels portraying palace scenes. Depicting the nobility and inscribed with hieroglyphic texts, these ceramics have shed light on the social stratification at Tikal.

Meanwhile, the discovery of several royal tombs demonstrates that the city was situated at the centre of a commercial route, as the rich grave goods include jaguar skins and exquisite pieces of bone, ceramics, jade, wood, mosaics, shells and other such items. When Yax Nuun Ayiin II acceded to the throne, he embarked on another programme of public works, including the construction of buildings and courtyards in the Central Acropolis, and his own palace – nowadays known as the Maler Palace – where an inscription of the date 4 July AD 800 was found. However, the continual wars in the region at the end of the 8th century were also recorded by means of graffiti on the walls of buildings such as the Maler Palace and others in Group G, reflecting the occupants’ concern about the increased conflicts. The pictures depict prisoners and the covered litters of enemy sovereigns being captured.

The only dated inscription for this period is AD 810, found on Stela 24, although the name of the ruler is illegible. However, the glyphic text on Lintel 2 at Temple III states that the action was conducted by the High Priest, who is accompanied by the titles K’inich Nab Nal and Chakte. At the beginning of the 9th century, Tikal still enjoyed the glory of the previous centuries, but a few decades later, around AD 850, the situation changed when the pressure was so great that every Maya city was collapsing. The last stela sculpted at Tikal dates from AD 869, although 20 years later Stela 12 at Uaxactun makes a final mention of the king of Tikal, Hasaw Chan K’awil II.

Nothing further is known about the royal family after that date. By that time, many cities had collapsed and were being abandoned, although Tikal was one of the last to be vacated. Cities did not disappear suddenly but little by little, as the thick vegetation formed a blanket over the handsome buildings of bygone days. Eventually, Tikal was lost forever.

Tikal – reconstruction

Museums

There are two museums in Tikal. The Sylvanus Morley Museum houses the ceramic vessels discovered during the excavations and provides visitors with a greater insight into the artistic evolution of the potters. The Lithic Museum, housed in the Visitor Centre, exhibits the principal stelae corresponding to the rulers of Tikal, especially those who shaped the city’s fate during the Early Classic.

Juan Antonio Valdes

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp203-211

Tikal

Great Plaza; 2. Central Acropolis; 3. North Acropolis; 4. East Plaza; 5. West Plaza; 6. Temple III; 7. Temple IV; 8. South Acropolis; 9. Ball Court; 10. The Lost World; 11. Seven Temples; 12. Temple V; 13. Group G; 14. Temple of the Inscriptions; 15. Group F; 16. Group H.

Getting there and entrance fees;

From Flores/Santa Elena. There are any amount of travel agencies that will organise tours to the site ranging from sunrise/sunset guided tours to general visits of a few hours. If you wish to do so independently then colectivos leave the top, left hand area of the new Santa Elena bus station during the course of the day. The first departure is around 06.00. The journey will take just over an hour and costs Q50 each way. 18Km before arriving at the site you enter the Tikal National Park where it is necessary for foreigners to get off and pay park entry – which is also entry to the site. Summer 2023 Q150. If you wish to stay overnight in the camping site (Q50) this also has to be paid for in advance either at the entrance to the park or online (see below). You cannot pay for such things at the site.

The site restaurant is ludicrously expensive. However, there are a couple of comedors on the right hand side of the road just before you reach the main parking area and entrance to the archaeological site itself. These might be cheaper options – didn’t see them until I was leaving.

It is also possible to book over the internet. Visit www.boletos.culturaguate.com.

GPS:

17d 12’ N

89d 38’ W

Uaxactun – Guatemala

Posted on 23/08/2023 by Michael

Uaxactun

Uaxactun – Guatemala

Location

Uaxactun is accessed via a dirt track from Tikal and the journey takes approximately 45 minutes. The distance is 24 km and the track is passable, but a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended during the rainy season. There is also a daily bus to Uaxactun. The site is divided into two parts by the houses of the modern village and the visit lasts several hours.

History of the explorations

At the beginning of the 20th century, the place was known as San Leandro and Bambonal by the local rubber tappers. Its name changed to Uaxactun following its discovery by the Mayanist Sylvanus G. Morley on the morning of 5 February 1916. That same day Morley discovered Stela 9 and on deciphering the date of the stone realised that it began with the sign for Baktun 8, which in the Gregorian calendar corresponds to the year 327 BC, making it the oldest sculpted monument discovered to that date. In honour of this stela, Morley decided that the site should be named Uaxactun, which literally means ‘stone 8’. Recent epigraphic studies have revealed that the original name of the city was Sian Kan and that it enjoyed great prestige due to its antiquity and ancestry.

Uaxactun is one of the most important Maya archaeological sites as it was the among the first to be investigated and laid down a series of guidelines for future explorations. The ceramic spheres defined at Uaxactun continue to be used to establish the timeline and culture of the main periods into which the history of the lowlands is divided. It was here that the Carnegie Institution in Washington detected the first observatory in the 1920s. Such observatories are known as Group E complexes in honour of the discovery of this structure in Group E at Uaxactun. They are also known as astronomical complexes because they were used to observe the sun’s cycle, enabling the ancient Maya to understand the seasons, define solstices and equinoxes, perfect the calendar and predict the arrival of the rainy season. The first explorations were conducted between 1926 and 1937 by Oliver Ricketson and Ledyard Smith of the Carnegie Institution in Washington. The second project was undertaken by Guatemalan archaeologists between 1983 and 1986, led by Juan Antonio Valdes of the Tikal National Project; during this campaign, 11 buildings were restored and are now visible in groups A, B and E. In the meantime, around 1970, Edwin Shook and Enrique Monterroso had renovated the famous structure E-7-Sub.

Site description

The present-day village, also called Uaxactun, has an old airstrip that cuts through the urban centre and the pre-Hispanic site. It was used for decades during the mid-20th century for the extraction of chicle or gum, which used to be the region’s principal product. Situated to the south are groups D, E, F and a little further away Group H, all of which correspond to the oldest construction periods. North of the airstrip, on the hilltops, lie groups A, B and C, which boast the best architectural ruins, palaces, an acropolis and a wide causeway connecting groups A and B.

The oldest section of the site is Group E, which dates from around 600 BC. Its earliest inhabitants built wattle-and-daub houses on small limestone platforms, marking the beginning of social differentiation in the core area of the group. Nearby lay the crop fields and several chultunes excavated in the limestone for storing grain after the harvest. The city grew and made significant progress under the guidance of rulers with great vision, who built plazas and large acropolis complexes with buildings that showed off the latest advances in the local architecture. Between 400 and 200 BC, several versions of the astronomical complex were built and a vast plaza to accommodate gatherings of hundreds of people for public ceremonies. Another space with religious functions and strictly reserved for the elite was also built, namely a plaza with three buildings that defined the triadic pattern associated with the three gods of the creation. This place was filled at the beginning of the Early Classic for the construction of buildings E-4, 5 and 6 on top of a huge platform. The prosperity achieved by the local rulers gave rise to the construction of the most beautiful acropolis at Uaxactun during the 1st century BC. The seat of power was transferred to Group H, composed of two plazas, North and South, situated 900 m south of Group E. All the artistic manifestations combined to show human ingenuity: architecture, sculpture, painting and stucco work fused to embellish grand platforms, palaces and pyramidal buildings, which required vast quantities of human labour to transport the clay used for the fillings of the buildings from Juventud, 1 km away. Artists decorated the facades with masks, friezes and human figures painted in red, black, orange, yellow and white. The enormous masks represented the Sun God, the Jaguar of the underworld and the Sacred Mountain. The disposition of the buildings repeats the triadic pattern as a symbolic element, and because of the modest proportions of their spaces they are thought to have been reserved for officials involved in rituals and the administration of the city. Uaxactun boasts the first buildings totally made out of stone, with one or two corbel-vaulted rooms, which again are among the first known examples in the Maya region. For reasons we have yet to discover, Group H was buried and abandoned around the 2nd century AD.

At the beginning of the Early Classic, the nobility decided to move to the hilltops where groups A and B are located. However, the course of the history of Uaxactun changed dramatically when it was subjugated to Tikal in AD 378 at the hands of a nobleman called Siyaj K’ak’, apparently from the Mexican plateau. The short distance between Tikal and Uaxactun, combined with the progress achieved by both cities, had led to increasing rivalry to maintain prestige and territorial control of the region. After this defeat, Uaxactun was overshadowed and successive sovereigns wrote on the sculpted monuments that they were the descendants of Siyaj K’ak’, the dynasty’s ancestor.

Groups A and B, expanded during the Classic period (AD 250-900), exhibit the best examples of architecture, broad access causeways and the only ball court. Palace B-13 revealed a polychrome mural with two sovereigns, their noble companions and a group of women chatting; unfortunately, it was destroyed by plunderers. Group B is distinguished by several sculpted monuments, but especially by Stela 5, the front of which shows a portrait of Siyaj K’ak’. The Ball Court adopts the north-south orientation of the courts built during the Late Classic and unusually displays a smooth stela that has been reused as part of one of the walls at the north end. From here, a wide and exquisitely made causeway leads to Group A, which is raised, passes in front of Building A-3 and ends at Building A-2 in the Main Plaza, all built during the Late Classic. The Main Plaza also contains several stelae and fragments of smooth and sculpted monuments. Stela 9, discovered by Morley, shows the oldest known sovereign of the site. Opposite Structure A-2 are stelae 12 and 13, the latest sculpted monuments at the site.

Rising next to the Main Plaza is the Acropolis comprising several buildings known as A-5. This was the seat of power during the Classic period and it is here where five of its famous sovereigns from the Early Classic were buried. The East Plaza is distinguished by Palace A-18, the most handsome construction on the whole site, built on a platform and comprising two storeys and 18 rooms. An internal staircase leads to the top storey, where it is still possible to see the remains of a stone throne on which the sovereign would sit to observe his subjects gathered in the plaza. Four causeways that connected the main urban groups on the site have been discovered, as well as three aguadas, a pre-Hispanic well with fresh, crystalline water and various quarries that provided blocks of stone for construction purposes. The last Uaxactun rulers were Olom Chik’in Chakte and K’al Chik’in Chakte, who reigned in the AD 830 and 889, respectively. The references to the latter ruler appear on Stela 12, which also mentions the visit of Hasaw Chan K’awil II, the last king of Tikal, who came to participate in a ritual. Stela 12 was the last monument sculpted at the city, a few decades before Uaxactun was abandoned forever.

Juan Antonio Valdes

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp220-223.

Uaxactun

1. group A; 2. Group B; 3. Group C; 4. Group D; 5. Group E; 6. Group F.

Getting there;

From Santa Elena. Each day there’s a bus that is scheduled to leave Santa Elena bus station at 13.00 – but it will often leave later and take a long time to get out of the city and on the main road. Be patient. It will arrive in Uaxactun at around 17.00. Foreigners will have to get out at the National Park entrance (about 18km before the archaeological site of Tikal) and pay the park entrance fee. This is currently Q150 per day. You will need at least 2 nights in Uaxactun to visit the ruins there. That means 3 days in the park and consequently Q450. You can combine a visit to Tikal on the way back to Santa Elena at no extra cost. (See Tikal post for details of how to negotiate your visit there if you have luggage.) Santa Elena-Uaxactun Q60, Uaxactun-Tikal Q15, Tikal-Santa Elena Q50;

There are three places to stay in Uaxactun, Hostel El Chiclero (which looks down on what used to be the airstrip, on the left side as you enter the village), Aldana’s Lodge which is in a street behind El Chiclero and Eben-Ezer Hospedaje (which I think is run by the bus owner). El Chiclero also houses a small museum with finds from the site. (In the summer of 2023 most of the 570 items in the collection were in boxes. There’s no money to display them properly but it’s still worth asking to see the museum if you are there. I saw some items I hadn’t come across before.)

The archaeological sites are on either side of the airstrip, clearly marked from the village ‘centre’ but you have to keep your eyes open for the subsequent turn-offs.

The bus from Uaxactun for Tikal/Santa Elena starts to pick up people at 06.45. The journey to Tikal takes about 45 minutes. Q15.

GPS:

17d 23′ 28″ N

89d 37′ 47″ W

The Petén Regional Museum of the Mayan World

Posted on 18/08/2023 by Michael

Museum of the Mayan World

The Petén Regional Museum of the Mayan World

Tayasal Archaeological site –

…. is very much a working site and, in the summer of 2023, there was little for the visitor to see. However, a very complex walkway was close to com0pletion at the time of my visit so there are obviously plans to make the area more visitor friendly.

Location

This site played an important role in the history of the region and is situated at the end of a peninsula, immediately north of the island of Flores. Tayasal lies north of the village of San Miguel, some 150 m above sea level.

History of the explorations

There is some controversy about the location of Tayasal, the ancient capital of the Itza group. Maler was the first person to identify it, in 1910, on the peninsula of the name, although other researchers defended the hypothesis that it must have been situated on the island that the present-day city of Flores occupies. Although there is still a certain amount of doubt, the majority now believe that the island of Flores is too small for the number of settlers that the Spanish conquistadors described in the ancient city, while Tayasal is a much larger and more imposing city with plazas and groups of buildings that accommodated dwellings for thousands of people. The balance is therefore tipped in favour of the Tayasal peninsula.

Thanks to the Fifth Letter of Hernan Cortes to the Emperor Charles V, we know that he and his army passed through Tayasal in 1525, en route from Mexico to Honduras to quash a rebellion. Subsequently, there were several forays by Spanish monks and spokesmen to conquer the land, which were all to no avail until 13 March 1597 when Martin de Urzua conquered Tayasal and the environs, subjecting the population to the new political order of the Spanish crown. We also know that prior to this conquest the Spaniards made several visits to the central area of Peten, including an exploratory phase, a propaganda phase and a commercial and military phase, and that all of these took place between Cortes’s visit in 1525 and Urzua’s arrival, the first investigations at the site were conducted in 1910 and 1938 by Teobert Maler, followed by an expedition from the Carnegie Institution in Washington and another by Sylvanus Morley. All of these reported the existence of pyramid temples, temples on platforms mid simple platforms, palaces, astronomical observatories, ball courts, platforms for dancing, plazas with columns, steam baths, adoratoriums, monumental stairways, platforms for theatrical events, causeways, bridges, aqueducts, cemeteries, tombs, ossuaries and stadiums for public entertainment. In 1921 and 1922 the researchers at the Carnegie Institution determined that the structures at the west end of the peninsula were mainly from the Late Classic, although they also recovered odd materials from the Post classic. This was reaffirmed in 1986 when Miguel Rivera Dorado excavated Structure T-100 in Group 23 and determined the existence of construction and funerary features from the Early and Middle Post classic. During the same campaign Stela 3, dated to the Early Classic, was uncovered north of T-100.

Various studies have related the architectural features of the Post classic structures with those at Mayapan, based on the fact that they include benches along lateral and rear walls that were used for family fidoratoriums. The elongated buildings and open, more elaborate halls have masonry columns that once supported roofs made of perishable materials. These were found near the main temples. In 2004 new excavations were conducted in Group 23, specifically structures T-95 and T-99B, and the conclusion was reached that both contain Post classic architecture. T95 is a rectangular platform on which stands a room with three west-facing entrances, while T-99B is also a rectangular platform but with C-shaped benches and open at the front. Burial 1, discovered under the central stairway, contains a fragment of a vessel that confirms the site’s occupation in the middle or late Post classic. Other similar constructions have been found in central Peten, at sites such as Topoxte, Zacpeten, Macanche, Ixlu, Candelaria and Punta Nictun.

Pre-Hispanic history

This site represents the last enclave in the Maya region which after several failed attempts was finally subjected to the Spanish army in 1697, much later than the conquest of the Guatemalan plateau region in 1524 and the north of the Yucatan Peninsula in 1531. Tayasal, the capital of the Itza group, therefore had a much later occupation that the other sites in the region. Archaeological research supports the hypothesis of a long occupation stretching from the Middle Preclassic (800 BC) to the beginning of the 18th century.

Site description

The site was declared a National Monument by government decree on 24 April 1931. It comprises 11 sections: 1. Tayasal Main Group. 2. North Central Tayasal. 3. Tayasal Cove. 4. North-West Tayasal. 5. West Tayasal. 6. South-East Tayasal. 7. Trapiche Point. 8. West San Miguel. 9. San Miguel Aguada or natural depression. 10. East San Miguel. 11. El Jobito. The protected area is bounded to the north and west by Lake Peten Itza and to the east and south by the village of San Miguel. The site boasts more than 200 structures associated with ceremonial plazas and residential groups. There are plazas with large, open courtyards for public spaces, palace-type buildings, pyramids, residential precincts, fortified walls and a cenote or natural well.

Juan Antonio Valdes and Miriam Salas

From: ‘The Maya: an architectural and landscape guide’, produced jointly by the Junta de Andulacia and the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, 2010, pp226-228

Getting there:

From Flores. Take the colectivo launch from the closest point of the island to San Miguel. Cost – Q10. The site is off the road that comes up from the dock. Turn left at the corner of the football pitch and then left again after about 200m.

There’s not a great deal to see at Tayasal as what is of interest is currently a working archaeological site. There are many ‘explorations’ taking place around the central area. There are obviously plans to make the site more visitor friendly as in the summer of 2023 the authorities were in the process of constructing a very extensive wooden walkway system which would allow visitors to look down on what had been already uncovered.

Petén Regional Museum of the Mayan World

However, what is of interest is the town’s museum. This is in a structure which is also the towns cultural centre. This is about a 15 minute walk from the landing stage for the launches from Flores. Go up the steep street directly behind the Stone Horse (at the dock) and keep straight ahead. The Museum is on the left hand side – just after a bar with a Gallo sign outside on the right.

Entrance is free.

Be careful if visiting on a Monday. Most state museums are closed that day.