Tikal Temple I

Temple I, Tikal
a steep-sided, stepped pyramid with a central staircase that rises from a flat, grassy area to a temple doorway at the top
Temple I viewed across the main plaza from Temple II
map of Guatemala with the position of the temple indicated
map of Guatemala with the position of the temple indicated
Shown within Guatemala
Alternative nameEl Gran Jaguar, Temple of Ah Cacao
LocationGuatemala
Coordinates17°13′19″N 89°37′22″W / 17.221944°N 89.622778°W / 17.221944; -89.622778
Height47 m
History
BuilderJasaw Chan Kʼawiil I (other names) Ah Cacao, King Moon Double Comb
Materiallocal limestone
Foundedc. 732 AD
Abandonedc. 1450
PeriodsClassic-Postclassic
CulturesMayan
Site notes
Excavation dates1955–1964
ArchaeologistsAubrey Trik; George Guillemin
Conditionstabilized ruin
Public accessYes

Tikal Temple I is the designation given to one of the major structures at Tikal, one of the largest cities and archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Mesoamerica. It is located in the Petén Basin region of northern Guatemala. It also is known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar because of a lintel that represents a king sitting upon a jaguar throne.[1] An alternative name is the Temple of Ah Cacao, after the ruler buried in the temple.[nb 1] Temple I is a typically Petén-styled limestone stepped pyramid structure that is dated to approximately 732 AD.

Situated at the heart of a World Heritage Site, the temple is surmounted by a characteristic roof comb, a distinctive Maya architectural feature. Building Temple I on the eastern side of the Great Plaza was a significant deviation from the established tradition of building funerary temples just north of the plaza in Tikal's North Acropolis.[2][3]

  1. ^ Muñoz Cosme & Quintana Samayoa 1996, p.302.
  2. ^ Sharer & Traxler 2006, p.400.
  3. ^ Martin & Grube 2000, p.47.


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