Tikal Temple I

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View of Temple I from the 'Grand Plaza'

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, located in the Petén Basin region of northern Guatemala. Informally also known as the Temple of the Giant Jaguar^[1] or Temple of Ah Cacao,^[2] Temple I is a typically Petén-styled stepped pyramid structure which is dated to approximately 730 CE.

The structure is associated with Jasaw Chan K'awiil I, a Classic-era ruler of the polity based at Tikal, who ruled from 682–784. The tomb of this ruler has been located by archaeologists within the structure,^[3] although it is presently unclear whether it was built for this specific purpose, or this use was a later adaptation.

Temple I reaches a height of approximately 44 m (144.4 ft) over a series of nine steep levels, from a base measuring only 30 by 34 m (98.4 by 111.5 ft). The nine levels may be a reference to the nine "Lords of the Night" in Maya mythology and Initial Series inscriptions.

The main chamber of the temple depicts Kukulcan, a feathered serpent god. ^[4]

Situated at the heart of a World Heritage Site, the temple is surmounted by a typical roofcomb, a distinctive Maya architectural feature.

[edit] Notes

^ So-called after a prominent motif on one of the structure's lintels.
^ Ah Cacao being an earlier nickname for the Tikal ruler Jasaw Chan K'awiil I, whose tomb the temple contains.
^ Designated as Burial 116; see Martin and Grube (2000), pp.45-47.
^ Glancey (2006), p.72

[edit] References

Glancey, Johnathan (2006). Architecture. New York: Doring Kindersley.
Martin, Simon; and Nikolai Grube (2000). Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya. New York: Thames and Hudson.