Tikal Temple I
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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.
Alternative name | El Gran Jaguar, Temple of Ah Cacao |
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Location | Guatemala |
Coordinates | 17.221944°N 89.622778°W / 17.221944; -89.622778 |
Height | 47 m |
History | |
Builder | Jasaw Chan K'awiil I (other names) Ah Cacao, King Moon Double Comb |
Material | local limestone |
Founded | c. 732 AD |
Abandoned | c. 1450 |
Periods | Classic-Postclassic |
Cultures | Mayan |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1955–1964 |
Archaeologists | Aubrey Trik; George Guillemin |
Condition | stabilized ruin |
Public access | Yes |
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]