Archaeologists have found the largest ancient Maya building, a pyramid in the ancient city of Tikal. They’ve recently discovered an altar from the fifth century A.D. This altar was found within a large residential compound laid out in the Teotihuacan architectural tradition. Most important, perhaps, it reveals just how greatly foreign influences from Teotihuacan helped to mold Tikal’s cultural landscape. A New Rubble The excavation started in 2019 and has already shed remarkable light on the nature of the relations between these two great civilizations.
The altar was probably constructed within the 4th century A.D. It acts as a crypt for a child and an adult. Significantly, the child was buried in a sitting posture, a custom unique to Teotihuacan funerary customs. The burial of the adult contained a dart point made of green obsidian. This incredible discovery points to the profound cultural connections that existed between the two areas.
The ornamental panels on the altar display elaborate carvings. One recently posted figure is notable, showing a nose-bar and a headdress that closely resembles the venerated central Mexican “Storm God.” The artistic components mirror the style and approach that we see in the Teotihuacan murals. This indicates that an artist who was probably based in that city painted the altar.
Through fine-grained archaeological analyses/traditions, archaeologists realized that this altar and its surrounding structures were intentionally filled in between A.D. 550 and 645. This burial matched a recent period of decline for Teotihuacan. This turns on its head the common narrative about what motivates these outrageous acts.
Stephen Houston, an expert on Mesoamerican archaeology, commented on the implications of this discovery:
“What the altar confirms is that wealthy leaders from Teotihuacan came to Tikal and created replicas of ritual facilities that would have existed in their home city. It shows Teotihuacan left a heavy imprint there.”
The unusual burial practices seen at this site contrast with widespread Maya practices. According to archaeologist Scherer,
“The Maya regularly buried buildings and rebuilt on top of them. But here, they buried the altar and surrounding buildings and just left them, even though this would have been prime real estate centuries later. They treated it almost like a memorial or a radioactive zone. It probably speaks to the complicated feelings they had about Teotihuacan.”
This amazing discovery enhances our picture of the cultural interactions between Tikal and Teotihuacan. More than that, it shines a light on the intricacies of their relationship in the shadow of an incredible shift in Mesoamerican history.
