Lost Maya Neighborhood Is a Mini Replica of Teotihuacan Citadel, New Research Finds

BY JESSE HOLTH

September 29, 2021 1:26pm



A view from Temple II in Tikal National Park, Guatemala, overlooking Temple I and the Great Plaza, 2015.
PHOTO ALEX MILAN TRACY/SIPA VIA AP IMAGES

Archaeologists have discovered a new neighborhood in the ancient Maya city of Tikal. The site located in present-day Guatemala has been the subject of thorough excavations since the 1950s, but a new study published in Antiquity reveals a crucial lost section of the city.

Using light detection and ranging software known as lidar, researchers found a previously overlooked complex in what was thought to be an area of naturally occurring hills. To their surprise, the uncovered structures look like a small-scale replica of the citadel in the ancient Mesoamerican city Teotihuacan.

Located north of present-day Mexico City in central Mexico, Teotihuacan was an urban center of power in the Americas and one of the largest cities in the ancient world, with a population of over 100,000. Before Teotihuacan took control of Tikal in 378 C.E., the two cities were in contact for several centuries and frequently traded with each other. The Teotihuacan general Sihyaj K’ahk’ eventually overthrew the Maya ruler of Tikal and several other cities in the region, which led to rapid expansion and a consolidation of power under Aztec rule.

Stephen Houston, an anthropologist at Brown University and researcher on the study, notes that subsequent excavations have raised questions about the imperial influence of Teotihuacan on Tikal. “The architectural complex we found very much appears to have been built for people from Teotihuacan or those under their control,” Houston said in a statement. “It suggests something more heavy-handed, like occupation or surveillance.”

More:
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/lost-maya-neighborhood-replicates-teotihuacan-citadel-1234605214/