Tikal, located in the north of the Petén region of Guatemala, was a major Maya city which flourished between 300 and 850 CE. The city, known to the Maya themselves as Mutul, is one of the grandest in Mesoamerica. Amongst the first Maya cities to gain prominence in the Early Classic period (250-600 CE), Tikal built its wealth by exploiting its natural resources and geographical location to become a Maya superpower, a status it also enjoyed in the 7th century CE when some of the site's most impressive later monuments were constructed. Tikal is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
More about: TikalDefinition
Timeline
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c. 300 BCEFirst recorded settlement at Tikal.
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c. 250 BCEThe first structures are built on the North Acropolis, Tikal.
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c. 100 BCE - 50 BCEThe earliest known Maya murals are painted at San Bartolo, Guatemala.
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250 CE - 950 CEThe Classic Maya Period which saw the height of the Maya Civilization in cities such as Chichen Itza, Palenque, Tikal, Copan and Uxmal.
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c. 292 CEThe oldest known Maya stela is produced at Tikal.
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378 CEFirst contact between Teotihuacan and Tikal.
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420 CEDeath of Maya ruler Yax Nuun Ayiin 'Curl Nose' at Tikal.
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562 CECaracol embarks on a period of expansion and defeats Tikal .
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682 CE - 734 CEReign of Jasaw Chan K'awiil at Tikal.
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695 CETikal defeats rival Maya city Calakmul.
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c. 727 CETemple I at Tikal is completed and will be used as the tomb of ruler Jasaw Chan K'awiil.
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734 CE - 746 CEReign of Maya ruler Yax Kin at Tikal who would be buried inside Temple IV.
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c. 900 CEMaya Tikal is definitively abandoned.
