Tikal or Tik'al was one of the largest cities of the Maya during the Classic Period. The meaning of the word is something like ''places of the voices''. The inhabitants of the city used to call it Yax Mutal.The remains of the city are located in the department of El Petén, in northern Guatemala.
The city was inhabited from around 400 BC. to 1000 AD. but had its peak between 300 and 850. Tikal was one of the most powerful cities in the Classic Period of the Maya civilization, but nevertheless, the city was defeated several times. For example, the city was conquered by Caracol in 562.
An interesting fact is that during the 100 following years no inscriptions or monuments have been build. Archaeologists just have not found any from that period. For scientists, this marks the transition from the early classical period to the late classical period.
Tikal's power reached its peak when it brought its eternal rival Calakmul to its knees in 711. One of the theories for the collapse of the Mayan civilization is the ongoing war between Tikal and Calakmul and their allies. Some believe this led to such an exhaustion of resources and neglect of the land, that it caused the Maya civilization to collapse.
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