Main Plaza at Tikal Maya Archaeology Site, Guatemala Tikal, a city that boasted a population of perhaps 100,000, was highly structured & immersed itself in spiritual practice. The city flourished during the classic & late classic periods, (AD 300-900). Many of the massive buildings that are visible today were constructed during this time. The monuments paid tribute to the rulers of the past & were meant to please the deities. In addition to their obvious achievements in construction the Maya also excelled in the arts, astronomy & glyphic writing. At its peak some 1,500 years ago, Tikal was home to an estimated 100,000 Maya & it was one of the more important urban centers of its time. This is evident in the more than 3,000 structures extending over six square miles. Around the Great Plaza is the Temple of the Giant Jaguar which reaches a height of over 170 feet. This Temple is the tomb of a high priest, buried with hundreds of offerings like vases & jade. The sanctuary for worship at the top of the structure sits on a nine-tiered pyramid. Nearby is The Temple of Masks, which has a flat form and reaches 139 feet. Between these two temples is a courtyard which covers two-and-a-half acres, and its original floor goes back to 150 years before Christ. Two palace complexes can also be found there. Tikal is also the refuge for most of the animals in Guatemala & is a place where they can be easily seen. Spider & howler monkeys are visible, as well as red coatis, raccoons, white-tailed deer, toucans, parrots, macaws, humming birds & rare falcons such as the orange breast falcon. Reptiles, in particular snakes, are also abundant.
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