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Yahoo
11-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Strange altar found at Tikal wasn't made by the Maya
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists in Guatemala have discovered an altar that holds the burial of a child and adult in the Maya city of Tikal, a finding that could help researchers discern the nature of the city's relationship with one of its neighbors. The altar was likely painted not by a Maya artist, but by an artisan from Teotihuacan, an ancient megalopolis located more than 600 miles (965 kilometers) away, outside present-day Mexico City. The altar suggests an active Teotihuacan presence in Tikal during a time of conflict between the two cities, researchers reported Tuesday (April 8) in the journal Antiquity. "It's increasingly clear that this was an extraordinary period of turbulence at Tikal," study coauthor Stephen Houston, an expert on Maya civilization at Brown University, said in a statement. "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." Tikal flourished between 600 B.C. and A.D. 900. The city began interacting with Teotihuacan around A.D. 300, but the relationship quickly turned contentious. In the 1960s, researchers uncovered a stone carving from A.D. 378 that described the probable conquest of Tikal by Teotihuacan. Other ruins near the city suggest an extended period of conflict between the two in the following centuries. Related: Copy of famous Teotihuacan structure discovered in Maya city Researchers uncovered the altar, which dates to the fifth century A.D., through a series of excavations beginning in 2019. It was discovered inside a Teotihuacan-style house, suggesting that Teotihuacan elites maintained a presence in Tikal during this period. Image 1 of 3 The buried altar was built around the late 300s A.D. Image 2 of 3 A map made with lidar (light detection and ranging) technology reveals the centuries-old infrastructure of Tikal. Image 3 of 3 Archaeologists discovered the burial altar in a building complex just outside the center of Tikal, a historic place known for its striking limestone temples. Its four decorative panels each depict a figure wearing a nose-bar and a headdress, resembling a deity known as the "Storm God" in central Mexico during that time. The images, rendered in red, orange, yellow and black, closely match techniques seen in Teotihuacan murals. Archaeologists also found multiple human remains within the altar, including a child buried in a seated position and an adult buried alongside a dart point made of green obsidian — both traditions that are distinct to Teotihuacan. RELATED STORIES —Why did the Maya civilization collapse? —Sustainable Tech Saw Ancient Maya Through Drought —Lasers reveal Maya city, including thousands of structures, hidden in Mexico The altar and the surrounding area were intentionally buried between A.D. 550 and 645, around the time of Teotihuacan's decline, and made to look like a natural hill. That could hint at the nature of Tikal's relationship with Teotihuacan, according to study co-author Andrew Scherer, an archaeologist and anthropologist at Brown. "The Maya regularly buried buildings and rebuilt on top of them," Scherer said in the statement. "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."
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Excavating a Maya City Found a 1,700-Year-Old Altar. It Shouldn't Have Been There.
Archaeologists recently made the first discovery of a Teotihuacan-style altar within a Maya city. The find offers early evidence of the intermingling of two cultures, offering insight into tensions that may have existed between the powers. Experts are still trying to parse out the relationship between the ancient cities of Teotihuacan and Tikal. Archeologists have discovered a 1,700-year-old altar that upends what we thought we knew about two distinct cultures: the Maya and the Teotihuacan. In a discovery announced by Guatemala's Culture and Sports Ministry, archaeologists working on a project in Tikal National Park discovered a Maya-era residence—dubbed Group 6D-XV—featuring a distinctly Teotihuacan altar in the center of the home. Tikal is a 2,400-year-old Maya city in the heart of Guatemala—far flung from Mexico's ancient city of Teotihuacan. The presence of this altar implies that the two shared a relationship that spanned the 600-plus miles that separated them. 'The researchers agree that Group 6D-XV was inhabited by individuals with strong ties to or from Teotihuacan, who, in addition to bringing their funeral and architectural traditions, were also free to manifest their own cultural identity and beliefs in a key space within Tikal,' the researchers wrote in a translated statement. 'This confirms the cosmopolitan character of this important Mayan city.' Scholars from Brown University who were part of the research team published their findings in the journal Antiquity, and believe there was more to the 'cosmopolitan character' than just art. The limestone altar measured about 3.5 feet by 6 feet, and stood in the center of the home—a key element of Teotihuacan style. Built around the late 300s A.D., the altar's design featured original murals in red, yellow, and black, depicting a figure that the study notes resembles a deity called the 'Storm God.' The mural further follows the Teotihuacan tradition of altars dedicated to deities instead of rulers—the latter of which was a common practice in Mayan culture. The experts agree it wasn't the work of a Maya artist, but of an artisan trained in Teotihuacan, the power located 630 miles northwest of Tikal (outside modern-day Mexico City). The residence also contained anthropomorphic figures adorned with red-toned tassels—yet more detail from Teotihuacan traditions. '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,' Stephen Houston, one of the authors of the study, said in a statement. 'It shows Teotihuacan left a heavy imprint there.' Experts believe the site had two key construction timeframes—an original build lasting from 300 A.D. to 400 A.D. (which shows Teotihuacan origin) and an expansion of the central altar, which stretched from 400 to 450 A.D. Tikal was founded in 850 B.C. and was originally known as a small city. But it grew into a dynasty around 100 A.D., and its people likely began interacting with residents of Teotihuacan a couple of centuries later. 'It's almost as if Tikal poked the beast and got too much attention from Teotihuacan,' Houston said. 'That's when foreigners started moving into the area.' At one point between 100 B.C. and 750 A.D., Teotihuacan was one of the world's largest cities, home to over 100,000 residents. Evidence began to mount that the two cities were in conflict, and that Teotihuacan's presence in Tikal could have involved an element of occupation or surveillance. 'The Maya regularly buried buildings and rebuilt on top of them,' Andrew Scherer, another author of the study, said in a statement. '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.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archeologists find ancient child remains inside Maya altar
The painting and artistry is not what sticks out to archeologists at a newly discovered ancient altar in Guatemala. The likely sacrificed human remains and its craftsmanship tells the story of a major conflict between a Maya city-state and a powerful rival. The findings are detailed in a study published April 8 in the journal Antiquity. Archaeologists believe that the altar was built around the late 300s CE in the Maya city of Tikal. It is decorated with four panels painted red, black, and yellow and depict a person wearing a feathered headdress near regalia and shields. The face itself looks a bit like other depictions of a Maya deity called the 'Storm God,' with somewhat almond-shaped eyes, a nose bar, and a double earspool. The team believes that it was created by an unknown highly skilled artisan who was trained in Teotihuacan. This formidable ancient power was centered about 630 miles west of Tikal, outside present-day Mexico City. 'It's increasingly clear that this was an extraordinary period of turbulence at Tikal,' Stephen Houston, a study co-author and archaeologist at Brown University, said in a statement. '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.' Established around 850 BCE, Tikal initially existed as a small city with little influence in the area. Around 100 CE, the city became a larger and more powerful dynasty. Temples from this large city-state still stand in the jungle and its residents battled with the Kaanul dynasty for dominance of the greater Maya world. Teotihuacan, 'the city of the gods' or 'the place where men become gods,' was home to the Temples of the Sun and Moon. Over 100,000 people lived within its roughly eight square miles and it was one of the largest cities in the world at its peak between 100 BCE and 750 CE. Ultimately, Teotihuacan was mysteriously abandoned before the Aztecs rose during the 14th century. Archaeologists have some evidence that Tikal and Teotihuacan began regularly interacting around 650 BCE. According to Houston, what first appeared to be casual trading quickly became more strained. 'It's almost as if Tikal poked the beast and got too much attention from Teotihuacan,' Houston said. 'That's when foreigners started moving into the area.' [ Related: Ancient Maya masons had a smart way to make plaster stronger. ] In the 1960s, archaeologists found a cut stone with well-preserved text describing the conflict between the two cities in broad terms. The stone's text revealed that Teotihuacan was 'essentially decapitating a kingdom,' around 378 CE. 'They removed the king and replaced him with a quisling, a puppet king who proved a useful local instrument to Teotihuacan,' said Houston. Several years later, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, revealed a scaled-down replica of the Teotihuacan citadel located just outside the center of Tikal. Archeologists believe that it was buried under natural hills and suggest that Teotihuacan's presence in the city likely involved an element of occupation or surveillance in the years before its overthrow. The altar in this new study was built right around the time of the coup. The team believes that the altar's meticulously painted exterior represents only a fraction of the evidence for the capital's major presence. Archaeologists found a child buried in a seated position inside of the altar. While both cities did practice human sacrifice, this specific burial practice was rare in Tikal but common at Teotihuacan. Remains of other children were also found on three sides of the altar. Lorena Paiz, the archaeologist who led the discovery, believes that it was likely used for human sacrifice, particularly children. 'The remains of three children not older than 4 years were found on three sides of the altar,' Paiz told The Associated Press. An adult with a dart point made out of green obsidian was also found inside of the altar. The material and the design of the dart are also distinct to Teotihuacan and not Tikal. The fact that the altar and the area around it was later buried indicate that Teotihuacan's presence changed and scarred Tikal. 'The Maya regularly buried buildings and rebuilt on top of them,' study co-author and archeologist Andrew Scherer said in a statement. '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.' [ Related: Ancient Mayan human sacrifices involved twins. ] Archeologists believe that Tikal's collective memory of this Teotihuacan coup was likely pretty complicated. While it may have rocked Tikal, the takeover ultimately made the kingdom more powerful. Throughout the next several centuries, Tikal became a nearly unmatched dynasty. It ultimately declined around 900 CE with the rest of the Maya world. 'There's a kind of nostalgia about that time, when Teotihuacan was at the height of its power and taking increasing interest in the Maya,' Houston said. 'It's something exalted for them; they looked back on it almost wistfully. Even when they were in decline, they were still thinking about local politics in context of that contact with central Mexico.' One striking detail about this ancient story is how it is one that has been played out across the world. A mighty empire plunders the riches of another smaller city. 'Everyone knows what happened to the Aztec civilization after the Spanish arrived,' Houston said. 'Our findings show evidence that that's a tale as old as time. These powers of central Mexico reached into the Maya world because they saw it as a place of extraordinary wealth, of special feathers from tropical birds, jade and chocolate. As far as Teotihuacan was concerned, it was the land of milk and honey.'
