A Teotihuacan altar discovered in a house in the ancient Mayan city of Tikal highlights the interaction between the two cultures and the horrific rituals they both performed.
Mike Vondran/Wikimedia CommonsThe Temple of the Masks, also known as the Temple of Tikal II, in the ancient city of Tikal.
Tikal, an ancient city-state located deep in the jungles of Guatemala, was once a powerful center of the Mayan civilization. At its height, between 200 and 900 CE, it was an important political, economic, and military hub. Today, it is famous for its majestic temple pyramids that still rise above the forest floor.
Tikal was once home to tens of thousands of people and boasted elaborate roads, ceremonial plazas, and ball courts. However, after years of prosperity, the city mysteriously declined, likely due to a combination of environmental stress, warfare, and social unrest.
Around the same time, more than 700 miles to the north, near modern-day Mexico City, stood Teotihuacan, the “city of the gods.” This gigantic city was one of the largest and most powerful in ancient Mesoamerica, reaching its peak around 500 A.D. At the time, it had a population of more than 100,000 and covered an area of eight square miles.
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