Tikal Temple II (or the Temple of the Masks, alternatively labelled by archaeologists as Tikal Structure 5D-2) is a Mesoamerican pyramid at the Maya archaeological site of Tikal in the Petén Department of northern Guatemala. The temple was built in the Late Classic Period in a style reminiscent of the Early Classic.[1] Temple II is located on the west side of the Great Plaza, opposite Temple I.[2] Temple II was built by the king Jasaw Chan K'awiil I in honour of his wife, Lady Kalajuun Une' Mo'.[3] Temple II had a single wooden sculpted lintel that bears the portrait of a royal woman who may have been the wife of Jasaw Chan K'awiil I, who was entombed beneath Temple I.[4] Lady Kalajuun Une' Mo', whose name means "Twelve Macaw Tails", was also important for being the mother of Jasaw Chan K'awill I's heir.[5] In fact her son Yik'in Chan K'awiil oversaw the completion of Temple II when he became king.[6]
Temple II was visited by Modesto Méndez, the governor of Petén, in 1848 on the first expedition to the ruins.[7] Preliminary excavations of Temple II started in 1958.[8] On 21 December 2012, more than 7,000 tourists visited Tikal to celebrate the 2012 phenomenon and the supposed end of the world. Many of these tourists climbed the stairs of the pyramid, causing reported damages.[9]
The pyramid is a squat, massive structure dating to the 8th century AD.[10] Today it stands 38 metres (125 ft) high and is the most thoroughly restored of the major temples at Tikal.[11] Its original height would have been closer to 42 metres (138 ft) including its roof comb.[12] The main stairway is 10.4 metres (34 ft) wide and projects 7.45 metres (24.4 ft) from the pyramid base.[13] The base of the pyramid measures 37.6 by 41 metres (123 by 135 ft), covering a surface area of 1,542 square metres (16,600 sq ft).[14] Excavations inside Temple II failed to discover Lady Kalajuun Une' Mo's tomb.[15] Ancient graffiti within the temple shrine depicts a captive upon a platform and bound between two poles being sacrificed with an arrow or a spear.[16] Further ancient graffiti includes images of temples.[17] Some of this graffiti dates to the Classic Period, although other examples appear to date to the Early Postclassic.[18] The interior walls have also been defaced with modern graffiti.[19] Evidence of ritual use in the Postclassic Period was found within the temple shrine, including burials and offerings.[20]
Laser scan projection of Temple II
The pyramid rises in three stepped levels; upon the uppermost level is a wide platform supporting the summit shrine.[21] The first level measures 6.25 metres (20.5 ft) high, the second is 6.1 metres (20 ft) high and the third level stands 5.6 metres (18 ft) high, giving an average height of 5.98 metres (19.6 ft).[22] The total height of the pyramidal base is 17.9 metres (59 ft), the summit shrine measures 9.8 metres (32 ft) high and the roof comb 12.3 metres (40 ft).[23] Two badly eroded giant masks adorn the upper platform, flanking the stairway to the shrine.[24] These grotesque masks decorating the pyramid's facade give Temple II its alternative name of the Temple of the Masks.[25] A large block of masonry was built into the stairway immediately outside the entrance to the shrine.[26] this block may have served as an observation platform allowing the officiating priests to see the crowd in the plaza below and in turn be seen by the people there.[27]
The roof comb of the temple is highly ornate and bears the sculpture of a face with circular earspools.[28] Various sealed chambers exist within the roof comb.[29]
The temple shrine upon the summit of the pyramid contains three chambers, the doorways of which were spanned by lintels.[30] Only the lintel over the middle doorway was carved.[31] The lintel consisted of five wooden beams, one of which is now in the American Museum of Natural History in New York.[32] When excavated the lintels had fallen from their original positions and have been restored.[33]
At the base of the main access stairway stands Stela P-83, which was plain, without sculpted decoration or hieroglyphic texts.[34] The stela stands 3.34 metres (11.0 ft) high and was broken but has been restored.[35] It is associated with its respective altar.[36] The distance from the base of the main stairway of Temple II, across the plaza to the base of the stairway of Temple I directly opposite is 70 metres (230 ft).[37]
Gómez, Oswaldo (1998). J.P. Laporte; H. Escobedo (eds.). (PDF). XI Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 1997 (in Spanish). Guatemala: Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología: 54–70. Archived from the original (versión digital) on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
Muñoz Cosme, Gaspar; Cristina Vidal Lorenzo (1998). J.P. Laporte; H. Escobedo (eds.). (PDF). XI Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 1997 (in Spanish). Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala. pp. 10–21. Archived from the original (PDF online publication) on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
Valdés, Juan Antonio; Fahsen, Federico (2005). "Disaster in Sight: The Terminal Classic at Tikal and Uaxactun". In Arthur A. Demarest; Prudence M. Rice; Don S. Rice (eds.). The Terminal Classic in the Maya lowlands: Collapse, transition, and transformation. Boulder: University Press of Colorado. pp. 162–194. ISBN0-87081-822-8. OCLC 61719499.
tikal, temple, temple, masks, alternatively, labelled, archaeologists, tikal, structure, mesoamerican, pyramid, maya, archaeological, site, tikal, petén, department, northern, guatemala, temple, built, late, classic, period, style, reminiscent, early, classic,. Tikal Temple II or the Temple of the Masks alternatively labelled by archaeologists as Tikal Structure 5D 2 is a Mesoamerican pyramid at the Maya archaeological site of Tikal in the Peten Department of northern Guatemala The temple was built in the Late Classic Period in a style reminiscent of the Early Classic 1 Temple II is located on the west side of the Great Plaza opposite Temple I 2 Temple II was built by the king Jasaw Chan K awiil I in honour of his wife Lady Kalajuun Une Mo 3 Temple II had a single wooden sculpted lintel that bears the portrait of a royal woman who may have been the wife of Jasaw Chan K awiil I who was entombed beneath Temple I 4 Lady Kalajuun Une Mo whose name means Twelve Macaw Tails was also important for being the mother of Jasaw Chan K awill I s heir 5 In fact her son Yik in Chan K awiil oversaw the completion of Temple II when he became king 6 Temple II seen from the North Acropolis to the northeast Temple II was visited by Modesto Mendez the governor of Peten in 1848 on the first expedition to the ruins 7 Preliminary excavations of Temple II started in 1958 8 On 21 December 2012 more than 7 000 tourists visited Tikal to celebrate the 2012 phenomenon and the supposed end of the world Many of these tourists climbed the stairs of the pyramid causing reported damages 9 Contents 1 The structure 2 See also 3 Notes 4 ReferencesThe structure EditThe pyramid is a squat massive structure dating to the 8th century AD 10 Today it stands 38 metres 125 ft high and is the most thoroughly restored of the major temples at Tikal 11 Its original height would have been closer to 42 metres 138 ft including its roof comb 12 The main stairway is 10 4 metres 34 ft wide and projects 7 45 metres 24 4 ft from the pyramid base 13 The base of the pyramid measures 37 6 by 41 metres 123 by 135 ft covering a surface area of 1 542 square metres 16 600 sq ft 14 Excavations inside Temple II failed to discover Lady Kalajuun Une Mo s tomb 15 Ancient graffiti within the temple shrine depicts a captive upon a platform and bound between two poles being sacrificed with an arrow or a spear 16 Further ancient graffiti includes images of temples 17 Some of this graffiti dates to the Classic Period although other examples appear to date to the Early Postclassic 18 The interior walls have also been defaced with modern graffiti 19 Evidence of ritual use in the Postclassic Period was found within the temple shrine including burials and offerings 20 Laser scan projection of Temple II The pyramid rises in three stepped levels upon the uppermost level is a wide platform supporting the summit shrine 21 The first level measures 6 25 metres 20 5 ft high the second is 6 1 metres 20 ft high and the third level stands 5 6 metres 18 ft high giving an average height of 5 98 metres 19 6 ft 22 The total height of the pyramidal base is 17 9 metres 59 ft the summit shrine measures 9 8 metres 32 ft high and the roof comb 12 3 metres 40 ft 23 Two badly eroded giant masks adorn the upper platform flanking the stairway to the shrine 24 These grotesque masks decorating the pyramid s facade give Temple II its alternative name of the Temple of the Masks 25 A large block of masonry was built into the stairway immediately outside the entrance to the shrine 26 this block may have served as an observation platform allowing the officiating priests to see the crowd in the plaza below and in turn be seen by the people there 27 The roof comb of the temple is highly ornate and bears the sculpture of a face with circular earspools 28 Various sealed chambers exist within the roof comb 29 The temple shrine upon the summit of the pyramid contains three chambers the doorways of which were spanned by lintels 30 Only the lintel over the middle doorway was carved 31 The lintel consisted of five wooden beams one of which is now in the American Museum of Natural History in New York 32 When excavated the lintels had fallen from their original positions and have been restored 33 At the base of the main access stairway stands Stela P 83 which was plain without sculpted decoration or hieroglyphic texts 34 The stela stands 3 34 metres 11 0 ft high and was broken but has been restored 35 It is associated with its respective altar 36 The distance from the base of the main stairway of Temple II across the plaza to the base of the stairway of Temple I directly opposite is 70 metres 230 ft 37 See also EditEl Castillo Chichen Itza Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque Tikal Temple III Tikal Temple IV Tikal Temple V List of tallest structures built before the 20th centuryNotes Edit Sharer amp Traxler 2006 p 303 Sharer amp Traxler 2006 p 303 Sharer amp Traxler 2006 pp 395 397 Sharer amp Traxler 2006 p 303 Martin amp Grube 2000 p 46 Martin amp Grube 2000 p 46 Drew 1999 p 279 Munoz Cosme amp Vidal Lorenzo 1998 pp 11 13 Coe 1962 p 481 ABC News Martin amp Grube 2000 p 46 Miller 1999 pp 32 33 Kelly 1996 p 134 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Gomez 1998 p 63 Gomez 1998 p 60 Martin amp Grube 2000 p 46 Sharer amp Traxler 2006 pp 752 753 Coe 1867 1988 pp 36 37 Coe 1867 1988 p 37 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Valdes amp Fahsen 2005 p 153 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Gomez 1998 p 60 Gomez 1998 p 60 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Coe 1867 1988 p 36 Kelly 1996 p 134 Kelly 1996 p 134 Kelly 1996 p 134 Coe 1867 1988 p 37 Coe 1867 1988 p 37 Coe 1867 1988 p 37 Coe 1867 1988 p 37 Munoz Cosme amp Vidal Lorenzo 1998 p 12 References Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tikal Temple II Coe William R April 1962 A Summary of Excavation and Research at Tikal Guatemala 1956 61 American Antiquity Society for American Archaeology 27 4 479 507 doi 10 2307 277674 OCLC 49976423 Coe William R 1988 1967 Tikal Guia de las Antiguas Ruinas Mayas in Spanish Guatemala Piedra Santa ISBN 84 8377 246 9 Drew David 1999 The Lost Chronicles of the Maya Kings London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson ISBN 0 297 81699 3 OCLC 43401096 Gomez Oswaldo 1998 J P Laporte H Escobedo eds Nuevas excavaciones en el Templo V Tikal PDF XI Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueologicas en Guatemala 1997 in Spanish Guatemala Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia 54 70 Archived from the original version digital on 2011 07 07 Retrieved 2010 01 23 Kelly Joyce 1996 An Archaeological Guide to Northern Central America Belize Guatemala Honduras and El Salvador Norman University of Oklahoma Press ISBN 0 8061 2858 5 OCLC 34658843 Martin Simon Nikolai Grube 2000 Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya London and New York Thames amp Hudson ISBN 0 500 05103 8 OCLC 47358325 Miller Mary Ellen 1999 Maya Art and Architecture London and New York Thames amp Hudson ISBN 0 500 20327 X OCLC 41659173 Munoz Cosme Gaspar Cristina Vidal Lorenzo 1998 J P Laporte H Escobedo eds Identificacion del Templo V de Tikal en la descripcion del coronel Modesto Mendez de 1848 PDF XI Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueologicas en Guatemala 1997 in Spanish Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia Guatemala pp 10 21 Archived from the original PDF online publication on 2011 09 04 Retrieved 2010 09 14 Sharer Robert J Loa P Traxler 2006 The Ancient Maya 6th fully revised ed Stanford CA Stanford University Press ISBN 0 8047 4817 9 OCLC 57577446 Valdes Juan Antonio Fahsen Federico 2005 Disaster in Sight The Terminal Classic at Tikal and Uaxactun In Arthur A Demarest Prudence M Rice Don S Rice eds The Terminal Classic in the Maya lowlands Collapse transition and transformation Boulder University Press of Colorado pp 162 194 ISBN 0 87081 822 8 OCLC 61719499 Coordinates 17 13 20 N 89 37 27 W 17 22222 N 89 62417 W 17 22222 89 62417 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tikal Temple II amp oldid 1139489060, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
