Possible 'embassy' in ancient Maya city illuminates the birth of an empire [View all]

The ancient Maya city of Tikal may have been home to foreigners from central Mexico long before archaeologists expected. TRAUMLICHTFABRIK/GETTY IMAGES

Possible ‘embassy’ in ancient Maya city illuminates the birth of an empire
By Lizzie WadeApr. 8, 2021 , 12:20 PM

The 16th of January 378 C.E. marked a turning point in ancient Maya history. On that day, foreigners arrived in the Maya city of Tikal—in what is now northern Guatemala—and Tikal’s king died. Shortly thereafter, the son of the conquering king became Tikal’s new ruler.

Many archaeologists think these invaders came from Teotihuacan, a metropolis 1000 kilometers away, near what is now Mexico City, famed for its imposing pyramids and sweeping central avenue. But a new discovery in Tikal reveals Teotihuacan may have had an outpost in the Maya city long before possibly conquering it. That bolsters the idea that Teotihuacan’s empire was born from a shattered alliance, and it could shed light on the pivotal moment when allies became enemies.

The find is “supertantalizing,” says Claudia García-Des Lauriers, an archaeologist at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, who was not involved with the work. It suggests the early connections between the cities “were relatively diplomatic and friendly,” she says. “And all of a sudden, something went wrong.”

The discovery comes thanks to a 2018 survey of the Tikal region with lidar, a technique that uses lasers beamed from planes to precisely map ancient buildings obscured by forest or other ground cover. In the southern part of the city—where maps had once indicated a mere hill—lidar revealed a large enclosed courtyard with a pyramid on its eastern side. When archaeologists examined the new images, they noticed its layout looked just like a smaller version of an iconic structure at Teotihuacan known as the citadel.

More:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/04/possible-embassy-ancient-maya-city-illuminates-birth-empire#:~:text=traumlichtfabrik%2FGetty%20Images-,Possible%20'embassy'%20in%20ancient%20Maya%20city%20illuminates,the%20birth%20of%20an%20empire&text=The%2016th%20of%20January%20378,Guatemala%E2%80%94and%20Tikal's%20king%20died.