Central Acropolis

The Central Acropolis of the ancient Maya city of Tikal is an architectural complex located immediately to the south of the Great Plaza. Tikal is one of the most important archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization and is located in the Petén Department of northern Guatemala. The complex served dual administrative and residential purposes. The Central Acropolis was first established in the Late Preclassic period (c. 350 BC – 250 AD) of Mesoamerican chronology, and it remained in use until approximately 950 AD.

The Central Acropolis housed Tikal royal families. From its earliest period of use, the eastern portion of what later became the Central Acropolis was used as a royal residence, and by the Early Classic period (c. 250 – 550 AD) it was the location of an important residential palace complex. The inhabitants of Tikal levelled out the natural bedrock underlying the Central Acropolis at 253 metres (830 ft) above mean sea level, a few meters above the level of the Great Plaza. The bedrock drops off steeply to the east and south of the acropolis.

The earliest known activity in the complex dates to the period from 350 BC to 1 AD. The first structures consisted of masonry platforms with perishable superstructures, evidenced by postholes. None of these early structures have been completely excavated, with glimpses of them being given by tunnelling into the acropolis. These early remains have been discovered in various locations beneath later structures, suggesting that the entire area of the Central Acropolis extends back to the earliest period of activity. The early structures on the southern boundary of the acropolis were much lower than later structures, and were probably built directly upon the bedrock of the ridge. As the acropolis developed, these were overlain by later architecture but the area covered by the complex remained within the early-established boundaries. Between 250 and 550 AD, masonry began to be employed in building palace structures.

A description of the complex was published by Teoberto Maler in 1911. Maler described the Central Acropolis as a labyrinthine multi-storey complex with several preserved wooden lintels, one of which was sculpted. The first excavations of the acropolis were undertaken in 1962 under the direction of Peter Harrison, and seasonal excavations continued until 1967; the project completely excavated 25 structures. When the acropolis was mapped in the 1960s, some structures were large mounds overgrown by forest; excavation revealed them to be complex structures with numerous rooms. As of 2003, the Central Acropolis had still not been completely excavated.

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