Tikal Temple II facts for kids
Tikal Temple II, also known as the Temple of the Masks, is an ancient pyramid built by the Maya people. You can find it at the amazing Tikal archaeological site in northern Guatemala. This temple was built a long time ago, during the Late Classic Period, but its style looks like an even older time.
Temple II stands on the west side of the Great Plaza, directly across from another famous building, Temple I. It was built by a powerful king named Jasaw Chan K'awiil I to honor his wife, Lady Kalajuun Une' Mo'. Her name means "Twelve Macaw Tails," and she was very important because she was the mother of the king's son and future ruler. Her son, Yik'in Chan K'awiil, made sure the temple was finished after he became king.
Inside the temple, there was a special wooden carving, called a lintel, showing a royal woman. Many people believe this was a picture of King Jasaw Chan K'awiil I's wife.
People have been exploring Tikal Temple II for a long time. The governor of Petén, Modesto Méndez, visited it in 1848. Later, in 1958, archaeologists started digging to learn more about it. On December 21, 2012, many tourists climbed the pyramid's stairs to celebrate a special date, and some parts of the temple were damaged.
Contents
What Does Tikal Temple II Look Like?
This pyramid is a strong, solid building from the 8th century AD. Today, it stands about 38 meters (125 feet) tall. It's one of the most carefully restored temples at Tikal. When it was first built, it would have been even taller, around 42 meters (138 feet), because it had a tall decoration on top called a roof comb.
The main staircase is wide, about 10.4 meters (34 feet), and sticks out from the pyramid's base. The base of the pyramid itself is about 37.6 meters (123 feet) by 41 meters (135 feet), covering a large area.
Archaeologists have searched inside Temple II but haven't found the tomb of Lady Kalajuun Une' Mo'. However, they did find ancient drawings, called graffiti, on the temple walls. Some of these drawings show temples, and one even shows a person being sacrificed. Some of this graffiti is from the Classic Period, while other drawings are from a later time. Sadly, modern visitors have also drawn on the walls.
Pyramid Levels and Features
The pyramid has three stepped levels, like giant stairs. On the very top level, there's a wide platform that holds the temple building, called the summit shrine.
- The first level is about 6.25 meters (20.5 feet) high.
- The second level is about 6.1 meters (20 feet) high.
- The third level is about 5.6 meters (18 feet) high.
The total height of the pyramid's base is about 17.9 meters (59 feet). The temple building on top is about 9.8 meters (32 feet) high, and the roof comb adds another 12.3 meters (40 feet).
You can see two large, worn-out masks on the upper platform, on either side of the stairs leading to the temple. These masks look a bit scary or "grotesque," and they are why Temple II is also called the Temple of the Masks.
Right outside the entrance to the temple, there's a large stone block built into the stairway. This block might have been a special platform where priests stood. From there, they could see the crowds in the plaza below, and the people could see them.
The Temple Building and Roof Comb
The roof comb on top of the temple is very fancy and has a sculpted face with round ear decorations. There are also sealed rooms hidden inside the roof comb.
The temple building on the pyramid's summit has three rooms. The doorways of these rooms were covered by wooden lintels. Only the lintel over the middle doorway had carvings on it. This lintel was made of five wooden beams. One of these beams is now in a museum in New York. When archaeologists found them, the lintels had fallen, but they have since been put back in their original places.
At the bottom of the main stairs of Temple II, there is a stone slab called Stela P-83. This stela was plain, meaning it didn't have any carvings or hieroglyphic writing. It stands about 3.34 meters (11 feet) tall and was broken but has been put back together. It has its own altar next to it.
The distance from the base of Temple II's stairs across the plaza to the base of Temple I's stairs is about 70 meters (230 feet).
Images for kids
-
Temple II seen from the North Acropolis to the northeast
-
Laser scan projection of Temple II
See also
In Spanish: Templo de las Máscaras para niños
