Tikal Temple III facts for kids
Tikal Temple III, also known as the Temple of the Jaguar Priest, was a very important pyramid in the ancient Maya city of Tikal. Tikal is located in the Petén Department of modern Guatemala. This temple stands about 55 meters (180 feet) tall!
The top part of Temple III, where the shrine is, is a bit different from other big temples at Tikal. It only has two rooms, not the usual three. This pyramid was built a long time ago, around 810 AD. We know this date from special carvings called hieroglyphic text found on a stone monument called Stela 24. This stela was placed at the bottom of the temple's main stairs. Stela 24 is usually found with another stone, Altar 6, which is a bit damaged.
Temple III is connected to a Maya king known as Dark Sun. It's very likely that Temple III was built as a special burial place for him. Building this temple showed that Tikal was still a strong and important city in the early 800s AD. However, Temple III was the last big temple pyramid built at Tikal. By the end of the 800s, the city had become a ruin.
Today, Temple III is only partly fixed up and you can't go inside. It hasn't been fully explored by archaeologists yet.
What is Temple III Like?
Temple III is located just south of the Tozzer Causeway, which was like an ancient road. It faces east, looking towards the Great Plaza, a large open area in Tikal.
Inside the temple, there's a special doorway between the two rooms at the top. This doorway has a beautifully carved stone beam, called a lintel. The carving shows a large figure wearing a jaguar skin. This is one of only two carved lintels at Tikal that are still in their original spot!
Restoring the Temple
The top part of the temple, including the shrine and the tall roof comb, was worked on in 1967 and 1969. This work was done by the Tikal Project from the University Museum at the University of Pennsylvania.
The main body of the pyramid itself hasn't been fully restored. But we know it has nine levels, like giant steps, and a main stairway facing east.
The roof comb and the outer room of the shrine have been damaged by lightning. This caused a crack about 10 centimeters (4 inches) wide in the eastern wall of the arched ceiling.
