Triadic pyramid facts for kids
Triadic pyramids were a special type of building made by the ancient Preclassic Maya people. Imagine a big pyramid in the middle, with two smaller buildings on its sides. All three buildings stood together on one large, flat base. These smaller buildings faced inwards, towards the main pyramid.
The biggest triadic pyramid ever found is at a place called El Mirador in Guatemala. It's huge! This one pyramid covers an area six times bigger than Tikal Temple IV, which is the largest pyramid in the city of Tikal. All three parts of a triadic pyramid usually had stairs leading up from the main platform. You can find these unique structures in many early Maya cities in the lowlands.
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What Are Triadic Pyramids?
Triadic pyramid groups were often built facing west. But they could also face other directions, especially in cities that had more than one. Facing north or south was also common.
Scientists have found only a few examples of triadic pyramids from the Middle Preclassic period. We don't know exactly when the very first ones were built. No clear older buildings that led to triadic pyramids have been found. However, they might have grown from the eastern buildings of E-Group observatory complexes.
Where Were They Built?
The triadic pyramid shape was very popular in the Petén region during the Late Preclassic period. We know of triadic pyramids at about 88 different ancient sites. Some of these famous places include Nakbe, El Mirador, Tikal, Uaxactun, Naranjo, Palenque, and Caracol.
At Nakbe, a large city from the Middle Preclassic time, there are at least twelve triadic complexes. The four biggest buildings in Nakbe are all triadic pyramids. El Mirador might have as many as 36 triadic structures! You can even find examples far north in Dzibilchaltun in the Yucatán Peninsula. There's also one at Qʼumarkaj in the Highlands of Guatemala. El Tintal has a huge triadic pyramid complex. It's the second largest after El Mirador.
How Long Were They Used?
The triadic pyramid stayed a popular building style for hundreds of years. People continued to build them into the Classic Period. Later examples have been found at Uaxactun, Caracol, Seibal, Nakum, Tikal, and Palenque. The one at Qʼumarkaj is the only one we know of from the Postclassic Period.
Why Were They Important?
The three-temple shape of the triadic pyramid seems to be connected to Maya mythology. One idea is that the three parts represent the three hearthstones from the Maya creation story. These hearthstones are linked to three stars in the Orion constellation. So, the triadic pyramid might be a way to show this story in stone.
Newer studies suggest another idea. They think the Triadic Groups might show the moment the Maya maize god came back to life. This happened on top of the Flower Mountain, with two other gods by his side.
