UaxactĂșn (meaning eight stones) is a pre-Columbian archaeological site of the Mayan culture, located approximately 23 km north of Tikal, in the municipality of Flores, in the department of PetĂ©n, Guatemala. Its ancient name was Siaan Ka'an (meaning âborn of heavenâ). The modern name of UaxactĂșn was given by the archaeologist Sylvanus Morley in May 1916. This city has been inhabited since the Preclassic period around 900 BC. through the Classic period, until it was abandoned during the Classic Maya Collapse around 900 AD. UaxactĂșn is the first archaeological site where the existence of the Mayan false arch was observed. It's also considered the first archaeological site where the Mayans observed the spring equinox, making it the oldest astronomical observatory in Mesoamerica. Nowadays, a three-day festival is held on this site to observe the astronomical event.
Tikal was the capital of a belligerent state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Mayans. Although the site's monumental architecture dates back to the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its peak during the Classic Period, between 200 and 900 AD. During this time, the city dominated much of the Mayan region politically, economically, and militarily; it maintained ties with other regions throughout Mesoamerica, even with TeotihuacĂĄn, in the distant Valley of Mexico.
The archaeological site of Tikal has around 5,000 pre-Hispanic buildings in an area of approximately 16 kmÂČ, of which only 5% is restored and enabled for exploration. Tikal's residential area covers about 60 kmÂČ, much of which hasn't been cleared, mapped, or excavated yet. The city represents an ancient Mayan capital that dominated a vast territory during the Classic period. The name Tikal means Place of Voices, but its original name might have been Yax Mutul or Mutual.
