Temple I (Temple of the Great Jaguar)
Mutul (Tikal) · Petén Department, Guatemala · c. 732 CE, Late Classic Maya
Temple I is the most famous funerary pyramid of Tikal and the calling card of the Guatemalan jungle. It was built over the tomb of the ruler Jasaw Chan K'awiil I, and its nine tiers symbolically echo the nine levels of the Maya underworld. This is the pyramid-temple most often mistakenly called a ziggurat: the resemblance is purely typological.
Dossier
- Type: Stepped structure
- Ancient city: Mutul (Tikal)
- Modern location: Petén Department, Guatemala
- Dedication: Tomb of Jasaw Chan K'awiil I (“Burial 116”, discovered in 1962)
- Dating: c. 732 CE, Late Classic Maya
- Builders: built as the funerary temple of Jasaw Chan K'awiil I (Ah Cacao), ruler of Mutul/Tikal in 682–734; the work was directed by his son and heir Yik'in Chan K'awiil
- Material: limestone (local, typical of Petén)
- Plan: a stepped pyramid square in plan with 9 tiers and a steep central stairway; at the top a sanctuary with three chambers and a tall roof comb; the dimensions of the base are not given in summary sources
- Height (surviving): about 47 m
- Tiers: 9
What matters
Temple I was raised over the tomb of the ruler Jasaw Chan K'awiil I around 732; a few scholars date the completion of the building to 740–750. The pyramid stands about 47 m high (figures of up to 55 m are sometimes given, depending on the level from which the measurement is taken).