Visiting Tikal

Base of a giant Ceiba tree in Tikal

Recently the girls of TTS21 were guided around the ancient Maya ruins of Tikal by Maya expert Roxanna. The girls began their day at the entrance of the giant excavated ruins examining a towering Ceiba tree. The Ceiba tree is the national tree of Guatemala and is recognized by the Maya as the sacred tree of life. Many plants in and around the Tikal area were considered sacred and used in daily Maya life. Many of the plants have medicinal properties and can also be used as a source of food. After receiving a lesson on Maya plants, the girls trekked through the jungle towards the excavated temples of Tikal. While hiking around the area the girls passed many temples consumed by jungle and disguised as large hills. Only 9% of the Tikal ruins are excavated and the rest remains covered by jungle trees and forest. Archaeologists have not unveiled all of the temples in the area to protect them from erosion and the threat of destruction. As the girls admired the towering temples, Roxanna explained the temples at Tikal were built for the purpose of cosmology and viewing the stars, not as a display of power. Maya priests would walk up to the top of the temple each morning to observe and map the sunrise. It took the Maya nearly 14 years to pinpoint the exact location of each sunrise from the top of the temple. This knowledge allowed the Maya to plant their crops and harvest them at a specific time each year. 

212-foot high Temple IV 

Once the girls finished their hike through the jungle, they proceeded to climb to the top of the tallest temple in Tikal. This made for a good vantage point over the jungle and the temples below. The girls were able to look out and see three other large temples protruding from the jungle. One student, Annalise said, "It looks like a whole new world up here, I can see why the Maya were so eager to build temples allowing them to have a great view over the jungle." Another student, Ruth, was very enthusiastic and excited about the experience, as she had been looking forward to the Tikal visit since the beginning of the trip. The entire day was a fascinating experience for the girls, and they left with tons of new knowledge stewing in their brains. 

-Annalise, Senior, WY