Posted on 04/25/2021 7:36:31 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The 16th of January 378 C.E. marked a turning point in ancient Maya history. On that day, foreigners arrived in the Maya city of Tikal—in what is now northern Guatemala—and Tikal's king died. Shortly thereafter, the son of the conquering king became Tikal's new ruler.
Many archaeologists think these invaders came from Teotihuacan, a metropolis 1000 kilometers away, near what is now Mexico City, famed for its imposing pyramids and sweeping central avenue. But a new discovery in Tikal reveals Teotihuacan may have had an outpost in the Maya city long before possibly conquering it. That bolsters the idea that Teotihuacan’s empire was born from a shattered alliance, and it could shed light on the pivotal moment when allies became enemies...
To see whether Tikal’s citadel had any other connections to Teotihuacan, Edwin Román Ramírez, an archaeologist at the Foundation for Maya Cultural and Natural Heritage (PACUNAM), started to dig. In excavations of Tikal's citadel and two other nearby buildings, Román Ramírez and his team unearthed Teotihuacan-style weapons, some made of green obsidian from central Mexico; pieces of incense burners used in Teotihuacan’s religious and political ceremonies; carvings of Teotihuacan's rain god; and even a burial featuring Teotihuacan-style offerings.
The coronavirus pandemic has delayed radiocarbon dating the structure. But ceramic styles found deep in the building suggest Tikal’s citadel was first built around 300 C.E.—nearly 100 years before Teotihuacan supposedly invaded. That suggests a friendly relationship that later broke down...
Likewise, Román Ramírez can see that several decades after Tikal's citadel was first constructed, it was suddenly remodeled using packed earth and stucco, an architectural technique used in Teotihuacan.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencemag.org ...
doi:10.1126/science.abi8607
Did they find a wheel yet?
There were no horses or other equines in the Americas at that time to pull a cart/chariot/coach-no point in anyone making wheels-the Spaniards brought the 1st horses to the Americas from Europe-but that was not until the late 13th-early 14th century...
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