Tikal & the Lost Mayan Empire

     Deep inside the untamed jungles of the Guatemalan rain forests lay remnants of the lost Mayan Empire. Like the great pyramids of Egypt, the Mayans buried their kings and queens in these temples which were erected around 745 A.D.  Tikal was the center of their kingdom. It stayed hidden from mankind for over a thousand years. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of buildings still remain buried by massive rocks and the roots that stretch for hundreds of feet over the solid granite rocks.

     The principal architect of their kingdom was King Cacao (King Chocolate.) Chocolate was used as a form of currency in their era. His queen was called Princess Macaw. He is entombed in the Great Jaguar Temple located on the right. She was entombed in the temple on the left, which was named the Temple of the Mask. The king’s last wish was to watch over his bride for eternity. As the sun sets and the moon rises, Venus can be seen clearly just above the queen’s tomb. As the cool mist covers the Great Plaza, toucans, colorful parrots, jaguars, other wild animals and hundreds of howler monkeys that sound like gorillas serve as the guardians for this placid sanctuary. The Mayans were famous for astronomy, architecture, archeology, metallurgy, and weaving. They were also one of the inventors of the concept of zero.