Tikal, Guatemala

Located in what is now Guatemala, the kingdom of Tikal's ceremonial center covered more than 550 acres and was one of the largest and most elaborate of any Maya city. Mayan kings and queens immortalized themselves by building monumental structures that served as sites for the public religious ceremonies, though they were abandoned in AD 900 only to be uncovered by archeologists in the 1800s. Visitors can learn more about Maya societies in the exhibition The Ancient Americas.

• Tikal
• Maya Civilization
• Rituals and Maya Plazas
• Archaeology of Guatemala
• Ancient Americas at the Field Museum