Twin-pyramid complex
[1] Twin-pyramid complexes were regularly built at the great city of Tikal in the central Petén Basin of Guatemala to celebrate the end of the 20-year kʼatun cycle of the Maya Long Count Calendar.
[2] A twin-pyramid complex has been identified at Yaxha, a large city that was 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the southeast of Tikal.
[4] The basic layout of a twin-pyramid complex consists of identical pyramids on the east and west sides of a small plaza, with a walled enclosure to the north housing a sculpted stela-altar pair and a range building to the south.
The term "twin-pyramid complex" was first used in 1956 by Edwin M. Shook when he recognised that five such groups conformed to a similar architectural pattern.
[11] The earliest twin-pyramid complex was built in Tikal's East Plaza early in the 6th century AD.
[21] Four had been reported by Teobert Maler in 1911 and mapped by Alfred Tozzer and R. E. Merwin that year;[22] the last had been discovered by Edwin Shook in 1937.
Site archaeologists believe that the complex was demolished around 740 in order to provide construction material for Temple IV.
[27] Stela 16 is sculpted only on its front face, which bears a portrait of king Jasaw Chan K'awiil I and an accompanying hieroglyphic text.
Unusually, the stela-altar pair in the northern enclosure are plain monuments, lacking sculpture and hieroglyphic text.
[29] Stela 22 and the paired Altar 10 outstanding examples of Late Classic Maya sculpture, although the sculpted figure was mutilated in ancient times.
[17] One of the plain stelae that was erected in front of the east pyramid is missing and the altar that was once paired with it has been moved away from its original position.
[34] Zacpeten Group A has been identified as having a possible twin-pyramid complex dating to the Late to Terminal Classic Period.
[19] Group A included some plain stelae and a sculpted stela-altar pair such as those typically found in a twin-pyramid complex.
[36] Zacpeten Group B was dominated by a rough twin-pyramid complex dating to the Late to Terminal Classic Period.
