New Study of the Tikal Temple VI (Temple of the Inscriptions), Guatemala

In this paper, data related to the chronology of Temple VI ( The Temple of the Inscriptions) at Tikal is analyzed. During the second season of fieldwork on the "Atlas Epigrafico de Peten" project ( April-May 2014), we documented the inscription on the roof comb of the temple, which is the largest hieroglyphic text from the Late Classic at Peten and one of the largest in the Maya Lowlands. The construction sequence of the relief and sculpted stucco observed on the roof comb, combined with epigraphic data, demonstrates that Temple VI was constructed in two phases. The first included the raising of the basal pyramid, the upper sanctuary, and the relief on the eastern facade of the roof comb, dedicated by the king Yihk'in Chan K'awil in 735 A.D. During the second phase, dated to around 766 A.D., the temple was enlarged and adorned with the reliefs on the north and south facades.