Archaeologists in Guatemala have discovered an altar that holds the burial of a child and adult in the Maya city of Tikal, a finding that could help researchers discern the nature of the city's relationship with one of its neighbors.
The altar was likely painted not by a Maya artist, but by an artisan from Teotihuacan, an ancient megalopolis located more than 600 miles (965 kilometers) away, outside present-day Mexico City. The altar suggests an active Teotihuacan presence in Tikal during a time of conflict between the two cities, researchers reported Tuesday (April 8) in the journal Antiquity.
