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  1. Copilot Answer
    Etymology

    The name Tikal may be derived from ti ak'al in the Yucatec Maya language; it is said to be a relatively modern name meaning "at the waterhole". The name was apparently applied to one of the site's ancient reservoirs … See more

    Geography

    The closest large modern settlements are Flores and Santa Elena, approximately 64 kilometers (40 mi) by road to the southwest. Tikal is approximately 303 kilometers (188 mi) north of Guatemala City. It is 19 kilometers (… See more

    Population

    Population estimates for Tikal vary from 10,000 to as high as 90,000 inhabitants. The population of Tikal began a continuous curve of growth starting in the Preclassic Period (approximately 2000 BC – AD 200), with a pea… See more

    History

    There are traces of early agriculture at the site dating as far back as 1000 BC, in the Middle Preclassic. A cache of Mamon ceramics dating from about 700–400 BC were found in a sealed chultun, a subterrane… See more