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This was Tikal’s marketplace and comprises 4 structures, built on a large platform. An ancient steam bath may be observed in the southernmost corner of the group’s court. Here, merchants purified themselves before engaging in their sacred trade.
The
first archaeologists to explore Tikal overlooked the group of buildings on Group
H. It wasn't discovered until the
1920s and it wasn't dug up until the 1950s. It
is connected to the rest of the site by a huge raised road called a "sacbe," which means, "white road" in Maya. In ancient
times, these roads were covered with plaster, giving them a white appearance.
Between Temples 3 and 4 is the Bat Palace. This structure was originally two-stories high, but the top story collapsed. The lower floor has a double row of rooms; one reaches those at the back through the entrances on the first row. Many openings, resembling windows, on the back of the building also give this structure the name of The Window Palace. |