The Maya metropolis of Tikal was once one of the greatest cities in the world. At its peak around A.D. 750 over 100,000 people lived here, in the heart of the Guatemalan rainforest. Huge temple-pyramids dominated the skyline. Today Tikal has become one of the most visited sites on the Maya tourist itinerary. But why did the city flourish? What does its history reveal about the mysteries of Maya civilization? And why did Tikal collapse? Drawing upon over 30 years of excavation and research, some of it his own, Peter D. Harrison gives a vivid account of the turbulent story of Tikal over 1700 years, from 800 B.C. to the late 9th century A.D. Making full use of the remarkable recent breakthroughs in translating the Maya's own hieroglyphic record, Peter D. Harrison offers a cogent, detailed summary of what is known to date of this romantic, mysterious city and its rulers.