Tikal - Groupo G

Groupo G, known as the Palace of the Vertical Grooves, is comprised of a myriad of palace-type buildings. This complex is less grand in its construction, but no less amazing when one considers the massive array of stone work involved. Workers laboriously created terraces and walls that were straight and true. Similar to other sites in Tikal, the structures now visible were constructed over previous edifices.

The ancient Mayan people were industrious in their precise construction, and they applied the same exactitude in other realms of life. They dedicated themselves to accuracy in mathematics, the passage of time, and the calendrical cycles. Using the concept of zero in their calculations, they established an incredibly accurate calendar. Additionally, they studied the stars, and successfully deduced many mathematical facts concerning the concept of time and planets. For example, they calculated that one Earth year was a little more than 365 days, an estimate that differs by only .002 of a day from today's modern estimation of a year. Another fantastic example of their obsession with time and accuracy concerned the planet Venus. The Mayans calculated a Venetian year to be 489 days, accurate to within two days of the modern estimate.