Tikal–Calakmul wars
| Tikal–Calakmul Wars | ||||||||
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One of the first battles in the war between Bonampak and Yaxchilan is elaborately painted at Bonampak | ||||||||
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
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Mutul kingdom: Tikal-affiliated city-states: Copán Dos Pilas (until 648) Rio Azul |
Kaan kingdom Dzibanche / Calakmul-affiliated city-states: Caracol Quiriguá Naranjo El Zotz El Perú La Corona Dos Pilas (from 648) Uxul Los Alacranes others |
Third-party factions: Yaxchilan El Palma | ||||||
The Tikal–Calakmul wars were a series of wars that took place during the Classic period of the Maya civilization between the Kaanu'l dynasty of Dzibanche, later settled in Calakmul, against the city of Tikal for political and commercial control of the Maya Lowlands region. Other cities such as El Caracol, Dos Pilas, Naranjo, El Perú, Piedras Negras and Quiriguá were also directly involved in these wars as allies of Calakmul, as well as brief independent roles that had sites like Yaxchilan, Bonampak, and El Palma.
These were the most significant wars of the Classic period of the Maya civilization and those that defined the complex geopolitical landscape between the 6th and 8th centuries; their consequences are attributed as one of the main factors that led to the Maya collapse.