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Soon after Flight 825 took off , a group of ZIPRA guerrillas scored a direct hit on its starboard <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> wing with a Soviet @-@ made Strela 2 surface @-@ to @-@ air infrared homing missile , critically damaging the aircraft and forcing an emergency landing . An attempted belly landing in a cotton field jus...	Soon after Flight 825 took off , a group of ZIPRA guerrillas scored a direct hit on its starboard	wing with a Soviet @-@ made Strela 2 surface @-@ to @-@ air infrared homing missile , critically damaging the aircraft and forcing an emergency landing . An attempted belly landing in a cotton field just west of Karoi was foiled by an unseen ditch , which caused the plane to cartwheel and break up . Of the 52 passenge...
ZIPRA leader Joshua Nkomo publicly claimed responsibility for shooting down the Hunyani <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> in an interview with the BBC 's Today programme the same evening , saying the aircraft had been used for military purposes , but denied that his men had killed survivors on the ground . The majority of Rhodesians...	ZIPRA leader Joshua Nkomo publicly claimed responsibility for shooting down the Hunyani	in an interview with the BBC 's Today programme the same evening , saying the aircraft had been used for military purposes , but denied that his men had killed survivors on the ground . The majority of Rhodesians , both black and white , saw the attack as an act of terrorism . A fierce white Rhodesian backlash followe...
Talks between Nkomo and Prime Minister Ian Smith , which had been progressing promisingly , were immediately suspended by the furious Rhodesians , with Smith calling Nkomo a " monster " . On 10 September , Smith announced the extension of martial law over selected areas . The Rhodesian Security Forces launched several ...	Talks between Nkomo and Prime Minister Ian Smith , which had been progressing promisingly , were immediately suspended by the furious Rhodesians , with Smith calling Nkomo a " monster " . On 10 September , Smith announced the extension of martial law over selected areas . The Rhodesian Security Forces launched several ...	, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army ( ZANLA ) . The attack on ZIPRA in particular brought great controversy as many of those killed were refugees camping in and around guerrilla positions . Five months later , in February 1979 , ZIPRA shot down Air Rhodesia Flight 827 , another civilian flight , in an almo...
A dispute over the terms for the granting of full sovereignty to the self @-@ governing colony of Rhodesia ( <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> or Southern Rhodesia ) led the colonial government , headed by Prime Minister Ian Smith , to unilaterally declare independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965 . The idea of " no i...	A dispute over the terms for the granting of full sovereignty to the self @-@ governing colony of Rhodesia (	or Southern Rhodesia ) led the colonial government , headed by Prime Minister Ian Smith , to unilaterally declare independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965 . The idea of " no independence before majority rule " had recently gained ground in Britain and elsewhere amid decolonisation , and Rhodesia 's gov...
Two rival communist @-@ backed black nationalist groups initiated military campaigns to overthrow the government and introduce majority rule : the Chinese @-@ aligned Zimbabwe African National Union ( ZANU ) , mostly comprising Shonas , created the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army ( ZANLA ) and adopted aspects...	Two rival communist @-@ backed black nationalist groups initiated military campaigns to overthrow the government and introduce majority rule : the Chinese @-@ aligned Zimbabwe African National Union ( ZANU ) , mostly comprising Shonas , created the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army ( ZANLA ) and adopted aspects...	in north @-@ eastern Rhodesia .
After the security forces mounted a successful counter @-@ insurgency campaign during 1973 and 1974 , developments overseas caused the conflict 's momentum to shift in the insurgents ' favour . The leftist Carnation Revolution of April 1974 caused Portugal to withdraw its key economic support for Smith 's administratio...	After the security forces mounted a successful counter @-@ insurgency campaign during 1973 and 1974 , developments overseas caused the conflict 's momentum to shift in the insurgents ' favour . The leftist Carnation Revolution of April 1974 caused Portugal to withdraw its key economic support for Smith 's administratio...	ZANU . Around the same time , Rhodesia 's other main backer , South Africa , adopted a détente initiative that forced a ceasefire , giving the guerrillas time to regroup . Following the abortive Victoria Falls Conference of August 1975 , Smith and the ZAPU leader Joshua Nkomo held unsuccessful talks between December 1...
In March 1978 , Smith and non @-@ militant nationalist groups headed by Bishop Abel Muzorewa , the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and Chief Jeremiah Chirau agreed what became the " Internal Settlement " . This created a joint black – white transitional government , with the country due to be reconstituted as Zimbabwe Rhod...	In March 1978 , Smith and non @-@ militant nationalist groups headed by Bishop Abel Muzorewa , the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and Chief Jeremiah Chirau agreed what became the " Internal Settlement " . This created a joint black – white transitional government , with the country due to be reconstituted as Zimbabwe Rhod...	to target Christian missionaries , climaxing in the killing of nine British missionaries and four children at Elim Mission near the Mozambican border on 23 June .
The transitional government was badly received abroad , partly because the Internal Settlement kept control of law enforcement , the military , the judiciary and the civil service under white control . No country recognised Rhodesia 's interim administration . Smith again worked to bring Nkomo into the <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN...	The transitional government was badly received abroad , partly because the Internal Settlement kept control of law enforcement , the military , the judiciary and the civil service under white control . No country recognised Rhodesia 's interim administration . Smith again worked to bring Nkomo into the	government , hoping this would lend it some credence domestically , prompt diplomatic recognition overseas , and help the security forces defeat ZANLA . Starting on 14 August 1978 , he attended secret meetings with Nkomo in Lusaka , Zambia ( where ZAPU was based ) , doing so with the assistance of the mining corporati...
Rhodesian air traffic was not seriously threatened until about 1977 , in the latter stages of the war ; before this time , neither revolutionary force had the weapons to launch a viable attack against an aerial target . The weapon that made such attacks feasible for ZIPRA was the Strela 2 shoulder @-@ launched surface ...	Rhodesian air traffic was not seriously threatened until about 1977 , in the latter stages of the war ; before this time , neither revolutionary force had the weapons to launch a viable attack against an aerial target . The weapon that made such attacks feasible for ZIPRA was the Strela 2 shoulder @-@ launched surface ...	Warsaw Pact 's materiel support . By September 1978 , there had been 20 reported attempts to shoot down Rhodesian military aircraft using these weapons , none of which had been successful . Some Rhodesian Air Force Dakotas had been hit , but all had survived and landed safely . No civilian aircraft had yet been target...
Air Rhodesia was the country 's national airline , established by the government on 1 September 1967 to succeed Central African Airways , which was dissolved at the end of that year . Based at Salisbury Airport , Air Rhodesia 's flight network during the late 1970s comprised a <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> domestic programme of ...	Air Rhodesia was the country 's national airline , established by the government on 1 September 1967 to succeed Central African Airways , which was dissolved at the end of that year . Based at Salisbury Airport , Air Rhodesia 's flight network during the late 1970s comprised a	domestic programme of passenger and cargo flights , as well as international services to the South African cities of Johannesburg and Durban .
The Flight 825 aircraft was a Vickers Viscount 782D , a British @-@ made turboprop aircraft with two engines on each wing . It <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> was named the Hunyani after the river of the same name , which flowed between Lake Kariba and the Rhodesian capital Salisbury .	The Flight 825 aircraft was a Vickers Viscount 782D , a British @-@ made turboprop aircraft with two engines on each wing . It	was named the Hunyani after the river of the same name , which flowed between Lake Kariba and the Rhodesian capital Salisbury .
The Hunyani was on the second and final leg of its regular scheduled journey between Victoria Falls and Salisbury , stopping over in the resort town of Kariba . Despite the occasional rocket and mortar attacks launched on Kariba by ZIPRA guerrillas on the northern side of the Zambezi ( in Zambia ) , the resort had endu...	The Hunyani was on the second and final leg of its regular scheduled journey between Victoria Falls and Salisbury , stopping over in the resort town of Kariba . Despite the occasional rocket and mortar attacks launched on Kariba by ZIPRA guerrillas on the northern side of the Zambezi ( in Zambia ) , the resort had endu...	a weekend at the lake . The flight took off from Kariba Airport on schedule soon after 17 : 00 Central Africa Time .
Flight 825 was piloted by 36 @-@ year @-@ old Captain John Hood , a native of Bulawayo who had gained his commercial pilot licence in 1966 . He had flown Viscounts for Air Rhodesia since 1968 , and had also served in the Rhodesian Air Force on a voluntary basis . His first officer , Garth Beaumont , was 31 years old , ...	Flight 825 was piloted by 36 @-@ year @-@ old Captain John Hood , a native of Bulawayo who had gained his commercial pilot licence in 1966 . He had flown Viscounts for Air Rhodesia since 1968 , and had also served in the Rhodesian Air Force on a voluntary basis . His first officer , Garth Beaumont , was 31 years old , ...	Salisbury .
A group of ZIPRA guerrillas , armed with a Strela @-@ 2 launcher , waited in the bush beneath Flight 825 's flightpath , and fired on the Hunyani about five minutes after it took off , while the aircraft was <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> still in the climb phase of its flight . The heat @-@ seeking missile hit the plane 's starb...	A group of ZIPRA guerrillas , armed with a Strela @-@ 2 launcher , waited in the bush beneath Flight 825 's flightpath , and fired on the Hunyani about five minutes after it took off , while the aircraft was	still in the climb phase of its flight . The heat @-@ seeking missile hit the plane 's starboard wing and exploded , causing the inner engine to also explode . A fuel tank and hydraulic lines ruptured , creating a fire that the passengers and crew could not put out . The second starboard engine failed almost immediate...
Of the 56 people on board , 38 , including Hood and Beaumont , died in the crash . Eighteen survived , albeit with injuries , and climbed out of the wreckage . After briefly settling the others , one of the passengers , Dr Cecil MacLaren , led four others — young newlyweds Robert and Shannon Hargreaves , Mrs Sharon Col...	Of the 56 people on board , 38 , including Hood and Beaumont , died in the crash . Eighteen survived , albeit with injuries , and climbed out of the wreckage . After briefly settling the others , one of the passengers , Dr Cecil MacLaren , led four others — young newlyweds Robert and Shannon Hargreaves , Mrs Sharon Col...	including four women and two girls ( aged 11 and 4 ) .
Having collected water from the nearby village , MacLaren and his companions were almost back at the crash site when they heard the shots . Thinking it was personal ammunition in the luggage exploding in the heat , they continued on their way , and called out to the other passengers , who they thought were still alive ...	Having collected water from the nearby village , MacLaren and his companions were almost back at the crash site when they heard the shots . Thinking it was personal ammunition in the luggage exploding in the heat , they continued on their way , and called out to the other passengers , who they thought were still alive ...	insurgents to the presence of more survivors ; one of the guerrillas told MacLaren 's group to " come here " . The insurgents then opened fire on their general location , prompting MacLaren and the others to flee . Hill and the Hansens also ran ; they revealed their positions to the fighters in their haste , but succe...
The survivors were found over the following days by <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> the Rhodesian Army and police ; Hill and Mr and Mrs Hansen were taken to Kariba Hospital , while MacLaren and his group were airlifted to Andrew Fleming Hospital in Salisbury .	The survivors were found over the following days by	the Rhodesian Army and police ; Hill and Mr and Mrs Hansen were taken to Kariba Hospital , while MacLaren and his group were airlifted to Andrew Fleming Hospital in Salisbury .
Nkomo claimed responsibility for the attack in an interview with the BBC 's Today radio programme the next day , laughing as he did so , to the horror of most Rhodesian observers , both black and white . He said that he had received intelligence that the Hunyani was being used for military purposes . Nkomo said he regr...	Nkomo claimed responsibility for the attack in an interview with the BBC 's Today radio programme the next day , laughing as he did so , to the horror of most Rhodesian observers , both black and white . He said that he had received intelligence that the Hunyani was being used for military purposes . Nkomo said he regr...	on the ground ; by contrast , he said that his men had helped them , and had left them alive . He also accused Air Rhodesia of surreptitiously hauling troops and war materiel for the government , an allegation that Captain Pat Travers , Air Rhodesia 's general manager , called a " downright , deliberate lie " .
According to Eliakim Sibanda , a professor and human rights speaker who wrote a history of ZAPU , Nkomo was implying that responsibility for the massacre actually lay with security force pseudo @-@ guerrillas , more specifically the mixed race Selous Scouts unit , which had often been accused of brutalising rural civil...	According to Eliakim Sibanda , a professor and human rights speaker who wrote a history of ZAPU , Nkomo was implying that responsibility for the massacre actually lay with security force pseudo @-@ guerrillas , more specifically the mixed race Selous Scouts unit , which had often been accused of brutalising rural civil...	that the massacre " cannot be put beyond " the Scouts , and also supports Nkomo 's claim that the Hunyani had been used militarily , suggesting that ZIPRA might have believed there to be Rhodesian soldiers on board . " Rhodesian television , before attacks on ZANLA in Mozambique , had shown Viscounts ferrying paratroo...
A report published in the American magazine Time a fortnight later described the incident as " a genuine horror story , calculated to make the most alarming of Rhodesian doomsday prophecies seem true . " Indeed , the white community in Rhodesia heard the news with fury , and many turned their minds to exacting retribut...	A report published in the American magazine Time a fortnight later described the incident as " a genuine horror story , calculated to make the most alarming of Rhodesian doomsday prophecies seem true . " Indeed , the white community in Rhodesia heard the news with fury , and many turned their minds to exacting retribut...	either kill Nkomo or bring him to Salisbury to stand trial .
Geoffrey Nyarota , who was then one of the few black reporters at the Rhodesia Herald newspaper , later wrote in his memoirs that many whites became resentful and wary towards blacks in <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> general , believing them all to be " terrorist sympathisers " . Describing the Herald newsroom the night of the in...	Geoffrey Nyarota , who was then one of the few black reporters at the Rhodesia Herald newspaper , later wrote in his memoirs that many whites became resentful and wary towards blacks in	general , believing them all to be " terrorist sympathisers " . Describing the Herald newsroom the night of the incident , he relates a " vile collective temper " among the white sub @-@ editors : " They cursed until their voices became hoarse , threatening dire consequences for all terrs and munts or kaffirs ... I se...
Several racially motivated incidents occurred over the following days . According to the Time article , a group of whites entered an unsegregated Salisbury bar " fingering the triggers of rifles " and forced blacks drinking there to leave . Time also reported a rumour that two white youths , on learning of the massacre...	Several racially motivated incidents occurred over the following days . According to the Time article , a group of whites entered an unsegregated Salisbury bar " fingering the triggers of rifles " and forced blacks drinking there to leave . Time also reported a rumour that two white youths , on learning of the massacre...	the local people pay for their crime of harbouring and assisting the terrorists " . He instructed them not to , according to his memoirs , telling them that many rural blacks only assisted the guerrillas under extreme duress , and that it would not do to attack them . Many Rhodesians also resented the apparent lack of...
At a memorial service held on 8 September 1978 for Flight 825 's passengers and crew at Salisbury 's Anglican Cathedral , about 2 @,@ 000 people crowded inside , with another 500 standing outside on the steps and pavement , many listening to the service inside on portable radio sets . Prominent among those present in t...	At a memorial service held on 8 September 1978 for Flight 825 's passengers and crew at Salisbury 's Anglican Cathedral , about 2 @,@ 000 people crowded inside , with another 500 standing outside on the steps and pavement , many listening to the service inside on portable radio sets . Prominent among those present in t...	Foreign Affairs .
Dean John de Costa gave a <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> sermon damning what he described as a " deafening silence " from overseas . " Nobody who holds sacred the dignity of human life can be anything but sickened at the events attending the Viscount , " he said . " But are we deafened with the voice of protest from nations who c...	Dean John de Costa gave a	sermon damning what he described as a " deafening silence " from overseas . " Nobody who holds sacred the dignity of human life can be anything but sickened at the events attending the Viscount , " he said . " But are we deafened with the voice of protest from nations who call themselves civilised ? We are not ! Like ...
The talks between Smith and the ZAPU leader that had been progressing so promisingly were immediately halted by Salisbury . Smith himself called Nkomo a " monster " . Cilliers comments that the ending of the Smith – Nkomo talks at this time was " potentially the most serious result of the Viscount massacre " , as the t...	The talks between Smith and the ZAPU leader that had been progressing so promisingly were immediately halted by Salisbury . Smith himself called Nkomo a " monster " . Cilliers comments that the ending of the Smith – Nkomo talks at this time was " potentially the most serious result of the Viscount massacre " , as the t...	secure international recognition .
On 10 September , the Prime Minister announced to the nation that certain areas of the country would be placed under a variation of martial law , which he said would be applied in particular regions as and when needed . He declared Rhodesia 's intent to " liquidate the internal workings of those organisations associate...	On 10 September , the Prime Minister announced to the nation that certain areas of the country would be placed under a variation of martial law , which he said would be applied in particular regions as and when needed . He declared Rhodesia 's intent to " liquidate the internal workings of those organisations associate...	the United States were supporting the Patriotic Front . William Irvine , the co @-@ Minister of Transport , warned the guerrillas that Rhodesia " w [ ould ] not let these innocents go unavenged " .
Because ZAPU and ZIPRA <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> were based in Zambia , many Rhodesians clamoured for a massive retaliatory strike against terrorist targets in that country , but the first external target hit by the security forces following the Viscount shootdown was the prominent cluster of ZANLA bases around Chimoio in Mo...	Because ZAPU and ZIPRA	were based in Zambia , many Rhodesians clamoured for a massive retaliatory strike against terrorist targets in that country , but the first external target hit by the security forces following the Viscount shootdown was the prominent cluster of ZANLA bases around Chimoio in Mozambique . The Rhodesian military had stru...
Rhodesia then attacked ZIPRA 's bases in Zambia , in what Group Captain Peter Petter @-@ Bowyer later described as " payback time " for Flight 825 . Operation Gatling , launched on 19 October 1978 , was another joint @-@ force operation between the Air Force and the Army , which contributed Special Air Service and Rhod...	Rhodesia then attacked ZIPRA 's bases in Zambia , in what Group Captain Peter Petter @-@ Bowyer later described as " payback time " for Flight 825 . Operation Gatling , launched on 19 October 1978 , was another joint @-@ force operation between the Air Force and the Army , which contributed Special Air Service and Rhod...	, was the formerly white @-@ owned Westlands Farm , which had been transformed into ZIPRA 's main headquarters and training base under the name " Freedom Camp " . ZIPRA presumed that Rhodesia would never dare to attack a site so close to Lusaka . About 4 @,@ 000 guerrillas underwent training at Freedom Camp , with sen...
Led by Squadron Leader Chris Dixon , who identified himself to Lusaka Airport tower as " Green Leader " , a Rhodesian Air Force group flew into Zambia at very low altitudes ( thereby avoiding Zambian radar ) and took control of the country 's airspace for about a quarter of an hour during the initial assault on Westlan...	Led by Squadron Leader Chris Dixon , who identified himself to Lusaka Airport tower as " Green Leader " , a Rhodesian Air Force group flew into Zambia at very low altitudes ( thereby avoiding Zambian radar ) and took control of the country 's airspace for about a quarter of an hour during the initial assault on Westlan...	Zambian airfields under orders to shoot down any fighter that attempted to take off . The Zambians obeyed all of Green Leader 's instructions , made no attempt to resist and temporarily halted civil air traffic . Using Rufunsa airstrip in eastern Zambia as a forward base , the Rhodesian military suffered only minor ca...
Historians Paul Moorcraft and Peter McLaughlin write that this exaggerated considerably the actual number <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> of guerrillas killed , as most of Nkomo 's army , then numbering about 10 @,@ 000 fighters , had not been touched . On the other hand , unarmed refugees often camped in or around insurgent posit...	Historians Paul Moorcraft and Peter McLaughlin write that this exaggerated considerably the actual number	of guerrillas killed , as most of Nkomo 's army , then numbering about 10 @,@ 000 fighters , had not been touched . On the other hand , unarmed refugees often camped in or around insurgent positions , and hundreds of these had been killed in the Rhodesian raid . Moorcraft and McLaughlin comment that for the Rhodesian ...
The Rhodesian attacks on ZANLA and ZIPRA bases did much to restore white morale following the Viscount incident , though they had not actually made much impact on the respective guerrilla campaigns . Nkomo and the Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda all the same requested further military aid and better weapons from the S...	The Rhodesian attacks on ZANLA and ZIPRA bases did much to restore white morale following the Viscount incident , though they had not actually made much impact on the respective guerrilla campaigns . Nkomo and the Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda all the same requested further military aid and better weapons from the S...	827 , on 12 February 1979 . This time there were no survivors .
Following the second shootdown , Air Rhodesia created a system whereby the underside of the Viscounts would <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> be coated with low @-@ radiation paint , with the exhaust pipes concurrently shrouded . According to tests conducted by the Air Force , a Viscount so treated could not be detected by the Strel...	Following the second shootdown , Air Rhodesia created a system whereby the underside of the Viscounts would	be coated with low @-@ radiation paint , with the exhaust pipes concurrently shrouded . According to tests conducted by the Air Force , a Viscount so treated could not be detected by the Strela 's targeting system once it was over 2 @,@ 000 feet ( 610 m ) . There were no further Viscount shootdowns in Rhodesia .
In the elections held the following year under the Internal Settlement terms , boycotted by ZANU and ZAPU , Muzorewa won a majority , and became the first Prime Minister of the reconstituted , majority @-@ ruled state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia on 1 June 1979 . This new order failed to win international acceptance , however ...	In the elections held the following year under the Internal Settlement terms , boycotted by ZANU and ZAPU , Muzorewa won a majority , and became the first Prime Minister of the reconstituted , majority @-@ ruled state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia on 1 June 1979 . This new order failed to win international acceptance , however ...	colonial status . The UK government suspended the constitution and took direct control for an interim period . Fresh elections were won by Mugabe , who took power in April 1980 , concurrently with the country 's recognised independence as Zimbabwe .
In modern Zimbabwe , it is not the Viscount shootdowns but rather the retributory Rhodesian strikes against nationalist guerrilla camps that endure predominantly in the cultural memory . State media in Zimbabwe , prominently the Herald newspaper , often claim that Rhodesian forces indiscriminately and deliberately slau...	In modern Zimbabwe , it is not the Viscount shootdowns but rather the retributory Rhodesian strikes against nationalist guerrilla camps that endure predominantly in the cultural memory . State media in Zimbabwe , prominently the Herald newspaper , often claim that Rhodesian forces indiscriminately and deliberately slau...	had helped the survivors , and wrote simply that " I truly have no idea how the ten died " .
A monument to those killed in the Rhodesian attack on Chikumbi was built in Zambia in 1998 , and dedicated <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> jointly by the Zambian and Zimbabwean governments . A memorial to the victims of the two Rhodesian Viscount incidents , dubbed the Viscount Memorial , was erected on the grounds of the Voortrek...	A monument to those killed in the Rhodesian attack on Chikumbi was built in Zambia in 1998 , and dedicated	jointly by the Zambian and Zimbabwean governments . A memorial to the victims of the two Rhodesian Viscount incidents , dubbed the Viscount Memorial , was erected on the grounds of the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria , South Africa in 2012 , and inaugurated on 1 September that year . The names of the dead passengers ...
A British <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> parliamentary motion put forward by Labour MP Kate Hoey in February 2013 to retrospectively condemn the Viscount attacks and memorialise the victims on the anniversary of the second shootdown prompted outcry in the Zimbabwean press , with the Herald branding it a racist " Rhodie motion " i...	A British	parliamentary motion put forward by Labour MP Kate Hoey in February 2013 to retrospectively condemn the Viscount attacks and memorialise the victims on the anniversary of the second shootdown prompted outcry in the Zimbabwean press , with the Herald branding it a racist " Rhodie motion " intended to antagonise the Mug...
Tikal ( / tiˈkäl / ) ( Tik ’ al in modern Mayan orthography ) is the ruins of an ancient city found in a rainforest in Guatemala . Ambrosio Tut , a gum @-@ sapper , reported the ruins to La Gaceta , a Guatemalan newspaper , which named the site Tikal . After the Berlin Academy of Sciences ' magazine republished the rep...	Tikal ( / tiˈkäl / ) ( Tik ’ al in modern Mayan orthography ) is the ruins of an ancient city found in a rainforest in Guatemala . Ambrosio Tut , a gum @-@ sapper , reported the ruins to La Gaceta , a Guatemalan newspaper , which named the site Tikal . After the Berlin Academy of Sciences ' magazine republished the rep...	now northern Guatemala . Situated in the department of El Petén , the site is part of Guatemala 's Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya . Though monumental architecture at the site dates back as far as the 4th century BC , Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period , c . 200 to 900 AD . During this time , the city dominated much of the Ma...	Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya . Though monumental architecture at the site dates back as far as the 4th century BC , Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period , c . 200 to 900 AD . During this time , the city dominated much of the Ma...	that elite palaces were burned . These events were coupled with a gradual population decline , culminating with the site ’ s abandonment by the end of the 10th century .
Tikal is <<<SPECIAL-TOKEN>>> the best understood of any of the large lowland Maya cities , with a long dynastic ruler list , the discovery of the tombs of many of the rulers on this list and the investigation of their monuments , temples and palaces .	Tikal is	the best understood of any of the large lowland Maya cities , with a long dynastic ruler list , the discovery of the tombs of many of the rulers on this list and the investigation of their monuments , temples and palaces .
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 by hunters and travelers in the region . It has alternatively been interpreted as meaning " the pl...	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 by hunters and travelers in the region . It has alternatively been interpreted as meaning " the pl...	is not the ancient name for the site but rather the name adopted shortly after its discovery in the 1840s . Hieroglyphic inscriptions at the ruins refer to the ancient city as Yax Mutal or Yax Mutul , meaning " First Mutal " . Tikal may have come to have been called this because Dos Pilas also came to use the same emb...