6th–8th centuries CEReputable sourceWell documented
Tikal and Calakmul: The Superpower Rivalry
On the timeline · around 6th–8th centuries CE ·
What happened
For generations Tikal and its great northern rival Calakmul waged a struggle for supremacy, drawing lesser cities into two vast networks of alliance. Calakmul engineered Tikal's defeat in 562, but Tikal roared back to triumph in 695.
Why it matters
This 'superpower' rivalry structured Classic Maya geopolitics, a war of shifting alliances fought across the whole lowland world.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Tikal · Reputable source