Caracol Defeats Tikal in 'Star War'

On April 29, 562 CE, Caracol defeated Tikal in what Maya texts call a 'star war.' Caracol's ruler Yajaw Te' K'inich II led forces against Tikal's king Wak Chan K'awiil, who was possibly captured and sacrificed. Evidence comes from inscriptions on Altar 21 at Caracol. The defeat initiated Tikal's approximately 130-year period during which the city erected no monuments, experienced population decline, and lost influence throughout the Maya region. Some scholars suggest Calakmul may have aided Caracol in this conflict.