Tikal Temples belongs to the Common Era — dated here to c. 700 CE at Guatemala. Dates mark a scholarly centre of gravity (dedication, completion, or iconic phase), not a single foundation day.
Temple IV rises above the Petén canopy — Classic Maya skyline poking through rainforest.
How it amazes the brain
Limestone pyramids with roof combs, reservoirs, and causeways across a watery landscape.
Why it counts as a wonder
It never needed a contest ballot to scramble the brain: scale, craft, or sheer improbability is enough.
Star Wars filmed here for a reason: it already looks like another planet.
On dating
CE means years after the traditional birth of Christ. A monument listed as c. 700 CE may have been founded earlier, rebuilt later, or become famous only in one phase. Engineering wonders (dams, tunnels, orbiting labs) are dated to opening or assembly.
This is story 31 of 100 in The Trend Ledger’s illustrated desk on world wonders raised after the birth of Christ — the companions to our BCE series.