Triadic Pyramids

The Triadic Pyramid was a distinctive invention of the pre-classic Mayan culture. The Preclassic era is characterized by a profusion of triadic pyramids.

They were modeled after the e-groups and constructed on a single sandstone and concrete platform. For ease of access, the triadic pyramid builders added a staircase from the base platform to the summit. Small, inward-looking buildings on each side served as their supports.

The largest triadic pyramid, El Mirador in Guatemala, was constructed on land that was almost six times larger than the Tikal Temple, the largest pyramid in the city.

The early Mayan lowland cities Nakbe and Peten were where the majority of triadic pyramids were discovered, but El Mirador is also recorded as having about 88 triadic pyramids.