Maya Ruins of Guatemala

 

GUATEMALA

 

In the northern part of Guatemala you will find the ruins of Tikal, El Mirador, El Naranjo and Uaxactún. Altar de Sacrificios, Aguateca, Dos Pilas and Ceibal are located in north central Guatemala between Mexico and Belize. Piedras Negras is located in the very western corner of Guatemala. The ruins of Quiriguá are located in the very south near the Honduran boarder. There are also a number of ruins located near Guatemala City.

A word of caution for visitors to the ruins of Guatemala. There are many locations that are very difficult to reach and some cannot be reached by vehicle. The rainy season can hamper or even ruin trips to different sites and some are NOT able to be visited during this season. Check with tour agencies before attempting to travel to these ruins.

Altar de Sacrificios is located west of Ceibal, very near the Río Usumacinta River, on the Mexican border by Chiapas. 'Altar' is a relatively small site when compared with the larger ceremonial centers in the surrounding area. However, this did not deter it from becoming, at one point in time, the capital of the region around Guatemala's Río de la Pasión. It owed its prominence partly to its position as a crossroads for trade with Chiapas and Guatemala. Although it had a long history and had been the regional capital since 455 A.D., its zenith came later, between 613 and 771 A.D., centuries in which construction works and stelae production flourished. Thereafter the site slacked off into gradual decline. The last date recorded at the site corresponds to the Christian year 910 A.D.

Aguateca is a large fortified center from the late Classic located on the shores of Petex-batún Lake in Guatemala. The ruins lie nine miles south of Sayaxché, and can be reached by water, however, at certain time of the year you will need to wade across the shallow parts of the lake. The Petexbatún Lagoon at the entrance of Aguateca is incredibly beautiful. Aguateca's main feature is a series of stelae dedicated to its rulers. It has been suggested that the combined armies of this site and nearby Dos Pilas brought about the downfall of neighboring Altar de Sacrificios. If true, in the aftermath the warring Aguateca would surely have emerged as master of the Río de la Pasión region, at least for a time. There are still some constructions at the site, whose monuments have not yet been explored.

Ceibal also known as 'The Gallery of Maya Art' lies on a hill overlooking the Río de la Pasión in Guatemala. The site is renowned for having its emblematic glyph identified but more so for the ceramics found there. These ceramic clay vessels show painted figures of men and women and are regarded as very high quality. The site was at its peak from 700 and 900 A.D., a time when most Classic sites in the southern lowlands were going through a process of decentralization and collapse. Ceibal, however, was on the upswing. This is thought to be because of outside influence from intruders. Some of the monuments and buildings clearly reflect outside influences, a fact that has led some to assume that this emergence was due to the arrival of intruders, called Putúns. Putúns are from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico or the Yucatán.

Stelae at Ceibal depict Maya ruler priests both with Classic features and elements foreign to the Maya. One stelae may possibly be the clearest demonstration of the relationship between the Maya inhabitants of the site and those invaders. On that stelae a dignitary is dressed in the Maya Classic style and holds a puppet staff, the symbol of state, upside down, while he has his right hand placed against his chest in a gesture of submission. To his right there is another personage with long hair who grips a curved club, and whose facial features are obviously non-Classic. Thus it may well be that this stelae commemorates the surrender of the Maya Classic inhabitants of Ceibal to invaders. One of the most beautiful and best preserved stelae of the Post-classic period can be found here along with ceramic pieces and anthropomorphic pottery figurines. The first settlements at Ceibal are quite old and date back as far as 800 BC.

Means "Two Pools" in Spanish and was named after two springs near the ruins that look a bit like water tanks. The ruins lie about 10 miles southwest of Sayaxché in the Río de la Pasión region. Dos Pilas is a late Classic site inhabited from around 600 to 760 A.D. At the site there are two concentric walls and 16 well preserved carved stelae, other carvings and a network of caves has been found. The site also contains 19 altars, 19 panels, a hieroglyphic bench, and 4 hieroglyphic stairways. Depiction's of captives kneeling at the feet of the ruler, is a common image. The most beautiful sculpture of Dos Pilas is called the Red Stela because it retains red, blue, and yellow colored stucco. Ceramic artifacts where recently found in a tomb probably belonging to one of its rulers. Much of the site has not been excavated. The stelae at Dos Pilas tell us that in the late Classic its rulers resorted to warfare in order to expand their domains in the region. This may be the same information recorded at Aguateca, and it proclaims the victory of the Lord of Pilas over Ceibal on the third of December, 735 A.D. It is thought that Dos Pilas was abandoned due to these constant wars.

El Mirador is located just north of Tikal on the Mexico - Guatemala border. The name means "the lookout or observatory" in Spanish. El Mirador is thought to have been an active city from 150 B.C. to 150 A.D. El Mirador is thought to have been the trade center of its time and certainly was much larger and important than its neighbors Cerros, Cuello and Lamanai. During its peak it covered an area of 10 square miles. At its center lies civic and religious buildings. It was undoubtedly the seat of economic and political power of an extensive region whose trade it controlled. There are two huge architectural complexes that tower over the site. The Tiger Complex on the west end rises over a 14-acre base. It has a massive pyramid flanked by two smaller ones. On the east side of El Mirador is found the Danta Complex. It was erected on a natural rise of ground as a means of highlighting its monumental appearance.

El Naranjo is located equidistant between Yaxhá and El Pilar. The site is considered to be one of the first in this geographic area which contains more than 10 different ancient Maya cities. El Naranjo contains impressive architectural structures and numerous stelae containing priceless information about the Maya. The most important monuments are a staircase covered by hieroglyphics and a ball court. Studies reveal that this city was closely related to Tikal.

Iximché is located a mile away from Tecpán which is about 21 miles from Chimaltenango. Iximché was the capital of the Cakchiquel Maya. The archaeological site sits atop a fortified hilltop site surrounded by a moat about nine feet deep, with a ball court and other structures. The patio for ball games is completely enclosed, which is common in many places on the altiplano. The ball courts were built near an area containing four plazas. The Cakchiquel Maya were powerful warriors and skillful builders. The stucco faces of many stone structures are still intact. It is thought that Iximché was founded in the year 1470 A.D. and throughout the life of the city were the bitter enemies of the Quiché Maya. The first spanish settlement on Guatemala soil was in Iximché. Iximché is located very close to the ruins of Pocomán, also called Mixco Viejo.

Kaminal Juyú can be reached by car inside the western section of Guatamala City. The site is dated from the preclassic and early Classic periods 800 B.C. to 600 A.D., however, today most of it has been demolished and no extraordinary temples are present. Its pyramids could be described as somewhat unpretentious. Kaminal Juyú was an important city during its day as is revealed in its beautiful and high quality art. This site reveals much about Maya ceramics and sculpture but, is also known for a high level of architecture and engineering. This site also is known for its architecture borrowed from Teotihuacan. This strong influence is visible in its buildings and also in ceramics and tools. Kaminal Juyú also contains a large number of ball courts. It is obvious that in the past this was truely a great city.

Was also known as Utatlán. The archaeological site is located in the department of El Quiché about two miles from Santa Cruz del Quiché almost 100 miles from Guatemala City. K'umarcaaj is mentioned in the Popol Vuh. References call the city impressive and powerful. The ruins are in pretty bad shape and very few structures remain. The city was destroyed by Pedro de Alvarado during its conquest and burning in 1524 A.D. K'umarcaaj was the ancient capital of the Maya Quiché region.

Mixco Viejo is also known as Pocomán. The site of this ancient city is located in the northeast part of the department of Chimaltenango. The city-fortress is from the late Postclassic. The dates of known occupation are 1250-1525 A.D. The city of Mixco Viejo is closely linked with Iximché as both were from the Cakchiquel Maya. The archaeological site is important because it has been kept intact and is only now seeing the real interest of the scientific community. The Mixco Viejo ruins contain a series of pyramids, observatory tumuli, and two small ball courts or stadiums. No tombs have not been found to date meaning that the dead were probably cremated. As the capital of the Pocomán Kingdom it is thought that the site was mainly a ceremonial center.