South Eastern Petén

Ixlun | Ucanal | Ronron | Ixtutz | Sacul | Chaquiux | Pueblito | Pusilha | El Chal

Don't miss the Visit to Dolores City museum, with more than 300 objects from Ixkún, Ucanal, Sacul, Ixtontón, Machaquilá, El Chal, and many other sites, where you can learn more about this heavily occupied region in Petén, that also has the world renown Naj Tunich and other caves worth visit. For detailed archaeological information about this area (In Spanish), You can visit the Atlas Arqueológico de Guatemala.

 

Ixkún: A large Classic Maya site (16Km²), that was occupied since the Pre Classic 200 AD, and reached its splendor in the Late Classic (600 to 900 AD),  is located north west of Poptún, Petén, the site is large  and the monumental Architecture of the Central area or Groups A and B, shows Ball Court, Temples, Vaulted Palaces and Pyramids, and at least 46 residential groups with several burials (245) in them, as well as several Chultunes (Man made Holes  for Hidings), 2 sacbeobs communicate  the south  and north part of the city.  The Stela 1 of Ixkún is the Largest (4 mt high) in Petén and second only to  Quiriguá´s Stela E, in the Maya world. The site  also has 4 Caves with ceremonial use during the Classic. There are 11 Stelas and 6 Altars. Ixkún, was a warrior's city, that fought for its freedom, as the monuments there testify. Due to its world renown tela 1, Ixkún has been visited since the middle of XIX century. In 1852, Modesto Méndez, Petén's governor,, visited  Ixkún and Ixtutz; posibly mente comisioned monnumment drawings to Eusebio Lara. Alfred Maudslay visited  Ixkún in 1887. Duraning his visit he made the first Site Map, and discovered the Stelas 2 and 3, made molds and photographed Stela 1, he also dig Structure 6 in the Main Plaza. Sylvanus Morley and Herbert Spinden visited this site in  1914. Since 1985 the investigation is in charge of the Atlas Arqueológico de Guatemala, an USAC program.

Site map	Acrópolis Map	Ixkún Stela 1
Stela 2	Stela 2	Pottery in Burials
Tripod Ceramic	Burials	Chultún
Incised Vase	Emblem Glyph	Plaza A

              

Ucanal: K'anwitznal was the ancient name of the Ucanal polity, and one of its first rulers was AJAW K'UK' or Lord Quetzal. Ucanal is located on the Mopán River and can be reached from the Road that goes to Melchor de Mencos, from Flores and then, looking for Tikalito village, the site had strong ties with Tikal, 51 miles to the north, and was attacked and destroyed twice by the Kalomté, Wac' Chanil Ahau or Lady Six Sky of Naranjo (Sa'al Kingdom), in her way to conquer Caracol. The site has evidence of two man made irrigation channels one is 420 mt. and the other 370 mt. long, both 7 mt wide, there are 114 structures in the main area and at least 150 Residential groups, the protected area is 1 sq. mile but does not include all the minor groups. . There are several temples and palaces, and 2 ball courts. Many of the Stelas where destroyed by the Naranjo (Saal) invaders, there are 22 Stelas and 16 Altars . When the Popol Vuh tells about the masters that later founded the K’iche’ supremacy, traveled to Tulán (the big city) to obtain the power badges, Maybe it narrates the fact that the Ucanal’s soldiers went to the actual Ceibal and proclaimed its domination, and then emigrated south, to the center of the actual Quiché. That is why they came from the east, because Ucanal is at the east of Ceibal. This migration, as others, from the Pacific Lowlands, gave birth to new political expressions, which were successful in the Post-Classic period.

Central area Map	South area map showing  Canals to Mopán river	Altar and Stela 2
Stela 4	and associated altar	This vessel was intended for the consumption of Ochnal kakaw, by Ajaw K'uk' an otherwise unknown blend of chocolate
	Emblem Glyph

 

Ixtontón: Is a large site with occupation since the Early Classic, to the Early Post Classic. It is located in the Dolores Valle, some 10 km south from Ixkún, it is one of the largest site in the area (8 Km²). The Central area architecture includes large Plazas, 2 Ball Courts, Causeways, an "E" Group, palaces and religious Temples, all included in an Acropolis type arrangement, on top of  man made large Platform. There where several Stelas, that have been looted. Its main features are its 3 large Sacbe'ob,  to the north, east and south of the Acropolis, these Sacbé, are a hallmark in several sites of this area, in sites such as  Ixkún, Ixtutz, Xutilhá or Poptún, among others. But Ixtontón's Sacbe'ob are the largest and more sophisticated in the area, due to the slopes in its landscape, The largest is the north, that is 550 m long and 15 m wide, with walls and drainages, to ensure its durability.

  The valley is 120 km², and 86 km² of those were covered by Rain Forest, and the rest by Pine Forest, in the hills of the Maya Mountains, along the Mopán river, where lies  Ixtontón, Moquena and Mopán 2,  further west are the sites of Tesik and Ix Ek´, and to the north border of the valley we find El Tzic and Ixkún. There are 2 ranks among these sites, according to their size, The large, with and average of  8 Km², such as  Ixtontón, Ix Kol and Ix Ek´, with  400 to 700 structures. The smaller, averaging 3 km² with some  260 structures.

Recent excavations in Ixtontón had revealed a strong architectural development to the late Classic, and equally strong up to the XI AD, century, including Pyramids with stucco decorations, such as masks,  multi roomed palaces, reusing older monuments, so this area thrived some 250 years after the Late Classic Maya Collapse, maybe thanks to its fertile soils.   Several burials with jade incrustations in the teeth, have been found here.

Ixtontón's Stela 1

Central area Map, showing Sacbé

East and West Plazas

 

Ronrón: Located near Tikalito village is a small Late Classic site, has 10 groups with 5 important structures in the main group, with a Palace 30 mt Long and 6 mt. High as the main Structure., there are 6 Plazas, and 4 residential groups. The main feature is the Obsidian workshops found there.

Ixtutz: An important Classic site, located south of Ixkún that has several Plazas and Pyramidal Temples, a Ball Court and 2 Acrópolis with Vaulted Palaces, there are 12 Stelas and 4 Altars

Stela 4

Emblem Glyph

Sacul: A Late Classic site located in Dolores, Petén that had a strong relationship with Ixkún as depicted in Ixkún Stela 1 that relates the visit of Chi'iyel ruler of Sacul on 789 AD. The site has an Acrópolis, a Ball Court and several Palaces and Temples

Sacul St 9

Emblem Glyph

Vase from Sacul

Chaquiux: A Late classic ceremonial center of small size that was located near Dolores City and belonging to the Curucuitz polity, it is very close of the Ix Ak and Ixcocol 3, sites, there are 10 groups associated to a central group, the largest structure is 50 mt long and 6 mt. High

Central Group map

 Pueblito: Located east of Machaquilá on the Poxte river is an important Pre Classic and Early Classic site that has a ball court, 2 Acrópolis, causeways and Vaulted palaces, an Pre Classic E group and several Stelas.

Pusilhá: An special case are the Sites of Pilar and Pusilhá witch are in the border with Belice and the western side of both are in Guatemala, both sites are Large Classic Sites,  Pusilhá Poniente is the name of the Guatemala side, is located on a hill, along the Pusilhá or Machacas river, the site has ceremonial architecture and palaces, as well as is the main residential area of the city. This site shows occupation from 150 to 1000 AD. Its main feature is a Stone bridge.

Pusilhá Emblem Glyph

 

El Chal: Is a Late Classic Maya site, that has the best example of a Quadrangular Palace in South Petén, a characteristic shared with Machaquilá, altough the one in El Chal has Vaulted rooms and stucco decorations, also it is bigger than that of Machaquilá. The site has a ball court as well as several Stelas and altars.

Site Map