Topoxté

Topoxté Gallery

Topoxté is the largest of the few Post Classic Maya Sites in Petén, the main city of the Maya K'owoj,  it was first occupied in the Late Classic, by nobles families from Yaxhá, as the burial 49 shows (750 AD), there is a well documented marriage of the Lady twelve Guacamaya with a prince from Tikal. It was abandoned by 900 AD, and reoccupied in 1350 AD, by the K'owoj, being finally abandoned in 1450 AD. It is located in a former island , and now a peninsula, at Yaxhá Lagoon, in the opposite side of the Classic Maya city of Yaxhá.

The Burial 49 is a remarkable one, it is of a chanting  priest (due to its belongings found there) that depicts an scene of Xibalbá, the underworld, with an elaborated mosaic made of sea shells, nacar and stones. Another burial nearby  is from an earlier time and contains 17 skulls of scarified children. Topoxté means "Ramón Tree's Seed" in Itzá Maya language,  this nuts  nourished the Mayas during poor Maize crops, the flour of this nut is rich in proteins which has a cocoa like taste and other nutrients. (It is now being cultivated again, and its products are exported).

Topoxté site Map, showing Chultuns or carved offering deposits	There were two other Islands at Yaxhá lagoon, Paxte and Canté, that also show occupation, Topoxté is now a peninsula, and is separated from the two former islands by the Ixtintó river. The site shows 10 different construction phases. There are 3 distinctive groups, 2 rise platforms that required fillings of up to 5 mt., and a low residential area, there are more than 100 structures, its Central Plaza is surrounded by 3 Temples that show the typical Post-Classic Architectonic style with vertical walls, columns and flat stone ceilings, this Temples are surrounded by several "Open Saloon" buildings, also  characteristic in the Post-Classic, you can visit this site year round, from Yaxhá, by canoe or by car.
Paxte Island site Map	Cante Island Site Map	Recreation of a Chultún