Aguateca
Encyclopedia
Aguateca is a Maya
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
site located in northern Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
's Petexbatun
Petexbatún
Petexbatún is a small lake formed by a river of the same name, which is a tributary of the La Pasion river. It is near Sayaxché, located in the southern area of the Guatemalan department of Petén....
Basin, in the department of Petén. The first settlements at Aguateca date to the Late Preclassic
Mesoamerican chronology
Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian , the Archaic , the Preclassic , the Classic , and the Postclassic...
period (300 BC - AD 350), and the city was sacked and abandoned in the early 9th century. Aguateca sits on top of a 90 metres (295.3 ft) tall limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
bluff, creating a highly defensible position. There is an extensive system of defensive walls that surrounds the city, reaching over 3 miles (4.8 km) in length. The site sits on the shore of a lake and is usually accessed by boat. The ruins of Aguateca are considered to be among the best preserved in Guatemala.
Ancient Aguateca
Aguateca and the nearby city of Dos PilasDos Pilas
Dos Pilas is a Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization located in what is now the department of Petén, Guatemala. It dates to the Late Classic Period, being founded by an offshoot of the dynasty of the great city of Tikal in AD 629 in order to control trade routes in the Petexbatún region,...
were the twin capitals of a powerful dynasty claiming descent from the rulers of Tikal
Tikal
Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala...
. Around 700 AD, Aguateca became a large, densely populated city, with a higher density of structures than most other lowland Maya sites. In 761 AD, the rulers of Dos Pilas appear to have abandoned their city and relocated to Aguateca. During the reign of Tan Te' K'inich the city was invaded and burned. The city was completely abandoned around 830 AD. A 6 metres (19.7 ft) tall temple at the site was left unfinished, the centre of the city was destroyed by fire, valuables were left scattered in elite residences, and ceramics were left in their original domestic positions, all of which demonstrate the sudden abandonment of the city.
Known Rulers
- Ucha'an K'an B'alamUcha'an K'an B'alamUcha'an K'an B'alam was a Maya king of Aguateca, father and predecessor of Tan Te' K'inich.Aguateca Stela 19 records a battle that his son fought and also gives the name of Ucha'an K'an B'alam.-Notes:*...
- father of Tan Te' Kinich, ruled in the 8th century AD. - Tan Te' K'inichTan Te' K'inichTan Te' K'inich was a Maya king of the ancient city of Aguateca, in the Petén Department of modern Guatemala.-Biography:He was born on January 22, 748...
- son of Ucha'an K'an B'alam, ruled from 770 AD to approximately 802 AD.