Machaquila
Encyclopedia
Machaquilá refers to a ruined city
of the Maya civilization
in what is now the El Peten department of Guatemala
. There is also a small Guatemalan village several kilometers from the site that bears the name Machaquilá.
era, reaching the height of its power in approximately the ninth century CE
. The archaeological remains of the city are located 45 km. northeast of Cancuén
and 30 km east to Ceibal
, in a relatively isolated region, and the site is notable for its finely sculptured stelas, religious altar
s, hieroglyph panels, and ornate staircases. There are nine plazas in Machaquilá, along with ceremonial buildings, temples, and a residential complex to the south.
There are several smaller cities surrounding Machaquilá and the nearby San Miguel caves. There is evidence of human habitation at the sites dating from the pre-Classic to the early post-Classic periods. The Guatemalan sites known as Esquipulas
, El Pueblito, and Achiotal have E-Group
s and Mesoamerican ball courts
, although Mayan scholars do not believe these sites were part of a formal state. There is evidence of political and trade relationships between El Pueblito and Machaquilá during the late Classic period, and with Ceibal
and Cancuén
. Mayans likely used the Machaquilá River as a waterway, as it is one of the main tributaries of the Pasión River
.
, the 8th-century king of the ancient Maya city-state of Cancuén. Carved in detailed high relief, the stone depicts the king seated on an Earth-like symbol and throne with a jaguar skin, installing subordinate Machaquilán rulers. However, even during periods of nominal subordination, the rulers of Machaquilá exhibited a significant degree of political autonomy
.
To visit Machaquilá as well as the other sites, such as San Miguel and the Ceramic Caves, visitors must first travel to Poptún
, as the bus routes are the same for both locations. Other historical sites of interest in the area include the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
(National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology) and the hunting preserve known as Las Delicias.
Maya city
A Maya city was a centre of population of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. It served the specialised roles of administration, commerce, manufacturing and religion that characterised ancient cities worldwide...
of the Maya civilization
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...
in what is now the El Peten department of 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...
. There is also a small Guatemalan village several kilometers from the site that bears the name Machaquilá.
History
Machaquilá flourished in the middle Classic to late ClassicMesoamerican 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...
era, reaching the height of its power in approximately the ninth century CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. The archaeological remains of the city are located 45 km. northeast of Cancuén
Cancuén
Cancuén is an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the Pasión subregion of the central Maya lowlands in the present-day Guatemalan Department of El Petén. The city is notable for having one of the largest palaces in the Maya world.- Ancient Cancuén :Cancuén was a...
and 30 km east to Ceibal
Seibal
Seibal, known as El Ceibal in Spanish, is a Classic Period archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the northern Petén Department of Guatemala. It was the largest city in the Pasión River region....
, in a relatively isolated region, and the site is notable for its finely sculptured stelas, religious altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
s, hieroglyph panels, and ornate staircases. There are nine plazas in Machaquilá, along with ceremonial buildings, temples, and a residential complex to the south.
There are several smaller cities surrounding Machaquilá and the nearby San Miguel caves. There is evidence of human habitation at the sites dating from the pre-Classic to the early post-Classic periods. The Guatemalan sites known as Esquipulas
Esquipulas
Esquipulas is a town in the Guatemalan departmentof Chiquimula on the border with Honduras. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name...
, El Pueblito, and Achiotal have E-Group
E-Group
E-Groups are unique architectural complexes found among a number of ancient Maya settlements. They are central components to the settlement organization of Maya sites and could have served as astronomical observatories. The alignment of these structural complexes corresponds to the sun's...
s and Mesoamerican ball courts
Mesoamerican ballgame
The Mesoamerican ballgame or Tlatchtli in Náhuatl was a sport with ritual associations played since 1,000 B.C. by the pre-Columbian peoples of Ancient Mexico and Central America...
, although Mayan scholars do not believe these sites were part of a formal state. There is evidence of political and trade relationships between El Pueblito and Machaquilá during the late Classic period, and with Ceibal
Seibal
Seibal, known as El Ceibal in Spanish, is a Classic Period archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the northern Petén Department of Guatemala. It was the largest city in the Pasión River region....
and Cancuén
Cancuén
Cancuén is an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the Pasión subregion of the central Maya lowlands in the present-day Guatemalan Department of El Petén. The city is notable for having one of the largest palaces in the Maya world.- Ancient Cancuén :Cancuén was a...
. Mayans likely used the Machaquilá River as a waterway, as it is one of the main tributaries of the Pasión River
Pasión River
The Pasión River is a river located in the northern lowlands region of Guatemala. The river is fed by a number of upstream tributaries whose sources lie in the hills of Alta Verapaz. These flow in a general northerly direction to form the Pasión, which then tends westwards to meet up with the...
.
Recent Excavations
Archaeologists in 2004 uncovered at Cancuen a hieroglyph panel that depicts Tajal Chan AhkTajal Chan Ahk
Tajal Chan Ahk, also T'ah 'ak' Cha'an, was an 8th century ruler of the Maya city Cancuén, whose rule lasted from 757 to ca. 799.He built the city's palace in 770 A.D....
, the 8th-century king of the ancient Maya city-state of Cancuén. Carved in detailed high relief, the stone depicts the king seated on an Earth-like symbol and throne with a jaguar skin, installing subordinate Machaquilán rulers. However, even during periods of nominal subordination, the rulers of Machaquilá exhibited a significant degree of political autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
.
To visit Machaquilá as well as the other sites, such as San Miguel and the Ceramic Caves, visitors must first travel to Poptún
Poptún
Poptún is a municipality in the El Petén department of Guatemala. It contains 30,386 people. It is some 385 km from Guatemala City.Since 1989, Military Zone 23 in Poptún has been the home of the Guatemalan Army's élite Kaibiles special operations force....
, as the bus routes are the same for both locations. Other historical sites of interest in the area include the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
(National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology) and the hunting preserve known as Las Delicias.