Río Azul
Encyclopedia
Rio Azul is a Pre-Columbian
archaeological site
of the Maya civilization
. in Río Azul National Park in present day Petén Department, in northern Guatemala
. The Río Azul National Park has several Maya sites, the most important of which is Río Azul which is a Major Early Classic site along the Rio Azul banks.
The Rio Azul polity
was the most important in this area of the Maya Lowlands and was populated by nobles who dominated the commerce routes. It was the main source of jester
for axes and blades in the Lowlands, as the structures made entirely from jester debris show. Río Azul was built in 25 years, and the population is thought to have been 400,000 around 400 AD in a region measuring some 170 square kilometres (including Kinal
and other cities in Belize
). It was occupied from middle pre-classic to middle classic and was abandoned by 535 CE.
(three small structures on the top, the one in the center at the back and the others facing each other). Stela 1 mentions the alliance with Tikal, and Stela 2 records the visit of the King of La Milpa (now in Belize), the area was around 170 km² and was structured as a feudal state where nobility lived in farms around the city.
Among other findings, there was found a chocolate
pot with a screw for a lid. It is world-renowned for a sepulture (bearing 1) with beautiful decoration (400AD), in bearing 12, there are also murals with the cardinal points perfectly aligned and representing the Moon (north), the Sun (east), Venus (south), and the Darkness (west).
Dams, canals, agricultural terraces and fortifications are distributed along the shores of the 'Rio Azul' river.
, using a four-wheel drive
vehicle, taking 5 hours, or via Melchor de Mencos
in 6 hours. Sak Há Witznal (Clear Water Mountain) is located 80 km north east of Tikal
.
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
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 Río Azul National Park in present day Petén Department, 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...
. The Río Azul National Park has several Maya sites, the most important of which is Río Azul which is a Major Early Classic site along the Rio Azul banks.
The Rio Azul polity
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
was the most important in this area of the Maya Lowlands and was populated by nobles who dominated the commerce routes. It was the main source of jester
Jester (disambiguation)
Jester or The Jester may refer to:* Jester, a type of clown* Royal Order of Jesters, Fraternal Organization* The Jester , found at Six Flags New Orleans...
for axes and blades in the Lowlands, as the structures made entirely from jester debris show. Río Azul was built in 25 years, and the population is thought to have been 400,000 around 400 AD in a region measuring some 170 square kilometres (including Kinal
Kinal
Kinal is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the Petén Basin region, modern-day Petén Department, Guatemala. The major occupational phase for the site dates from the Late Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, with evidence for a substantial and expansionary building program dating from...
and other cities in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
). It was occupied from middle pre-classic to middle classic and was abandoned by 535 CE.
Site
The site itself is 3 square kilometres with 41 plazas, 752 structures, 21 sculptured stelas, 26 plain stelas, and 16 altars documented to date. The tallest temple is 47 mt high - a typical Preclassic Triadic TempleTriadic pyramid
Triadic pyramids are a Preclassic Maya civilization innovation consisting of a dominant structure flanked by two smaller inward-facing buildings, all mounted upon a single basal platform...
(three small structures on the top, the one in the center at the back and the others facing each other). Stela 1 mentions the alliance with Tikal, and Stela 2 records the visit of the King of La Milpa (now in Belize), the area was around 170 km² and was structured as a feudal state where nobility lived in farms around the city.
Among other findings, there was found a chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
pot with a screw for a lid. It is world-renowned for a sepulture (bearing 1) with beautiful decoration (400AD), in bearing 12, there are also murals with the cardinal points perfectly aligned and representing the Moon (north), the Sun (east), Venus (south), and the Darkness (west).
Dams, canals, agricultural terraces and fortifications are distributed along the shores of the 'Rio Azul' river.
Access
Access to the site is either via UaxactúnUaxactun
Uaxactun is an ancient ruin of the Maya civilization, located in the Petén Basin region of the Maya lowlands, in the present-day department of Petén, Guatemala. The site lies some north of the major center of Tikal...
, using a four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
vehicle, taking 5 hours, or via Melchor de Mencos
Melchor de Mencos
Melchor de Mencos is a municipality in the Petén department of Guatemala with population 23,813. It is situated on the western border with Belize,a and is the only major border crossing from Guatemala to Belize....
in 6 hours. Sak Há Witznal (Clear Water Mountain) is located 80 km north east 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...
.