Zaculeu

Zaculeu
Plaza 1 with Structure 6 at the left and Structure 1 at the right. The small platforms in the plaza are Structures 11 and 12.
Zaculeu is located in Mesoamerica
Zaculeu
Location within Mesoamerica
Alternative nameSaqulew
LocationHuehuetenango
RegionHuehuetenango Department, Guatemala
Coordinates15°20′1.66″N 91°29′33.88″W / 15.3337944°N 91.4927444°W / 15.3337944; -91.4927444
History
FoundedEarly Classic c.AD 250–600
Abandoned1525
PeriodsEarly Classic to Late Postclassic
CulturesMaya civilization
EventsConquered by:
Kʼicheʼ Kingdom of Qʼumarkaj (Postclassic)
Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras of Spain (1525)
Site notes
Excavation dates1940s
ArchaeologistsJohn M. Dimick
Architecture
Architectural stylesMesoamerican pyramids with talud-tablero style architecture and double stairways
Restored by United Fruit Company (Late 1940s) Responsible body: Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes

Zaculeu or Saqulew is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the highlands of western Guatemala, about 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) outside the modern city of Huehuetenango.[1] Occupation at the site dates to the Early Classic period (AD 250–600) of Mesoamerican history. Zaculeu was the capital of the Postclassic Mam kingdom,[2] and was conquered by the Kʼicheʼ Kingdom of Qʼumarkaj. It displays a mixture of Mam and Kʼicheʼ style architecture.[3]

In AD 1525 the city was attacked by Spanish conquistadors under Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras during a siege that lasted several months. Kayb'il B'alam, the city's last ruler, finally surrendered to the Spanish due to starvation.[4][5]

The site contains a number of temple-pyramids with talud-tablero style architecture and double stairways.[6] The pyramids and governmental palaces are grouped around a series of large public plazas. The site also holds a court for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame.[6] The site was originally fortified with walls.

The site was restored by the United Fruit Company in the late 1940s. It is open to tourists and includes a small museum.[7]

  1. ^ Kelly 1996, pp.203, 207.
  2. ^ Sharer 2000, p.490.
  3. ^ Fox 1987, 2008, pp.183–184.
  4. ^ Polo Sifontes, undated.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference r110 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Arroyo 2001, p.42.
  7. ^ Kelly 1996, p.209.