Itzan

This article is part of a series on the
Maya civilization
Drawing of a Mayan stone carving with elaborate decoration.
History
Spanish conquest of the Maya

Itzan is a Maya archaeological site located in the municipality of La Libertad in the Petén Department of Guatemala.[1] Various small structures at the site were destroyed in the 1980s during oil exploration activities by Sonpetrol and Basic Resources Ltd, prompting rescue excavations by archaeologists.[1] In spite of its small size, the site appears to have been the most politically important centre in its area, as evidenced by its unusually large quantity of monuments and the size of its major architecture.[2]

The site was first occupied in the Middle Preclassic, with occupation continuing to the Late Classic.[3]

  1. ^ a b Ponciano 1991, p.232.
  2. ^ Ponciano 1991, pp.234-235.
  3. ^ Román de León & Johnston 1992, pp.50, 54.