The archaeological park of Kaminaljuyu is located in Guatemala’s highland central valley, in close proximity to the ever-expanding urban development of Guatemala City. Kaminaljuyu, or “place of the ancestors” in the Mayan K'iche' language, is one of the few Maya complexes of earthen construction to have survived in the region. (...)
The archaeological park of Kaminaljuyu is located in Guatemala’s highland central valley, in close proximity to the ever-expanding urban development of Guatemala City. Kaminaljuyu, or “place of the ancestors” in the Mayan K'iche' language, is one of the few Maya complexes of earthen construction to have survived in the region. Elaborate buildings, some with funerary chambers, reliefs, and painted surfaces, highlight the wealth that came to the area, mostly due to its strategic location, which enabled the control of crucial trade routes during the Maya period. Between 1000 B.C. and 200 A.D. the site enjoyed important artistic, architectural, and sociopolitical advances, becoming one of the most important centers in southeastern Mesoamerica. The site was abandoned in ancient times and rediscovered in the early twentieth century. Encroachment onto the site from the ever-expanding Guatemala City prompted its placement on the 2010 World Monuments Watch.
