Altar de Sacrificios facts for kids

Altar de Sacrificios is an ancient Maya site in Guatemala. It was a special place for ceremonies and a town. It is located where the Pasión and Salinas Rivers meet. These two rivers combine to form the Usumacinta River.

The site is in the Petén department of Guatemala. Along with Seibal and Dos Pilas, Altar de Sacrificios is one of the most studied Maya sites in this area. Even though it was important, it wasn't a major political power during the Late Classic period.

What's in a Name?

The site was named by a person called Teobert Maler. He thought that a large stone monument, called Stela 1, was used for sacrifices.

Archaeologists have found a special symbol for the site. This symbol is like a unique logo for Altar de Sacrificios. However, they still don't know how to say its name in the ancient Maya language.

Where is it Located?

Altar de Sacrificios is on the Guatemalan side of the border with Mexico. This border follows the Salinas and Usumacinta rivers. It is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) upriver from the important Maya city of Yaxchilán. It is also about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Seibal.

The site sits on a small island. This island is surrounded by swamps that appear during certain seasons. It's on the south bank of the Pasión River. The island is about 700 meters (2,300 feet) long from east to west. The main ceremonial buildings are on the higher eastern part. The homes where people lived were on the lower western part.

History of Altar de Sacrificios

Archaeologists have learned a lot about the long history of this site. It was one of the earliest settlements in the Maya lowlands. It was founded even before famous cities like Tikal were built. This happened around 800 BC, at the start of the Middle Preclassic period.

At first, people lived in simple houses made of natural materials. They didn't trade much with other places yet.

Between 600 and 300 BC, the site became more clearly a ceremonial center. People started building their houses on raised terraces.

Later, during the Preclassic period, Maya people settled here. The first pyramid built in the Maya style (Structure B-1) dates from 300 BC to 150 AD. During this time, people started trading for valuable items. These items included jade and obsidian, which were found in burials. Altar de Sacrificios seems to have controlled the Usumacinta River trade route around 450 BC.

The site entered the Classic Period between 150 and 550 AD. More valuable items were found in burials. These included stingray spines, shells, obsidian, and jade. The large pyramid B-1 reached its final size. Stone monuments called stelae were carved with inscriptions. Altars were also carved. Objects from the distant city of Teotihuacan were found here too.

In the late 500s AD, there was a break in carving inscriptions. Building work focused on a different area called Group A. In the early 600s, the site seemed to recover. New carved stelae appeared, showing features from the Late Classic period. By the late 600s, the city was at its busiest time. Old and new buildings were covered with limestone. A special court for playing a ballgame was built. Many monuments were put up. Fine goods like mirrors, flint tools, and jade beads were found in burials.

By the 800s, the quality of building and goods started to decline. This was happening at other sites too, as they entered the Terminal Classic period. The number of people living at Altar de Sacrificios began to fall in the 700s and 800s AD.

During the last phase of people living here (around 900-950 AD), new types of pottery appeared. These showed people with a different look. This suggests that during the Terminal Classic, new groups of people arrived. The site did well for a time, just like nearby Seibal. This was linked to the decline of the Petexbatún kingdom, based at Dos Pilas. Some think these new people were the Chontal Maya. They may have taken control of the Usumacinta River trade route.

However, the major cities along the Usumacinta River declined. This caused river trade to drop a lot. Altar de Sacrificios and other nearby towns became less important. They focused more on themselves. By the Terminal Classic, studies of bones show that the health of the general population was suffering. More children died, people were shorter, and diseases spread. However, the leaders remained healthy. The remaining people moved to parts of the site that were easier to defend. There is little evidence of anyone living there after about 950 AD.

Ancient Rulers

At least ten rulers are mentioned on the monuments at Altar de Sacrificios. There were probably even more. Three rulers governed between 455 and 524 AD. Then there was a break for sixty years. In 589 AD, a new, young ruler took charge. He ruled until 633 AD. Between 633 and 662 AD, four more rulers governed quickly one after another. There were likely at least two more rulers after them, but their monuments are not well preserved.

Modern Discoveries

The site was first found in 1895 by Teoberto Maler. Sylvanus Morley wrote about the hieroglyphic inscriptions of Altar de Sacrificios in his 1938 book. Frans Blom also visited the site in 1928.

Archaeologists A. Ledyard Smith and Gordon Willey from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology studied the site from 1958 to 1963. Since 2016, a team from Lycoming College has continued to map and dig at Altar de Sacrificios and the area around it.

What the Site Looks Like

Altar de Sacrificios has three main groups of buildings. These are known as Groups A, B, and C. Group A is built around two open areas called plazas. These are the North Plaza and the South Plaza. Group A covers an area of about 400 by 400 meters (1,300 by 1,300 feet). The most important part of the site is on the higher eastern end of the island. The homes were on the western end.

The site has 29 carved stone monuments. Most of them are so worn down that their writings cannot be read. The monuments that can still be read have dates from 455 AD to 849 AD.

Group A contains buildings that were likely palaces. Its two plazas are surrounded by 25 buildings. A total of 11 carved stone stelae were found in this group. Nine of them were found near or on the buildings around the North Plaza. Among these is Stela 2, which has the latest date found at the site (November 30, 849 AD).

• Structure A-I had 3 stelae on it, including Stela 1. This is the monument that gave the site its name.
• Three stelae were placed on Structure A-II. Also found here were one carved altar and three sculpted panels.
• Burial 96 was the burial of a woman in her twenties. She was placed in a tomb inside Structure A-III. This burial was simpler than another one in the same building. It included a colorful ceramic pot as an offering.
• Burial 128 was an important tomb built into Structure A-III. It was lined with stone and had a wooden ceiling. It held the remains of a woman in her forties, placed on a straw mat. Offerings included pottery and many items made of jade, pyrite, bone, and shell.
• Stela 8 has a date carved on it that means February 628 AD. It is the earliest known monument to show the Altar de Sacrificios Emblem Glyph (the site's special symbol). It was found in the South Plaza with Altar 2.
• The Ballcourt or Structure A-V separates the North and South Plazas of Group A. It is an open-ended type of ballcourt. Similar ones are found at other Maya cities from the Late Classic period. The playing area is about 8.65 by 28.8 meters (28.4 by 94.5 feet).

Group B is west of Group A. It was built earlier than Group A. This is where the main pyramid is located.

• Temple B-I is a step pyramid from the Early Classic period. It measures 36 meters (118 feet) at its base and is 13 meters (43 feet) tall. Its importance is shown by the 6 carved stelae found on it. Stela 10 was found here. It has the earliest date at the site (August 28, 455 AD).

Group C is a small group also west of Group A, but south of Group B. No carved monuments were found in this group.

See also

In Spanish: Altar de los Sacrificios para niños