Chitinamit facts for kids
Chitinamit (also called Chitinamit-Chujuyup) is an ancient Maya city. It is an important archeological site in the highlands of Guatemala. Experts believe Chitinamit was once Jakawitz. This was the very first capital city of the K'iche' Maya.
The site is found in the El Quiché area, near the town of Uspantán. Chitinamit was used for a long time. It dates from the Early Classic to the Late Postclassic periods. This means people lived there for hundreds of years. The site covers about 2 hectares (5 acres). It is the biggest ancient site in its area.
What is Chitinamit Like?
The ancient city of Chitinamit sits on a mountain. It looks over the Queca River. This area is quite rugged and not good for farming. So, the K'iche' people likely chose this spot because it was easy to defend.
The site is on Chujuyup mountain. It is on the western edge of the Chuyujup Valley. Kenneth Brown from the University of Houston explored the site in 1977. Chitinamit was protected by a strong stone wall. It also has stone terraces built into the hillside.
Inside the city, there is a ballcourt. This was a special place for playing a traditional Maya game. There is also a temple dedicated to the K'iche' main god, Jakawitz. It seems the city was attacked and destroyed. Many arrowheads and signs of burned buildings were found there.
Buildings at Chitinamit
Chitinamit has many homes and buildings. These structures are about 3 by 7 meters (10 by 23 feet) in size. Their walls were made using tall, flat stone slabs. These slabs were about 15 centimeters (6 inches) high.
The way these buildings are made is different. They do not look like the older Maya building styles. This suggests that the K'iche' people, who moved into the area, built them. The entire site is built around a central, enclosed plaza. This was likely a main gathering place.
See also
- Cerro Quiac
- Chojolom
- K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj
- Q'umarkaj
