Ixtutz facts for kids
Fragments of Panel 2
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| Location | Dolores |
|---|---|
| Region | Petén Department,  Guatemala |
| History | |
| Founded | Late Preclassic Period |
| Abandoned | Terminal Classic Period |
| Periods | Classic Period |
| Cultures | Maya civilization |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Juan Pedro Laporte, Merle Greene Robertson IDAEH |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Classic Maya |
| Responsible body: IDAEH | |
Ixtutz (pronounced ish-TOOTS) was an important ancient Maya city in what is now Guatemala. It was a powerful city during the Classic Period of Maya history. Ixtutz is located in the Petén Department, nestled in the valley of the Poxte River.
This city was active from the Preclassic Period all the way to the end of the Terminal Classic Period. It was a major center in the western part of the Dolores valley. During its peak, Ixtutz was one of the most important cities in the Dolores region. It often competed with other nearby Maya sites. Ixtutz also had strong connections with cities in the southwestern Petén, like Dos Pilas and Machaquila.
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Where is Ixtutz?
Ixtutz is found in the municipality of Dolores. It is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) southwest of the town of Dolores. The site sits at an altitude of 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level. It is in the valley of the Poxte River, surrounded by hills. The river flows to the west of the ancient city.
The Guatemalan Institute of Anthropology and History protects an area of 1 square kilometer (0.4 square miles) around Ixtutz. This protected area is covered by thick rainforest. However, much of the land around it has been cleared for farming.
Several other Maya archaeological sites are located near Ixtutz. These include Ixkun, Ixcol, and Sukche.
A Look Back in Time: Ixtutz's History
Ixtutz was first settled during the Late Preclassic period. People continued to live there throughout the Classic Period. The city was likely important even before it started creating carved stone monuments in the Late Classic period.
| Name | Ruled Around |
|---|---|
| Aj Yaxjal B’aak | 780 AD |
In the Late Classic period, Ixtutz was one of the five most important Maya cities in its region. Other major cities included Sacul, Ixtonton, and Ixkun. Around 760 AD, the way the region was organized politically seemed to change. The rulers of Ixtutz and nearby Sacul began to put up carved monuments. These stones had hieroglyphic texts and showed their own special Emblem Glyphs.
In the late 8th century AD, Ixtutz was under the rule of a more powerful city to its west. A text on a stone monument called Stela 4 mentions that Ixtutz's overlord came from a kingdom called Mutuul. This kingdom was likely Seibal-La Amelia or Aguateca.
A special stone monument, a stela, from AD 780, tells about a ceremony. King Aj Yaxjal B’aak of Ixtutz performed this ceremony. His overlord, probably Tan Te' K'inich from Aguateca, and 28 other lords attended. Ixtutz became less active during the Terminal Classic period. After AD 825, cities in the region stopped putting up new monuments. However, people still lived there for a while. Ixtutz and other centers in the Dolores region were finally abandoned at the end of the Terminal Classic period.
Modern Discovery
Colonel Modesto Mendez and Eusebio Lara first found the site of Ixtutz in 1852. Mendez was the Governor of Petén at the time. After their discovery, the site was lost for over a hundred years.
American archaeologist Merle Greene Robertson visited Ixtutz in 1970–1971. She carefully recorded its monuments and made a map of the site. Eric Von Euw and Ian Graham also visited in 1972. They published a new map and drawings of some of the stelae. In 1985, archaeologists from the Tikal Project visited. They did some small test digs and moved some monument pieces to Dolores. Since 1987, the Atlas Arqueológico de Guatemala has also done limited excavations. They have dug up four structures in the Main Plaza.
The ancient ruins have not been badly damaged by looters.
Exploring the Ancient City
Ixtutz has several large open areas called plazas. It also features temple pyramids, a ballcourt, and two acropolis complexes. These complexes contain vaulted palaces, which are buildings with special arched roofs. The site also has 12 stelae (tall carved stone monuments) and 4 altars.
The site has 9 main architectural groups. In the surrounding areas, there are 30 more groups with 122 mapped buildings. The main groups include a ceremonial area and three groups that might have been homes for important people. Interestingly, the site does not have a traditional Mesoamerican ballcourt. A large enclosed area within the ceremonial group might have been used to grow valuable crops like cacao.
Most of the buildings you see today were built during the Late Classic period. Even though the city was simple in its design, it was clearly an important regional center. One unique feature is an E-Group complex. This is a special arrangement of buildings used for observing the sun's movements. It is the only one of its kind in the entire Dolores region. Ixtutz also shares some building styles with Machaquila, another Maya city.
A hieroglyphic text on a stela at Ixtutz mentions the city of Dos Pilas. At least one monument from Ixtutz shows a war captive, a person captured in battle.
Group A
Plaza A is the biggest open area in Ixtutz. It covers about 2,925 square meters (31,480 square feet). This plaza has 11 structures, including the unique E-group complex. The buildings around Plaza A were built during the Late Classic period.
- Structure 1 is on the north side of Plaza A. It has two levels and a wide stairway facing south. The top level was flat, without any building on it.
- Structure 2 is the West Pyramid of the E-Group. It is not well preserved, and parts of it have fallen down. There are no clear signs of a stairway.
- Structure 3 is on the south end of the west side of Plaza A. It is also in poor condition. It was built with large stone blocks.
- Structures 4, 5, and 6 form the South Platform. This platform encloses the south side of Plaza A. It was built with thin, flat stones.
- Structure 5 is the central part of the South Platform. It is 4 meters (13 feet) high. Its front has the main stairway to the platform.
- The East Platform of the E-Group supports Structures 9, 10, and 11. This platform is 65 meters (213 feet) long and 2 meters (6.6 feet) high.
- Structure 10 is the central building of the E-Group East Platform. It did not have a building on top, but it supported a 1.5-meter (5-foot) high platform.
Group B
This group is located northeast of Group A. It was a smaller ceremonial center from the Late Classic period. It has 5 structures arranged around a patio that is about 650 square meters (7,000 square feet).
- Structure 12 is a platform on the west side of the patio.
- Structure 15 is a platform with a wide stairway on the east side of the patio.
Group C
Group C is on a 45-meter (148-foot) high limestone hill west of Group A. It has 7 low platforms around a plaza of about 670 square meters (7,200 square feet).
Group J
Group J is northeast of Group A, north of Group B. It has 3 structures around a patio of about 450 square meters (4,800 square feet). The largest building is on the north side. Digs here showed three layers of occupation. The latest layer is from the Late Classic, and the older ones are from the Preclassic period.
Important Stone Monuments
The main plaza in Group A held many carved stone monuments. These were likely put up by King Aj Yaxjal B’aak in the 8th century AD.
- Panel 1 was originally placed in Structure 1, on the north side of Plaza A.
- Panel 2 is broken into pieces. These pieces have been moved to Dolores and are now in the Museo Regional del Sureste de Petén (Southeastern Petén Regional Museum). It was originally set into Structure 1 along with Panel 1.
Stelae 1 through 4 were all placed at the east end of the main plaza. They shared a single altar. All five monuments were probably put up by King Aj Yaxjal B’aak.
- Stelae 1, 2, and 3 are still at Ixtutz. They are protected by palm-leaf roofs.
- Stela 4 was originally at the base of the platform that supported Structures 9, 10, and 11 in Group A. This monument is made of limestone and has carvings on only one side. It has a hieroglyphic text but no picture of a person. The text is well-preserved because the stela fell face down long ago. This text tells us the stela was dedicated on November 28, AD 780.
- Stela 5 was a limestone monument placed in front of Structure 2 (the West Pyramid). It was badly broken and might have been plain (not carved).
- Stela 7 was placed on top of Structure 10. Only the base of this stela remains in place.
