Montana (Mesoamerican site) facts for kids
Montana is an ancient city site located on the Pacific coast of southern Guatemala. It is one of the biggest ancient sites in this area. It's found in the Escuintla department, close to another old site called Balberta.
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History of Montana
Around the year 400 AD, during a time known as the Early Classic period, Montana became the main city in its region. It took over from the nearby site of Balberta. Experts believe that Montana was started as a colony by the huge city of Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan was very far away in the Valley of Mexico.
Teotihuacan likely wanted Montana to help them get local products. These products included cacao (used for chocolate), cotton, and rubber. Montana also served as a trade route. This route connected Teotihuacan to the important highland city of Kaminaljuyu and to other Maya lands.
When Teotihuacan set up its colony at Montana, the nearby city of Balberta declined. Montana then grew and was powerful for about 200 years, until around 600 AD. This time matches when Teotihuacan also had strong connections with Kaminaljuyu.
Later, local copies of Teotihuacan items stopped being made. This happened around the same time Teotihuacan itself started to decline. This suggests that Montana was no longer a colony of Teotihuacan.
By the Late Classic period, Montana's power had split into smaller areas. Around 800 AD, another city called Cotzumalhuapa became the new main city in the region.
The ruins of Montana were found in 1982 by an archaeologist named Frederick J. Bove. At that time, the site was still covered by thick tropical forest. Serious studies of the site began in 1991.
Exploring the Ancient City
The main part of Montana covers about 1 square kilometer (0.4 square miles). It has many huge earth structures. The wider city area was at least 10 square kilometers (3.9 square miles). This area had many buildings.
The main part of the city had a clever drainage system. It used ceramic pipes to move rainwater away. This helped keep the buildings strong and safe from water damage. Each pipe section was about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long. They were 15 to 20 centimeters (6 to 8 inches) wide.
Central Platform
The Central Platform is a large structure 7 meters (23 feet) high. It measures 200 by 220 meters (656 by 722 feet). On top of it is a temple pyramid that stands 18 meters (59 feet) tall. A stairway goes up its western side.
Northern Plaza
In the northern part of the main city area, there is a plaza. This open space is surrounded by platforms and pyramids. An artificial platform supports a second, very long plaza. This plaza is 300 meters (984 feet) long and runs south towards the Los Chatos platform.
Los Chatos Platform
The Los Chatos platform is a huge, two-level structure. It measures 200 by 330 meters (656 by 1,083 feet). It takes up the southern part of the main city area. When archaeologists dug here, they found 25 floor surfaces built one on top of another.
They also found the only complete Teotihuacan-style censer ever found in this part of Guatemala. A censer is a container used for burning incense. This censer is from between 350 and 400 AD. It was very well made and held four small jade beads. Each bead was about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) across.
Mounds 2 and 3
Mound 2 is a 3-meter (10-foot) high mound. It is just west of the Los Chatos platform. This is where the Teotihuacan-style censer was found. It had been placed in a pit in the middle of the floor. Local people who had dug here before reported finding many items from hidden spots and burials inside this mound.
Mound 3 is just south of Mound 2. It contains the remains of a living area with several rooms.
Within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of the main city, 13 more large platforms have been found. Digs at Montana show that the city had connections with the great city of Teotihuacan.
Items found at Montana include ceramic pots and censers shaped like figures. These items are local copies of Teotihuacan styles. This suggests that people from Teotihuacan lived at Montana. They likely asked local artists to make these items for them.
Nearby Sites
Montana had several smaller sites that were part of its ancient kingdom. These included La Fronda, Las Hortencias, Loma Linda, Manantial, Paraiso, and Las Victorias.
Manantial
Manantial is located 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) north of Montana's main city area. The land between these two sites has over 200 mounds. These mounds include homes for both important people and common people. There are also large platforms up to 100 meters (328 feet) wide.
See also
In Spanish: Montana (sitio arqueológico) para niños
