Pajaral facts for kids

Pajaral, also known as El Pajaral, is an ancient Maya city. It is now a ruined archaeological site in Guatemala. You can find it in the Petén region, south of the San Pedro Martir river.

An archaeologist named Ian Graham found the site in the 1970s. He named it El Pajaral, which means "the place of birds." He saw many birds there during his exploration.

Exploring Pajaral and Zapote Bobal

Recently, Pajaral and another ancient Maya site, Zapote Bobal, have been studied more closely. This work is part of a project called Proyecto Peten Noroccidente (PNO). James Fitzsimmons and Laura Gamez are leading these studies.

More attention is being paid to these sites because of a discovery. A scholar named David Stuart found a connection. He linked Zapote Bobal to a name often seen in old Maya writings. This name was Hix Witz, which means "Jaguar Hill."

The Mystery of Jaguar Hill

Versions of the name Hix Witz are also found on stone monuments at Pajaral. This suggests that Pajaral and Zapote Bobal were connected long ago. They were important during the peak of the Maya civilization.

At Pajaral, you can see temple-mounds that are about 8 to 20 meters (26 to 66 feet) tall. Some of these temples were built on top of natural hills. For example, the upper plaza was built on a modified hill. This hill was about 300 meters (984 feet) long and 30 meters (98 feet) high.

City Layout and Grand Architecture

The city of Pajaral seems to be spread out, not tightly packed. This is similar to other large settlements in the area, like La Joyanca. This spread-out style is not common in all parts of the Petén region. Zapote Bobal, which was likely the main city nearby, was more centralized. It had a royal palace in its center.

However, the buildings at the heart of Pajaral are very large. For instance, the Main Plaza at Pajaral has a huge staircase. This staircase is about 46 meters (150 feet) wide and possibly 30 meters (100 feet) long. It is still very well preserved.

Pajaral's Importance and Legacy

Based on the ancient writings and jaguar images found at Pajaral, experts have an idea. They think this staircase and its hill were the reason for the name Hix Witz. They believe Pajaral, not Zapote Bobal, was the original main city in the region.

But by the 7th century, Zapote Bobal had clearly become more powerful. It grew larger and took the name Hix Witz for itself. This shows how cities could rise and fall in importance during the Maya period.

See also

In Spanish: Pajaral para niños