Ucanal facts for kids

Ucanal is an ancient city built by the Maya civilization. It is an important archaeological site located in northern Guatemala, near where the Belize River begins.

Where is Ucanal?

Ucanal is found within a curve of the Mopan River. You can reach it by a highway that goes from Flores to Melchor de Mencos. It is close to a village called Tikalito and about 82 kilometers (51 miles) south of the famous Maya city of Tikal.

Ucanal's Story

Ucanal was in a very important spot because it was near the start of the Belize River. This made it a good place for trade and travel.

The old name for Ucanal was K'anwitznal. One of its first leaders was named K'uk', which means Lord Quetzal. Ucanal had strong connections with Tikal. Later, in the 600s AD, it also became close with another powerful city called Caracol.

However, Ucanal faced challenges. In 693 AD, a powerful queen from Naranjo, named Lady Six Sky, attacked Ucanal. Then, on February 1, 695 AD, Ucanal's ruler, Kinich Cab, was captured by Naranjo's leader. Kinich Cab was held captive for many years. Because of this, Ucanal became a smaller state, controlled by Naranjo.

Around 800 AD, the ruler of Caracol, Hok K'awil, captured Ucanal's lord. Over the next few decades, new groups of people, who spoke both Maya and Nahuat languages, moved into Ucanal. They helped fill the gap in power that was left.

One of the later rulers of Ucanal was Itzamnaaj Bahlam of Ucanal.

What the Site Looks Like

Archaeologists have found interesting things at Ucanal. There are two man-made channels that were used for irrigation. One is 420 meters (1,378 feet) long, and the other is 370 meters (1,214 feet) long. Both are about 7 meters (23 feet) wide.

The main area of Ucanal has 114 buildings. There are also at least 150 groups of homes where people lived. The protected area of the site covers about 2.6 square kilometers (1 square mile).

You can see several temples and palaces at Ucanal. There are also two ballcourts, which were used for a special ancient game. Many of the carved stone monuments, called stelae, were damaged by invaders from Naranjo. Today, 22 stelae and 16 altars remain at the site.

Images for kids

• 

  A robot, representing a kid-friendly resource.