Zacpeten facts for kids

Zacpeten is an ancient Maya city in northern Guatemala. It's a special archaeological site because it was one of the few Maya communities that stayed free for a long time, even when the Spanish were taking over other parts of Mesoamerica.

History of Zacpeten

Zacpeten is located on a piece of land sticking out into Lake Salpeten in northern Guatemala. People lived here off and on for a very long time.

Early Maya Settlements

The first people settled here during the Middle Preclassic period (about 1000 to 300 BC). After being empty for a while, people returned between AD 600 and 950.

The Kowoj Maya Arrive

Zacpeten was left empty again, but then a group called the Kowoj Maya moved in. They came from a city called Mayapan in Yucatán (now in Mexico). Mayapan had fallen apart in the 1400s. The Kowoj Maya were survivors of the Classic Maya collapse.

They brought their own special style of pottery and built temples that looked like those in Mayapan. These temples were different from others in the area. The Kowoj Maya community grew strong. They managed to stay independent from Spanish rule until very late, around 1697.

Exploring the Zacpeten Site

Archaeologists have found that Zacpeten looks a lot like Mayapan. The site is divided into six main areas, named A through F.

Main Areas of Zacpeten

Groups A, B, and C were important places for ceremonies. Groups D, E, and F were where people lived. The main part of Zacpeten has a strong defensive wall with two raised parts and a ditch. This wall is at the northern end of the land, where it connects to the mainland. Groups A to E are on the land sticking out into the lake, but Group F is on the mainland.

Group A: The Central Ceremonial Spot

Group A is on a central hill on the land. This area was used for ceremonies during the Postclassic period. But underneath, archaeologists found signs of even older settlements from the Middle Preclassic and Late Classic times. This group has two open halls and a short sacbe (an ancient Maya road) that cuts through the main plaza.

Other Important Groups

• Group B: This group is on the northern part of the land. It might have a Late Classic twin-pyramid complex, which is a special type of Maya building. Group B also has many buildings from the Late Postclassic period. Writings found here suggest that Group B had connections with Tikal during the Late Classic period. Tikal was a very important Maya city about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Zacpeten.
• Group C: This was another ceremonial area from the Late Postclassic period. It was built on a hill at the southern end of the land.
• Group F: This group is where people lived, located north of the defensive wall on the mainland. It might also date back to the Terminal Classic period.

Homes and Temples

Most of Zacpeten's Late Postclassic buildings are found in four of the five groups on the land. Groups D and E were homes for important people. Groups A and C have many ceremonial buildings. These buildings look similar to those in Mayapan and are linked to the Kowoj people.

Their temples had raised shrines that were at a right angle to a western-facing temple, instead of facing it directly. This unique style is also seen at other sites in the central Petén Basin, like Topoxte and Muralla de Leon.

Outside the Zacpeten area, Maya ceremonial buildings looked very different. For example, the Late Postclassic Itzá Maya did not seem to build formal temples.

The homes in Zacpeten were often "tandem-shaped" structures, meaning they had a front room and a back room. These homes were built around patios. The front room usually had a smooth, sometimes painted, floor. The back room had an earthen floor. People did their daily work in the back room, while the front room was used for meeting others and for special ceremonies.

See also

In Spanish: Zacpetén para niños