Sacul, El Petén
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Sacul is an archaeological site of the
Maya civilization The Maya civilization () was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writin ...
located in the upper drainage of the
Mopan River The Mopan River is a river in Central America spanning the Petén Department of Guatemala and the Cayo District of Belize. It merges with the Macal River at Branch Mouth, Belize, forming the Belize River, which ultimately discharges into the Car ...
, in the Petén department of
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
. The city occupied an important
trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over land or water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a singl ...
through the
Maya Mountains The Maya Mountains are a mountain range located in Belize and eastern Guatemala, in Central America. Etymology The Maya Mountains were known as the ''Cockscomb'' or ''Coxcomb Mountains'' to Baymen and later Belizeans at least until the mid ...
. The main period of occupation dates to the Late Classic Period.Laporte 2005, p.208. In the late 8th century AD through to the early 9th century, Sacul was one of the few kingdoms in the southeastern Petén region to use its own Emblem Glyph, together with Ixtutz and
Ucanal Ucanal is an archaeological site of the ancient Maya civilization. It is located near the source of the Belize River in the Petén department of present-day northern Guatemala. Location Ucanal is located inside a bend of the Mopan River. It i ...
. In AD 779 Sacul went to war against Ixkun and lost, but
stelae A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...
at both cities record a visit to Ixkun by king Ch'iyel of Sacul just 11 years later and the two cities appear to have formed a military alliance at that time. The site core is arranged around a number of plazas, one of which forms a monumental acropolis. The plazas were resurfaced in the Terminal Classic, when the city experienced a period of dense occupation. At this time Sacul experienced a major surge in construction activity, with many buildings being extended or altered. Sacul was inhabited into the Postclassic Period at a much reduced level, although it is not known if this represents a continuation of Classic Period occupation. This final phase of activity was spread throughout both the ceremonial core and the residential periphery and ceramic finds demonstrate links to the Belize Valley and the southern area of the Maya Mountains. The site core includes
pyramids A pyramid () is a Nonbuilding structure, structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a Pyramid (geometry), pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid ca ...
, a ballcourt, a triadic complex and two
E-Group E-Groups are unique architectural complexes found among a number of ancient Maya settlements. They are central components to the settlement organization of Maya sites and, like many other civic and ceremonial buildings, could have served for astr ...
astronomical complexes.


Location

The Sacul Valley is located in the northern portion of the
Maya Mountains The Maya Mountains are a mountain range located in Belize and eastern Guatemala, in Central America. Etymology The Maya Mountains were known as the ''Cockscomb'' or ''Coxcomb Mountains'' to Baymen and later Belizeans at least until the mid ...
, just from the border with
Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
.Laporte et al 1992, p.107. The landscape is broken and hilly, with an altitude that varies between
above mean sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. The Sacul River flows northwards and forms a part of the upper Mopan River drainage system. The Sacul River joins the Mopan and Xaan Rivers, crossing into Belize where it becomes the Belize River and empties into the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
. The area is crossed by north–south
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
ridges with a narrow
flood plain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...
that is never wider than along the banks of the river and is closed by high cliffs. The mountain peaks around the Sacul Valley are covered with primary
rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...
while the lower slopes have been cleared for ''
milpa In agriculture, a milpa is a field for growing food crops and a crop-growing system used throughout Mesoamerica, especially in the Yucatán Peninsula, in Mexico. The word ''milpa'' derives from the Nahuatl words ''milli'' and ''pan''. Based on th ...
'' agriculture and cattle ranching. The city occupied a natural route through the mountains, with routes running south to Poptún, west to Xaan () and Ixtonton (), north to
Ucanal Ucanal is an archaeological site of the ancient Maya civilization. It is located near the source of the Belize River in the Petén department of present-day northern Guatemala. Location Ucanal is located inside a bend of the Mopan River. It i ...
(), northwest to El Chal and northeast to Caracol.


History


Known rulers


Late Classic

The cities of the northern part of the Maya Mountains first started erecting their own sculpted monuments in the period between AD 760 and 820.Laporte et al 1992, p.118. This appears to reflect a profound change in the political landscape at this time, with the emergence of Sacul, Ixkun, Ixtutz and Ixtonton as strongly competing polities. Of these four cities that were producing their own stelae, only Sacul and Ixtutz used their own Emblem Glyph. The 8th-century king Ch'iyel appears to have been the most powerful ruler at Sacul and is recorded as having participated in a number of events, including wars, rituals and royal visits. He was also likely to have been the ruler responsible for the greatest period of construction activity at the city. On 12 February 760 he is recorded as having received a visit from king Shield Jaguar II of Ucanal, who oversaw Ch'iyel receiving his mannequin sceptre, a symbol of rulership. During the Late Classic period Sacul participated in a regional exchange network as well as producing its own local ceramics. Stela 2 at Ixkun records a battle between Sacul and that city that took place on 21 December 779, which Sacul appears to have lost.Laporte 2005, p.224. Ixkun fought another battle against Ucanal some months later and this may represent Ucanal intervening to support its ally, although Ixkun again appears to have been victorious. Hostilities between the two cities did not last long; the visit of king Ch'iyel of Sacul to Ixkun on 11 October 790 is recorded on stelae at both cities. The two rulers are depicted together and appear to have formed a military alliance against an unidentified city that could be Ixtonton. The object of the alliance may have been to procure captives for sacrifice; after the expedition both rulers celebrated a '' k'atun''-ending ceremony and participated in a
bloodletting Bloodletting (or blood-letting) was the deliberate withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and othe ...
ritual.


Terminal Classic

In the Terminal Classic the southeastern Petén region underwent a fundamental change in its political landscape. One change that occurred at this time was the expansion of the Sacul polity, which absorbed nearby centres such as Caxeba in the Xaan River valley and El Mozote in the Chiquibul Valley.Laporte 2005, p.225. Both of these cities were abandoned as Sacul became more powerful. Coincident with this change was the shift in the focus of trade, with an increase in the use of locally produced ceramics and a movement away from region-wide exchange to focus more on the Maya Mountains to the south. By 820 the cities of the Dolores region one by one fell into silence as they were engulfed by the
Classic Maya collapse In archaeology, the classic Maya collapse was the destabilization of Classic Maya civilization and the violent collapse and abandonment of many southern lowlands city-states between the 7th and 9th centuries CE. Not all Mayan city-states ...
. The last stela erected in Sacul bears a date corresponding to AD 800. Many cities were abandoned at this time but, although it ceased to erect new monuments, Sacul outlived its regional rivals and allies and survived into the Postclassic Period, when it once again participated in the regional exchange network.


Site description

Sacul is grouped into 5 sites, all belonging to the same polity, and numbered from Sacul 1 through to Sacul 5 with Sacul 1 (or more commonly, simply Sacul) representing the Late Classic site core. The presence of a triadic complex in Plaza C demonstrates the city's participation in the wider sociopolitical arena of the
Petén Basin The Petén Basin is a geographical subregion of the Maya Lowlands, primarily located in northern Guatemala within the Department of El Petén, and into the state of Campeche in southeastern Mexico. During the Late Preclassic and Classic periods ...
, with that particular
architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
form having its origin in the central Maya lowlands of the Preclassic Period. The site core is located upon a high natural hill, which was artificially levelled to form two terraces.


Group A

Group A (also known as the West Group) occupies the lower terrace and comprises three architectural complexes. It is notable for a concentration of sculpted monuments dating to the Late Classic,Laporte 2005, p.210. and contains most of the monuments found at the site.Laporte et al 1992, p.109. A Terminal Classic burial was interred in an opening carved out of the bedrock beneath the plaza and was covered with
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
slabs. The burial was accompanied by a funerary offering consisting of ten
ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
vessels, among which were an incense burner, plates and bowls. The Ballcourt is located in Plaza B. The ballcourt is aligned north–south with a playing area measuring . It had sloped sides and open end zones as is typical of the southeastern Petén. The side structures measure high. Plaza C is located to the north of Group A. It was built upon a high basal platform overlooking Group A and measuring . The group was accessed via a stairway on the southwest side. It was first built during the Late Classic Period and underwent continuous modifications through to the Terminal Classoc. Twelve structures were built upon the basal platform, including
pyramids A pyramid () is a Nonbuilding structure, structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a Pyramid (geometry), pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid ca ...
and platform structures.Laporte et al 1992, p.110. The plaza has 3 structures that are laid out in a clear example of a triadic architectural complex. Two plain stelae were found in Group C. The East Structure of Plaza C had 2 plain circular altars that were found during excavations of its facade. These altars may have been moved there from elsewhere in the city. The structure had several levels and in the Terminal Classic a
cist In archeology, a cist (; also kist ; ultimately from ; cognate to ) or cist grave is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. In some ways, it is similar to the deeper shaft tomb. Examples occur ac ...
was inserted into the upper level and closed with limestone slabs. A dedicatory offering was placed on top of it, consisting of an
obsidian Obsidian ( ) is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock. Produced from felsic lava, obsidian is rich in the lighter element ...
blade and eleven ceramic vessels. Within the cist were enclosed the remains of an adolescent together with a rich funerary offering that included 2 ceramic vessels, an
alabaster Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...
vase, and a variety of ornaments, rings and beads crafted from snail shells,
mother-of-pearl Nacre ( , ), also known as mother-of-pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. It is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is ...
, greenstone and
pyrite The mineral pyrite ( ), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue ...
.


Group B

Group B (also known as the East Group) occupies the upper terrace. It was accessed from Group A via a long
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...
that measured wide and was bordered by parapets. Group B consists of 9 structures built upon a single basal platform and arranged around 2 plazas, D and E. Plaza D consists of a large traditional
E-Group E-Groups are unique architectural complexes found among a number of ancient Maya settlements. They are central components to the settlement organization of Maya sites and, like many other civic and ceremonial buildings, could have served for astr ...
astronomical complex that may have been more important ritually than a similar complex in Group A. The plaza covers an area of . The E-Group west pyramid measures high The east platform is lower, as is normal in such complexes in the wider Maya region, although it is considered unusual for the southeastern Petén. It stands high. Plaza E (also known as the Northeast Plaza) has a north structure that is of a similar form to the east platforms of E-Group astronomical complexes, with a small temple mounted upon the central portion of a longer platform. It is the only example of this form of architecture in the Dolores region that is not part of a formal astronomical complex. The North Structure of Plaza E contained a large cache of Terminal Classic ceramics, including hundreds of simple plates and a variety of incense burners. The plates were all bound with vine and were likely to have been placed in the structure by traders.


Monuments

The monuments found at Sacul include six sculpted monuments, five plain
stelae A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...
and seven plain altars in the West Group.Laporte et al 1992, p.116. Two rows of stelae were erected in front of the East Platform of Plaza A, with five stelae in the rear row. As well as the numbered monuments listed here, various unnumbered pieces were found throughout the site, especially near the west range of the ballcourt. Stela 1 was moved to the West Plaza during archaeological rescue operations. It was dedicated by king Ch'iyel on 9.16.10.0.0. 1 Ahau 3 Zip (17 March 761).Laporte et al 1992, p.117. Laporte et al 2006, p.221. It also bears the slightly earlier date of 9.16.8.16.1. 5 Imix 9 Pop (12 February 760). The text describes the participation of Ch'iyel in a bloodletting ceremony. Stela 1 is the earliest dated monument known from the city. It was sculpted from a fine-grained
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
, and had fallen, breaking into four large fragments.Laporte et al 2006, p.229. The upper hieroglyphic panel has been cut away by looters. Stela 2 was raised to commemorate the visit of king Ch'iyel to Ixkun on a date that has been reconstructed as 9.18.0.0.0. in the Long Count calendar (11 October 790) and bears portraits of the kings of both Sacul and Ixkun. The monument was found in a fallen position in Plaza A of the West Group and was associated with an altar. The monument is very similar to Stela 1 from Ixkun and depicts the two rulers facing each other and holding staves of rulership, with a prisoner in a panel beneath their feet. Stela 2 was sculpted from limestone, it is broken in two parts and is badly eroded. Stela 3 was associated with an altar in Plaza A of the West Group and was found in a fallen position. It was found to the west of Stela 2.Laporte et al 1992, p.117. It is badly eroded but was sculpted with three
cartouches file:Birth and Throne cartouches of pharaoh Seti I, from KV17 at the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. Neues Museum.jpg, upalt=A stone face carved with coloured hieroglyphics. Two cartouches - ovoid shapes with hieroglyphics inside - are visible at the ...
containing hieroglyphic inscriptions. Although now largely illegible, it is evident that a number of calendrical dates were included. Stela 4 is a plain monument fashioned from fossiliferous limestone that was in the rear row of stelae at the base of the East Platform. Stela 5 is a plain monument that was in the rear row of stelae at the base of the East Platform. It was carved from fossiliferous limestone. Stela 6 is in the front row of stelae at the base of the East Platform. The shaft has broken and fallen forward, leaving the stela butt in place. Stela 6 was associated with Altar 4 and was sculpted with a royal figure accompanied by a hieroglyphic text that included a Maya calendrical date.Laporte et al 1992, p.116. Laporte et al 2006, p.220. The text is badly eroded and the full date is incomplete, with just the Calendar Round day 1 Muluc 8 Zip being legible. The monument has been stylistically dated to the turn of the 9th century AD, based on its similarity to Stela 11 from
Naranjo Naranjo (Wak Kab'nal in Mayan) is a Pre-Columbian Maya city in the Petén Basin region of Guatemala. It was occupied from about 500 BC to 950 AD, with its height in the Late Classic Period. The site is part of Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. ...
. Stela 7 is a plain monument fashioned from slate that was in the rear row of stelae at the base of the East Platform. Stela 8 is a plain monument made from fossiliferous limestone. It was in the rear row of stelae at the base of the East Platform. Stela 9 is a sculpted monument in Plaza A of the West Group. It was dedicated on 11 October 790 (9.18.0.0.0. 11 Ahau 18 Mac in the Long Count), and bears the sculpted figure of king Ch'iyel. This stela was originally erected at the base of the causeway leading to the East Group but was moved in the late 20th century. Stela 10 was dedicated in AD 800 and may be the latest monument ever erected at the city. It was found fallen at the base of Structure 7 in the northwestern portion of Plaza A and was associated with a plain altar, Altar 5. The Long Count date appears to be 9.18.10.0.0. 10 Ahau 8 Zac,. which corresponds to 19 August 800. Stela 12 is a plain slate monument that was found in the rear row of stelae at the base of the East Platform. It is believed to have fallen from the platform itself. Altar 1 was found close to the stub of Stela 1. Altar 2 was associated with Stela 2. Altar 3 was paired with Stela 3. Altar 4 is associated with Stela 6, at the base of the East Platform of the E-Group astronomical complex in Group A.Laporte et al 2006, p.220. Altar 5 is a plain monument associated with Altar 10 in the northwestern portion of Plaza A.Laporte et al 2006, p.221.


Notes


References

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Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sacul, El Peten Maya sites in Petén Department Archaeological sites in Guatemala Former populated places in Guatemala Maya sites that survived the end of the Classic Period