Naachtun

Naachtun, ancient Masuul, was a major Maya center in northern Guatemala on the edge of the Mirador Basin. Emerging from a small Late Preclassic settlement, it grew rapidly in the Early Classic, when a royal dynasty formed and the city was closely tied to Tikal. At the start of the Late Classic, Calakmul’s influence replaced those ties, which were later restored before population decline and partial abandonment by the end of the 10th century. Its large core includes pyramids, acropolises, sacbeob, ballcourts, and carved stelae. Because it stood between Tikal and Calakmul, Naachtun helps illuminate political change in the central Maya lowlands.

Petén · Guatemala