Ixtutz
Ixtutz (/iʃˈtuːts/) was an important Classic Period Maya city located south of Ixkun in southeastern Petén, Guatemala.[3] In the Late Classic Ixtutz was one of the most important centres in the Dolores region, competing fiercely with other sites in the area, and maintained strong political relations with the cities of the southwestern Petén such as Dos Pilas and Machaquila.[4] Ixtutz is located in the municipality of Dolores, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) southwest of that town, in the Petén Department of northern Guatemala.[5] The site is situated at an altitude of 400 metres (1,300 ft) above mean sea level in the valley of the Poxte River, surrounded by hilly terrain.[6] Around 760 AD the political organization of the region appears to have changed and the rulers of Ixtutz and neighbouring Sacul began to erect sculpted monuments with hieroglyphic texts and to use their own Emblem Glyphs.[10] A stela dated to AD 780 records a ceremony performed by king Aj Yaxjal B’aak and attended by his overlord from the Petexbatún, most likely to have been Tan Te' K'inich of Aguateca, and 28 other lords from both within the Dolores valley and further afield.[11] Ixtutz experienced a decrease in activity during the Terminal Classic period,[12] after AD 825 all sites in the region ceased to erect further monuments although occupation continued.[14] Eric Von Euw and Ian Graham visited Ixtutz in 1972, and published a new map and illustrations of stelae 1–4 together with the fragments of Panel 1.[14] In 1985 archaeologists of the Tikal Project visited the site, carried out limited test excavations, and moved some monument pieces to Dolores.[17] The ceremonial city of the centre, in spite of the simplicity of its layout, possesses traits that distinguish it as an important regional site.[4] A hieroglyphic text on a stela at the site mentions the Late Classic city of Dos Pilas in the Petexbatún region.It is a secondary ceremonial centre dating to the Late Classic and possesses 5 structures laid out around a 650-square-metre (7,000 sq ft) patio.The group consists of 7 low platforms laid out around a 670-square-metre (7,200 sq ft) plaza, leaving the patio open on the east side.[27] The plaza in Group A contained a number of sculpted monuments that were likely to have been erected by king Aj Yaxjal B’aak in the 8th century AD.
DoloresPetén DepartmentGuatemalaMaya civilizationMerle Greene RobertsonClassic PeriodMaya cityPeténPoxte RiverMaya MountainsMesoamerican chronologyDos PilasMachaquilamunicipalityabove mean sea levelGuatemalan Institute of Anthropology and HistoryIxtontonPeopleSocietyLanguagesWritingReligionMythologySacrificeCitiesArchitectureAstronomyCalendarStelaeTextilesMedicineCuisineWarfareHistoryPreclassic MayaClassic Maya collapseSpanish conquest of the MayaYucatánChiapasAj Yaxjal B’aakPetexbatúnSeibalLa AmeliaAguatecaTan Te' K'inichTerminal ClassicIan Grahamtemple pyramidsballcourtvaultedarchitecturalMesoamerican ballcourtE-Grouphieroglyphic textLate ClassicMuseo Regional del Sureste de PeténlimestoneLaporte, Juan PedroInstituto de Antropología e HistoriaUniversity Press of ColoradoMaya sitesBelizeActun Tunichil MuknalAltun HaBaking PotBarton Creek CaveCahal PechCaracolCerrosChaa CreekCuelloEl PilarKaʼKabishKʼaxobLa MilpaLamanaiLouisvilleLower DoverLubaantunMarco GonzalezMinanhaNim Li PunitNohmulNohoch CheʼenPacbitunPusilhaSan EstevanSanta RitaUxbenkaXnahebXunantunichAltar de SacrificiosArroyo de PiedraBalbertaBejucalCancuénCerro QuiacChitinamitChocoláChutixtioxCotzumalhuapaEl BaúlEl ChalEl MiradorEl PerúEl PorvenirEl TemblorEl TintalEl ZotzGuaytánHolmulHoltunIximcheKaminaljuyuKʼatepanLa BlancaLa CoronaLa JoyancaLa MuertaMixco ViejoMontanaMotul de San JoséNaachtunNaranjoPajaralPiedras Negras