Cancuén

Cancuen was the capital and port city of a powerful Maya kingdom in the Upper Pasion River valley, Guatemala, flourishing during the Late Classic Period (AD 657-800). The site features one of the largest palaces in the Maya world, built by ruler Tajal Chan Ahk around 770 AD, covering nearly 23,000 square metres with approximately 200 rooms. Cancuen controlled trade in jade, pyrite, and obsidian through its strategic river position. The city met a violent end around 800 AD in a massacre by forces from Ceibal and Machaquila. Today the archaeological park is managed by six indigenous Q'eqchi' Maya communities in collaboration with Vanderbilt University.