El Zotz

El Zotz is a Mesoamerican archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the Petén Basin region around 20 kilometres west of the major center of Tikal and approximately 26 kilometres west of Uaxactun [1]. It is so called because of the large number of bats living in caves in the nearby cliffs (the original Mayan name was Pa'Chan) [1]. The apogee of El Zotz appears to have been brief, spanning about one hundred years during the later Early Classic and the early part of the Late Classic, experiencing an intense burst of construction activity including the building of palaces and pyramids [1]. A stela from Bejucal indicates that the Teotihuacan-linked general Siyaj K'ak' was the overlord of the king of El Zotz [1]. El Zotz has at least two principal ceremonial centres [1]. The main ceremonial centre lies within the site core while the second of these is in an area known as El Diablo [1]. The architecture at the site is massive and the stonework of excellent quality [1].