Machaquila

Machaquila is a ruined Maya city in the Peten department of Guatemala, approximately 90 km west of Poptun, that flourished during the Late to Terminal Classic periods with its peak in the 9th century AD. The site controlled important trade routes connecting the Maya Mountains to the Pasion and Usumacinta Rivers. Notable for its sculpted monuments rather than architecture, 18 stelae and 6 altars have been documented, with dates spanning from AD 741 to 815, though most were looted and their whereabouts remain unknown. A hieroglyphic panel found at Cancuen depicts the 8th-century king Tajal Chan Ahk installing subordinate rulers at Machaquila.