Mixco Viejo

Mixco Viejo (now identified as Jilotepeque Viejo) is a Postclassic Maya fortified city in the Chimaltenango department of Guatemala, strategically situated on a hilltop above the Pixcaya and Motagua river confluence. Founded in the early 12th century as the Chajoma Maya capital, it was later conquered by the Kaqchikel around 1470. The site comprises 15 architectural groups with over 120 major structures including temples, pyramids, palaces, and two ballcourts, housing an estimated 1,500 inhabitants before Spanish abandonment in the 1520s. Excavations by Henri Lehmann (1954-1967) restored much of the site.