Parque Arqueológico Zaculeu

Zaculeu or Saqulew is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the highlands of western Guatemala, about 3.7 kilometres outside the modern city of Huehuetenango [1]. Occupation at the site dates to the Early Classic period of Mesoamerican history [1]. Zaculeu was the capital of the Postclassic Mam kingdom, and was conquered by the Kʼicheʼ Kingdom of Qʼumarkaj [1]. It displays a mixture of Mam and Kʼicheʼ style architecture [1]. In AD 1525 the city was attacked by Spanish conquistadors under Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras during a siege that lasted several months [1]. The site contains a number of temple-pyramids with talud-tablero style architecture and double stairways [1]. The pyramids and governmental palaces are grouped around a series of large public plazas [1]. The site was originally fortified with walls [1].