Sitio Arqueológico Altar de Los Sacrificios

Altar de Sacrificios is a Maya ceremonial centre at the confluence of the Pasion and Salinas rivers in Peten, Guatemala, where they combine to form the Usumacinta. First discovered by Teoberto Maler in 1895 and extensively excavated by the Peabody Museum (1958-1963), the site contains three building groups with pyramid B-I as its main structure. Settlement began around 800 BC, and the site dominated Usumacinta trade routes by 450 BC. It is renowned for the Altar Vase, a ceramic masterpiece depicting Maya funerary rituals. The population declined through the 8th-9th centuries, with abandonment by approximately 950 AD.