Ucanal

Ucanal is a major Maya archaeological site located inside a bend of the Mopan River in the Peten department of Guatemala, founded between 1000 and 400 BCE. The site contains 114 structures including temples, palaces, and two ballcourts, plus two artificial irrigation channels up to 420 m long. Remarkably, Ucanal thrived during the Terminal Classic period (c. 830-1000 CE) when most Maya cities collapsed, experiencing growth and new monumental construction. Excavations revealed that around 800 CE a ruler named Papmalil seized power, with royal predecessors' remains burned and deposited in an expanded pyramid.