Dzibanché

Dzibanche is a major Maya archaeological site in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico, spanning 40 km2 and dating from the Middle Preclassic (850-400 BC) through the Late Postclassic (1100-1450 AD). The city was the early capital and place of origin of the Kaan (Snake) dynasty, which dominated central Maya lowlands politics during the Classic period, before the lineage relocated to Calakmul around 636 AD. The name means "writing on wood" in Mayan, referencing sculpted wooden lintels in the Temple of the Lintels. Major structures include the Temple of the Captives, the Temple of the Owl, and the K'inichna Pyramid. At its peak, the city may have housed 40,000 inhabitants.