Izapa

A large pre-Columbian archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico, occupied from 1500 BC to 1200 AD with its apogee during the Late Formative period (300 BC-250 AD). Considered a cultural bridge between the Olmec and Maya civilizations, it served as the ceremonial and political center of the Soconusco region for nearly a thousand years. The site features 89 stelae, 61 altars, and 3 thrones carved in the distinctive low-relief 'Izapan style,' depicting mythological scenes organized into celestial, terrestrial, and underworld zones. Its roughly 180 mounds are organized into eight groups across 314 acres.