Managing a Tikal Outpost: The Palace and Associated Architecture

Summary

This is an abstract from the "La Cuernavilla, Guatemala: A Maya Fortress and Its Environs" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

La Cuernavilla’s palace complex is made up of 14 elongated structures around two internal patios seated on a wide raised platform. Its location at the foot of the escarpment in the extreme northeast of the Lower East Group protects and restricts its access from the surrounding Buenavista Valley. Causeways into the escarpment connect the group to other monumental complexes on top of the cliff. The palace is bounded by three residential groups to the south and a massive elongated structure to the west. This building, Structure Q1-45, is characterized by the presence of multiple doors leading to a long gallery. Fragments of sculpted painted stucco on its southern platform façade indicate both the sociopolitical importance of the structure and La Cuernavilla as a whole. The residences span from the Preclassic to the Terminal Classic periods, and three humble burials suggest a lower social status than the palace occupants. The entire Lower East Group is bound by linear defensive and hydrological features so the south and a cival and bajo provide natural protection to the west and east respectively. Overall, the Lower East Group blends a residential and domestic environment with government activities of an administrative, economic, and ceremonial nature.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• La Cuernavilla, Guatemala: A Maya Fortress and Its Environs   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37149.0