Kaminaljuyú, Guatemala
Kaminaljuyú, Guatemala [Si].A large Maya ceremonial centre and settlement in the southern highlands on the western outskirts of Guatemala City. Originating in the Formative stage (early Pre-Classic), the most important occupation dates to the Miraflores Phase (c.100 BC to AD 100). From this period there are over 200 mounds of mud brick, some of several phases. Tombs were sometimes dug into the mounds, many with luxury grave goods and evidence for the sacrifice and ritual burial of the retainers of the deceased. Mound E-III-3 is typical and consists of several superimposed temple pyramids which in its final form rose to a height of 18m. Each successive building operation took place to house the remains of an exalted person, whose burial place was constructed in the top of the pyramid as a pit formed from a series of stepped rectangles of decreasing size. The corpse was deposited in the lowest, smallest part of the pit, grave goods being set on the...
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