Tell el-Howe Rath
Byzantine (330–1453 CE)·Byzantine·🇬🇹 Petén, Guatemala
About
About Tell el-Howe Rath
Tell el-Howe Rath in Petén, Guatemala is a Byzantine (330–1453 CE) tell attributed to Byzantine culture. Systematically investigated through ground-penetrating radar and coring, it presents a fortified nucleus with necropolis. Construction employs dry-stone masonry and demonstrates craft specialization. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Byzantine tell with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function as ceremonial vs domestic centre
- 02Long-distance exchange networks
Theories
- 01Ritual landscape and ancestral veneration
- 02Elite residence and administrative centre
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 609 CE
- Period
- Byzantine (330–1453 CE)
- Culture
- Byzantine
- Purpose
- Necropolis and ritual
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 609 CE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 694 CE
Major enlargement and wall circuit added
c. 994 CE
Peak occupation and regional prominence
1959
Scientific excavation and conservation
On the ground
Structures & features
16.2484° N · 88.4005° W · 331 m · 3 mapped features
Granary Cluster
stelaAncillary necropolis associated with main monument
16.2491° N · 88.4025° WPrincipal Monument
necropolisBurial zone — rock-cut chambers
16.2483° N · 88.4002° WGranary Cluster 3
gatewayHydraulic feature — aqueduct
16.2459° N · 88.4029° W