🇧🇿 Belize · Ancient city
El Pilar
Middle Preclassic – Terminal Classic (c.800 BCE–1000 CE) Lowland Maya · Maya (Lowland)
El Pilar straddles the Belize-Guatemala international boundary on a 340m-high escarpment 12 km north of San Ignacio, Belize.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Muyil
Late Preclassic – Postclassic (c.300 BCE–1519 CE) continuous; Early Classic–Late Classic peak · Maya (East Coast / Southern Lowland)
Muyil (Chunyaxché, Chan Muuch) is the long-lived lowland Maya city on the karst ridge at the Muyil lagoon inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere, Quintana Roo (10 m).
🇧🇿 Belize · Ancient village
Barton Ramie
Preclassic – Classic (c.900 BCE–950 CE) Late Formative to Classic Maya · Maya (Lowland)
Barton Ramie is the classic lowland Maya household archaeology micro-settlement along the Belize River near Georgeville, Cayo, at 65 m.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Toniná
Classic – Early Postclassic (c.100–900 CE) Western Maya frontier, Tzeltal Popo · Maya (Western Tzeltal – Popo dynasty)
Toniná (Tzeltal Popo, house of stone) dominates the Jataté tributary ridge 13 km east of Ocosingo, Chiapas, at 860 m, forming the most dramatic Maya acropolis: seven stepped terraces climb 71 m above…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Yaxchilan
Late Classic (c.400–900 CE) Usumacinta kingdom · Maya (Usumacinta – Pacal's rival)
Yaxchilan (ancient Pa' Chan, cleft sky) crowns a horseshoe meander of the Usumacinta in Chiapas at 120 m, 35 km by river from Frontera Corozal.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Temple complex
San Gervasio Cozumel
Postclassic (c.1200–1521 CE) Late Postclassic Cozumel–Mayapan league · Maya (East Coast – Cozumel)
San Gervasio (Tantún Cuzamil) is Cozumel island's paramount Late Postclassic pilgrimage capital at 15 m interior, 7 km west of San Miguel, Quintana Roo.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Topoxte
Late Postclassic – Contact (c.1200–1530 CE) Kowoj Maya · Maya (Kowoj – Late Postclassic Petén)
Topoxte crowns the largest island (450m) in Lake Yaxha, Petén, at 180 m. After surrounding Classic cities fell, Postclassic Kowoj Maya refortified the island c.1200 CE with a rubble rampart (400m)…
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Uaxactun
Middle Preclassic to Late Classic · Maya (Miron–Holmul–Tikal sphere)
Maya metropolis (Preclassic–Classic) 20 km north of Tikal comprising Groups A–H, world type-site for E-Group astronomical complex — Structure E-VII Sub (Preclassic) with three east...
🇧🇿 Belize · Ancient city
Chan Chich
Middle Preclassic – Terminal Classic (c.800 BCE–900 CE) Lowland Maya · Maya (Lowland)
Chan Chich is a rainforest hilltop Maya city hidden in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area near the Guatemala border, Orange Walk, at 120 m.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Ichkabal
Late Preclassic – Classic (c.400 BCE–800 CE) Kaan dynasty predecessor · Maya (Lowland – Kaan/Snake Kingdom capital precursor)
Ichkabal is a vaulted jungle metropolis on the pitted limestone plateau 40 km northwest of Bacalar, Quintana Roo, at 110 m.
🇭🇳 Honduras · Ancient city
Copán
Classic 426–822 CE (dynastic Copán, peak 695–820) · Maya (southeast Petén sphere, Copán kingdom, non-Maya frontier)
Premier Classic southeastern Maya capital and sculpture capital: Acropolis with 4,500 glyph Hierarchical Stairway (longest Classic Maya text – 72 steps, 2,200 glyphs recording 14 kings), Rosalila…
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Tayasal (Nojpetén) – Last Maya Kingdom
Postclassic to Contact (900–1697 CE, capital 1350–1697) · Maya Itzá (Yukatekan-Itza’)
Last independent Maya kingdom (Nojpetén) of the Itzá, final surrender to Spanish 1697 after 195 years resisting conquest: peninsula-town on Lake Petén Itzá's northern arm 300 m out, with causewayed…
🇧🇿 Belize · Ancient city
Caracol
Preclassic 1200 BCE–900 CE (peak Late Classic 562–680, Star-War defeat of Tikal) · Maya (Classic lowland; ally of Calakmul vs Tikal; later independent kingdom Uxwitzá)
Largest Maya city in Belize and greater Tikal rival: 200 km² settlement (70 sq mi mapped), Caana (“Sky Palace”) pyramid 43 m high – tallest man-made structure in Belize – with corner palaces, 160+…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Chicanná
Late Classic (Río Bec) · Maya (Río Bec–Chenes)
Classic Río Bec palatial city (c.550–900 CE) at Becán-Chicanná dispersed urban nebula, with Structure II jaguar monster-mouth zoomorphic mascarón doorway (12 m high 18 m wide — bes...
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Izamal
Preclassic to Late Classic · Maya (Northern Lowlands)
Yucatán megacity (300 BCE–1200 CE) beneath Yellow City — 6 Preclassic megapyramids incl. 35-m Kinich Kakmó.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Acanceh (Acancéh) Maya Palace City
Late Preclassic – Postclassic (300 BCE–1500 CE, mask palace 300–500 CE) · Maya (Northwestern Yucatán – Acanceh)
Maya town in central-north Yucatán occupied continuously 300–1500 CE with unique layered architecture: Early Classic steep step-pyramid buried under Palace of the Stuccos (1st c.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Chacchoben Maya City
Middle Preclassic–Postclassic Maya (700 BCE–1200 CE, flourished 300–900) · Maya (Sarteneja – southern Quintana Roo)
Middle Preclassic to Terminal Classic Maya town (700 BCE–1200 CE, major 300–900) in southern Quintana Roo jungles: 3 temple pyramids (Gran Basamento 7 m high 70 m long, Temple 24 with red-painted…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Tulum
Late Postclassic 1200–1550 CE (settlement from ~564 CE but walls/frescos 1200–1500) · Maya (Eastern coast, Postclassic International style, Chetumal polity, Mayapán confederacy)
Late Postclassic (1200–1550 CE) clifftop walled port with Caribbean panorama: 6 m limestone wall and pyramid Temple of the Frescoes with mural interiors, El Castillo (12 m pyramid with columns as…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Pol Box
Late Preclassic – Terminal Classic (c.300 BCE–950 CE) Río Bec – Chenes transition · Maya (Río Bec–Chenes–Peten fringe)
Pol Box is a jungle pyramid town on the karst plateau 48 km south-southwest of Xpujil in the Calakmul Biosphere fringe, Campeche, at 260 m.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Dos Pilas
Late Classic · Maya (Petexbatun)
Petexbatun war capital (629–761 CE) — Tikal breakaway dynastic citadel with 40-m El Duende pyramid and trench walls.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Chicanná Structure II Pyramid — Bec Valley
Late Classic Maya, c.600-830 CE (Río Bec–Chenés, Late Classic) · Maya (Río Bec–Chenés)
Chicanná (House of Serpent Mouth, Bec Valley, Campeche) Structure II: 4-crown Río Bec pyramid (12 m high) with steep false stair, twin pseudo-temples and central monster-mouth portal (Chenés witz…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Río Bec
Late Classic (Río Bec style florescence) · Maya (Río Bec)
Type site for Río Bec architectural phenomenon (c.550–900 CE) — most dispersed large Classic Maya city 50 km², 6 km² core with 6+ plaza groups (A–F, Central Group Structure V-N 13...
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Holmul
Preclassic–Late Classic · Maya (Snake/Tikal sphere)
Borderland trading city (800 BCE–900 CE) on Holmul River near Belize, famed for Building A 8-m-wide Witz monster stucco frieze (590 BCE La Sufricaya mural earliest Maya mural) on s...
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Palenque
Late Classic 226 BCE–800 CE (apogee 615–800 CE Early–Late Classic) · Maya (B'aakal / Palenque dynasty; Western Maya lowlands)
Maya Classic capital of B'aakal on Chiapas foothills with low jungle: Temple of Inscriptions (22 m pyramid with 69-step Hieroglyphic Stair recording dynastic history and Pakal's vault; Pakal the…