page_title: Cerro Quiac
section_title: Site description
hierarchical_section_title: Cerro Quiac / Site description
caption_attribution_description: English: K'iaqbal, Cantel, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Maya ritual site with a couple of pre-Columbian scultpures. West Group. Español: K'iaqbal, municipio de Cantel, departamento de Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Sitio ritual maya, con dos escuturas precolombinas. Grupo Oeste.
context_page_description: Cerro Quiac is a small Maya archaeological site located at an altitude of 2,635 metres, overlooking the Plains of Urbina in the Guatemalan Highlands. When investigated in 1970 it had five stone sculptures, by 1977 only four were left. The sculptures included figures and geometric decoration. The site is still used for contemporary Maya rituals. Cerro Quiac is located in the northeast of the municipality of Cantel, within the boundaries of the hamlet of Chirijquiac.
  Cerro Quiac contains two small groups of pre-Columbian architecture. An ethnohistoric document from the early Colonial period describes the site as a fortress founded by the Mam Maya, who were subsequently driven from the area by K'iche' expansion. Cerro Quiac has been dated to the Early Postclassic period of Mesoamerican chronology. Local K'iche' folklore holds that the archaeological site was a training ground for K'iche' warriors, and that the K'iche' hero Tecun Uman died upon the hill.
context_section_description: The site architecture was built on the western portion of the ridge, running approximately northwest to southeast. Large boulders have been arranged into terraces, standing 2 metres (6.6 ft) and 3 metres (9.8 ft) high respectively. There are two architectural groups, both of which are poorly preserved.
  The east group possesses three earthwork mounds arranged in a line, with a fourth mound situated off to the south side. There are steep drops on the east and west sides. Plentiful ceramic remains were scattered around the group, which had been exposed by agricultural activity.
  The west group is situated about 170 metres (560 ft) from the east group, and about 70 metres (230 ft) above it. A small temple was built upon a broad 1-metre (3.3 ft) high platform. The walls of the platform were built from uncut stone. Five prehispanic stelae stood upon the platform in the 1970s.
  The five stelae present in 1970 were arranged in a semicircle approximately 6 metres (20 ft) across. It is possible that they were brought to Cerro Quiac from various other sites in the area. The sculptures were badly eroded. A number of pre-Columbian tombs were found on the hill, and various artefacts were recovered.
caption: Retaining wall of the main platform in the west group
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