page_title: Ixkun
section_title: Site core
hierarchical_section_title: Ixkun / Site description / Site core
caption_attribution_description: English: Unrestored Mesoamerican ballcourt at Ixkun, Peten, Guatemala. Español: Juego de pelota mesoamericana sin restorar, Ixkún, Petén, Guatemala.
context_page_description: Ixkun is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site, situated in the Petén Basin region of the southern Maya lowlands. It lies to the north of the town of Dolores, in the modern-day department of Petén, Guatemala. It is a large site containing many unrestored mounds and ruins and is the best known archaeological site within the municipality of Dolores.
  Ixkun was the capital of one of the four largest kingdoms in the upper Mopan Valley, the others being Curucuitz, Ixcol and Ixtonton. Eight sites fell within the boundaries of the kingdom, showing a clear hierarchy. Stela 1 at Ixkun is one of the tallest stone monuments in the entire Petén Basin.
  Although the main period of activity was during the Late Classic Period, the site was occupied from the Late Preclassic right through to the Postclassic Period.
context_section_description: The site core is arranged around a number of plazas.
  Tha Acropolis was built around a number of patios. Patio 1 was built around 779, during the second principal construction phase of the city centre. Patio 2 shows unfinished construction dating to the Terminal Classic. Two structures were in use when the city centre was abandoned, but a third structure (Structure 18) was merely a pile of fill waiting to be covered.
  The North Plaza (also known as Plaza A) was also occupied during the first construction phase of the Late Classic period.
  The Central Plaza (also known as Plaza B) was first occupied the earliest construction phase during the Late Classic period.
  The South Plaza (also known as Plaza C) was laid out during the second construction phase, dated to around 779.
  The E-Group is located in the centre of the city. It consists of six structures laid out in a typical arrangement for this type of architectural complex. The East Platform supports a temple with a number of rooms, while the West Pyramid has a square base. The East Platform and West Pyramid were built during the earliest of the three Late Classic construction phases, the complex was expanded with the addition of the north and south platforms during the second phase, around 779.
  The Ballcourt is also located in the site core, the earliest version was built during the second construction phase around 779. The end zones are open and it is aligned north-south.
  The South Group (also known as Group 3) is located upon a hill about 200 metres (660 ft) south of the site core and is linked to it by a causeway.
caption: The overgrown ballcourt
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Make": "NIKON", "Image Model": "COOLPIX L11", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Paint.NET v3.5.5", "Image DateTime": "2010:10:07 17:42:15", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image Copyright": "Copyright 2006", "Image ExifOffset": "398", "Image CustomRendered": "Normal", "Image ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "Image WhiteBalance": "Auto", "Image DigitalZoomRatio": "0", "Image FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "37", "Image SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "Image GainControl": "Low gain up", "Image Contrast": "Normal", "Image Saturation": "Normal", "Image Sharpness": "Normal", "Image SubjectDistanceRange": "0", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "300", "Thumbnail YResolution": "300", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "33658", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "4421", "EXIF ExposureTime": "5/106", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2010:10:07 17:42:15", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2010:10:07 17:42:15", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "2", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "31/5", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "2816", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2112", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed"}