El Chal is a Mayan ruin in El Peten in Guatemala.
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| El Chal | ||
| Department | El Peten | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | unknown | |
no value for residents on Wikidata:  | ||
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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background
Not much is known about this huge Mayan ruin, as the characters on the monuments and steles have not yet been deciphered. However, due to the large extent and the chronological allocation of the various finds or buildings, one is able to sketch a certain chronological sequence. The oldest finds come from the middle pre-classical period. In this fertile region, which lies at the foot of the Maya Mountains on the San Juan River, the own supply was secured and the access to important trade routes in the mountains towards the coast of Belize and across the San Juan River to Chiapas in Mexico secured. Even in the pre-classical period, a settlement grew into a city with a center and important ceremonial buildings. But the city's main boom came in the late classical period. The city had its own emblem and grew far beyond the center. Not only do most of the buildings in the center date from this period, but also the Panorama, Arrepentimiento and Municipal groups. The only data that have been deciphered so far relate to the 8th century AD. From the 9th century AD, the individual districts were more and more neglected and the focus was only on building measures in the center. Ceramic finds in the city center show that there was further settlement activity in the post-classic period, but according to what we know today, no new buildings were erected here. The site was mentioned on a Spanish map as early as 1735 AD, but it wasn't until 1974 that modern archeology visited it for the first time. The first investigations began in 1993 and examined an area of 4 km². Since the beginning of the 21st century there have been numerous excavations here and in the meantime around 300 structures have been described, some of which are located in numerous groups on Platos or numerous terraces.
getting there
By plane
The nearest airport is in Flores. From there it continues on the street.
By train
In the street
The Mayan ruin is right on the road between Poptun and Flores. The distance from Flores is approx. 40 km.
By boat
mobility
Tourist Attractions
Most of the structures are neither excavated nor restored. Many of the altars and steles are in a very badly weathered condition, but the complex is relatively large and offers some vantage points.
