Travel Guide Quiriguá

Quiriguá is located about a hundred kilometers from Puerto Barrios. It was an important center of Mayan civilization, in the heart of a densely populated area During the Late Preclassic period (from 300 BC to 250 AD), a Maya community flourished here and in several surrounding areas. During the first centuries of the Classic period (250-600), Copan, in present-day Honduras, embarked on a policy of expansion that led it to covet the lands of the Motagua River. Quiriguá was easily conquered and thus saw its destiny linked to that of Copan, of which it became the vassal.The 8th century marked a turning point in the evolution of the city. Deciding to break their forced "collaboration" with Copan, its inhabitants chose a king in 725: Cielo Cauac. A war between the two cities followed. It ends with the battle of 737, which allows the capture and sacrifice of Eighteen Rabbit, the king of Copan. This victory marked the beginning of the golden age of Quiriguá: under the impulse of Cielo Cauac, the city was covered with sculptures and enormous sandstone steles.In 780, Cielo Cauac abdicates in favor of his son, Cielo Xul. In his image, he continued the work of embellishment of the city, until he was overthrown in 800 by a part of the aristocracy, which put Cielo Jade on the throne. The most recent sculpture found on the site dates from 805, when he reigned. No more monuments or stele will be erected in Quiriguá, as if the city had been quickly abandoned. It is only during the XIX century that it is rediscovered, before being the object of a campaign of excavations between 1880 and 1895.