Maya Itza

In 2018 in Lake Petén Itzá (Petén Department, northern Guatemala) underwater archaeological survey has been conducted by the Polish–Guatemalan group of archaeologists. During the first season underwater reconnaissance has been performed in seven zones of the southern part of the lake. The main surveyed areas were the surroundings of the islands: Flores, Santa Bárbara, El Hospital, two smaller nameless ones (currently submerged due to the increase of the water level), as well
as some part of the coastal area of the Tayasal Peninsula (north of Flores). The main objective of the first phase of the project was to locate the traces of the ritual activities of the Maya peoples inhabiting the neighbourhood of the lake as well as capturing the evidence of the final naval battle between the Itza Maya and Spanish conquistadors which took place in 1697. The aim of the article is to present the results of the reconnaissance as well as hypotheses and preliminary interpretations
of the discoveries based on the data acquired during the field research.

Recent excavations conducted by Proyecto Itza investigated a Late Postclassic (a.d. 1400–1525) community at Nixtun-Ch'ich’, Petén, Guatemala. This community was likely occupied by a faction of Itza Mayas called the Chak'an Itzas. Recent work focused on the community's civic-ceremonial architecture and nearby residences. The former was dominated by two colonnaded halls standing abreast. These buildings, believed to have been popol najoob (council houses), likely represented socio-political dualism in Chak'an society. The halls included various sculptures that seem largely associated with the deity Itzamna mounted into architecture so that they were clearly on display. Most sculptures were associated with one of the two halls suggesting that one faction was more powerful and more strongly advertised its connections with Yucatán. Excavations also revealed the avoidance of masonry in residential areas, which differentiated Chak'an residences from their civic-ceremonial areas and also distinguished Chak'an residences from those of their neighbors.