Iximche

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Iximche is the site of a Mayan city founded in 1470. It is located about 50 miles outside Guatemala City. Iximche was the capital city of the Kaqchikel Maya. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1524, they formed an alliance with the Kaqchikel Maya - promising to be an ally against the rival Kiche Maya. But, as happened so many times, the Spanish did not honor this alliance. After establishing their own capital at a nearby location, the Spanish attacked Iximche several times. The Kaqchikel Maya fled Iximche to the surrounding mountains and launched attacks against the Spanish. The Spanish burned Iximche to the ground in 1526, and in 1527 left the area and built another capital city near Antigua Guatemala. The site was buried for centuries until Jorge Guillemin, a Guatemalan archaeologist, conducted excavations of Iximche from 1960-1972.

I visited Iximche with the AMBS group on January 15.