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Zaculeu or Saqulew is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the highlands of western Guatemala, about outside of the modern city of Huehuetenango.〔Kelly 1996, pp.203, 207.〕 Occupation at the site dates to the Early Classic period (AD 250–600) of Mesoamerican history. Zaculeu was the capital of the Postclassic Mam kingdom,〔Sharer 2000, p.490.〕 and was conquered by the K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj. It displays a mixture of Mam and K'iche' style architecture.〔Fox 1987, 2008, pp.183–184.〕 In AD 1525 the city was attacked by Spanish conquistadors under Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras during a siege that lasted several months. Kayb'il B'alam, the city's last ruler, finally surrendered to the Spanish due to starvation.〔Polo Sifontes, undated.〕〔 The site contains a number of temple-pyramids with talud-tablero style architecture and double stairways.〔Arroyo 2001, p.42.〕 The pyramids and governmental palaces are grouped around a series of large public plazas. The site also holds a ballcourt for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame.〔 The site was originally fortified with walls. The site was restored by the United Fruit Company in the late 1940s. It is open to tourists and includes a small museum.〔Kelly 1996, p.209.〕 ==Etymology and location== The name Zaculeu means "white earth" in the Mam, K'iche' and Q'anjob'al languages, from ''saq'' (adj) meaning "white" and ''ulew'' (n) meaning "earth".〔Rodríguez Rouanet et al 1992, p.15. Christenson. del Águila Flores 2007, p.30.〕 In the Mam language, the site is also called ''Chinabajul.''〔 The archaeological site is located in the present-day village of San Lorenzo on the outskirts of Huehuetenango city, in the Guatemalan department of Huehuetenango. Zaculeu is the main tourist attraction in the Huehuetenango area.〔Rodríguez Rouanet et al 1992, pp.15–17.〕 Zaculeu is located at an altitude of above mean sea level,〔Fox 1987, 2008, p.184.〕 and is bordered by the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes mountain range.〔ITMB Publishing Ltd.〕 Zaculeu is located in an area of fertile soils close to the Selegua and Viña rivers.〔del Águila Flores 2007, p.21.〕 The site is situated on a plateau overlooking the Selegua River, which flows to the west of the city. Deep ravines bordering the site to the south and east protected its access. The only access to the site is via a narrow land bridge to the north which unites the plateau to the general level of the valley floor. The Zaculeu plateau measures 11,178 square varas〔See ''vara'' in Metrication in Guatemala.〕 (4191 square metres).〔del Águila Flores 2007, p.10.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Zaculeu」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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