Cerro Quiac

Cerro Quiac (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsero kiˈak]) (K'iche': Kʼiaq [kʼiˈaq] and Kʼiaqbʼal [kʼiaqˈɓal]) is a small Maya archaeological site located at an altitude of 2,635 metres (8,645 ft), overlooking the Plains of Urbina in the Guatemalan Highlands. When investigated in 1970, it had five stone sculptures, but by 1977 only four were left. The sculptures featured figures and geometric designs. The site is still used for contemporary Maya rituals. Cerro Quiac lies in northeast Cantel, within Chirijquiac’s boundaries.

Cerro Quiac contains two small groups of pre-Columbian architecture. An ethnohistoric document from the early Colonial period describes the site as a fortress founded by the Mam Maya, who were subsequently driven from the area by Kʼicheʼ expansion. Cerro Quiac has been dated to the Early Postclassic period of Mesoamerican chronology (approximately 900–1200 AD). According to local Kʼicheʼ folklore, the site once served as a training ground for warriors. The Kʼicheʼ hero Tecun Uman is said to have died upon the hill.