Rio Azul

Río Azul is an archaeological site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is the most important site in the Río Azul National Park in the Petén Department of northern Guatemala, close to the borders of Mexico and Belize. Río Azul is situated to the southeast of the Azul river and its apogee dates to the Early Classic period (c. AD 250–600).

The earliest major architecture dates to around 500 BC, in the Late Preclassic period (c. 350 BC – AD 250). In the late 4th century AD Río Azul was dominated by the city of Tikal and its great central Mexican ally Teotihuacan. Tikal used Río Azul to secure an important trade route to the Caribbean Sea and challenge Calakmul, its great rival. The city was largely abandoned in the 6th century but saw a resurgence in the Late Classic (c. AD 600–900), probably as a result of repopulation by Kinal.

The ruins are situated immediately southeast of the Río Azul ("Blue River") upon a low ridge in the extreme northeast of the department of Petén. Río Azul is bounded on the eastern side by interconnected linear structures and by swamps. The southern boundary is formed by an artificially modified gully. The site is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the north of the Late Classic ruins of Kinal, 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of the Early to Late Classic ruins of La Milpa, and 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Tikal. Río Azul's location ensured that it controlled a trade route along a tributary of the Hondo River, which was an important route to the Caribbean Sea.

The city reached its maximum population during between AD 390 and 540, when it had about 3500 inhabitants. The ruling elite lived in palace complexes within the site core; their households consisted of extended families with their servants. The population was concentrated almost entirely within the city with a population density of 2700/km² (6993/square mile). Farmers and labourers made up 31% and 57% of the population respectively and were subject to feudal obligations to their overlords. The unusual highly nucleated population pattern has been attributed to Río Azul's status as a frontier fortress. During the site's Late Classic resurgence the rural population density in the once-peripheral BA-20 group reached approximately 300/km² (777/square mile). Between AD 692 and 830 the total population at Río Azul once again peaked at around 3500, with 2500 of these in the BA-20 zone.

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