About 40 km (25 miles) from Tikal lies another exciting Mayan ruin. Uaxactun, discovered by American archaeologist Sylvanus Morley in 1916 (who later brought a team with him from New York’s Carnegie Institute to unearth the area) is known not only for its Mayan structures but also the hieroglyphics found there and studied in depth by Morley himself.

Probably at its peak during the early Classic or pre-Classic Mayan era, excavators removed many decaying temples from Uaxactun in the mid-20th century, revealing earlier structures underneath. The 4 structures known as the E Group are thought to have functioned as an observatory, identifying the sunrise on the days of the equinoxes and solstices.