E-Group
They are central components to the settlement organization of Maya sites and, like many other civic and ceremonial buildings, could have served for astronomical observations.
These sites have been discovered in the Maya Lowlands and other regions of Mesoamerica and have been dated to Middle Preclassical to Terminal Classic Period.
Recent research has shown, however, that the orientations of these assemblages are highly variable, but pertain to alignment groups that are widespread in the Maya area and materialized mostly in other types of buildings, recording different agriculturally significant dates.
[2] At Uaxactun, the Group E complex consists of a long terraced platform with three supra-structures arranged along a linear axis oriented north-south.
[7] Construction of E-groups continues on through the Classic period, with examples of these including the Lost World Pyramid at Tikal in the Petén Basin of northern Guatemala, and Structure 5C-2nd at Cerros, in Belize.
Caracol, also in Belize and the site that defeated Tikal during the Middle Classic, has a large-scale E-Group located in the western portion of its central core.
The leading theory stuck that E-groups were useful for observing solar zeniths, as the sun's path was significant to Maya culture.
[11] Frans Blom is credited with the discovery of the first E Group in 1924 while working in Uaxactún, Guatemala, a northeast region of the Lowland Maya.
The E Group he identified was an open plaza defined in the west by a pyramid and in the east by a platform supporting three north–south oriented buildings.
The first is the Cenote style which dates back to around 1000 BCE is characterized by a long eastern platform supporting one larger central building.
In 1980 Marvin Cohodas began discussing the relationship of E Groups to celebrating agricultural cycles, an idea that was further investigated by James Aimers (1993:171–179), as well as Travis Stanton and David Freidel (2003).
Anthony Aveni and Horst Hartung (1988, 1989) looked more at Uaxactún's Group E complex to test the theory that it functioned as an astronomical observatory with their results indicating that it likely was.
Laporte (2001:142) noted that E groups were the largest open public space at most sites hinting more at their central nature to the community.
This term refers to the regional variant of E-Groups, mainly residing in Eastern Peten during the Late Classic period.
To date, there are currently four known Pseudo E-Groups: Blue Creek, Chan Chich, San Jose, Quam Hill.
