Sacul is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the upper drainage of the Mopan River, in the Petén department of Guatemala.

[3] At this time Sacul experienced a major surge in construction activity, with many buildings being extended or altered.

[2] This final phase of activity was spread throughout both the ceremonial core and the residential periphery and ceramic finds demonstrate links to the Belize Valley and the southern area of the Maya Mountains.

[6] The Sacul Valley is located in the northern portion of the Maya Mountains, just 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the border with Belize.

[7] The area is crossed by north–south limestone ridges with a narrow flood plain that is never wider than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) along the banks of the river and is closed by high cliffs.

[7] The mountain peaks around the Sacul Valley are covered with primary rainforest while the lower slopes have been cleared for milpa agriculture and cattle ranching.

[8] The cities of the northern part of the Maya Mountains first started erecting their own sculpted monuments in the period between AD 760 and 820.

[10] This appears to reflect a profound change in the political landscape at this time, with the emergence of Sacul, Ixkun, Ixtutz and Ixtonton as strongly competing polities.

[10] The 8th-century king Ch'iyel appears to have been the most powerful ruler at Sacul and is recorded as having participated in a number of events, including wars, rituals and royal visits.

[9] During the Late Classic period Sacul participated in a regional exchange network as well as producing its own local ceramics.

[5] The object of the alliance may have been to procure captives for sacrifice; after the expedition both rulers celebrated a k'atun-ending ceremony and participated in a bloodletting ritual.

[14] The presence of a triadic complex in Plaza C demonstrates the city's participation in the wider sociopolitical arena of the Petén Basin, with that particular architectural form having its origin in the central Maya lowlands of the Preclassic Period.

[15] The site core is located upon a 40-metre (130 ft) high natural hill, which was artificially levelled to form two terraces.

[16] A Terminal Classic burial was interred in an opening carved out of the bedrock beneath the plaza and was covered with limestone slabs.

[2] The burial was accompanied by a funerary offering consisting of ten ceramic vessels, among which were an incense burner, plates and bowls.

[2] Within the cist were enclosed the remains of an adolescent together with a rich funerary offering that included 2 ceramic vessels, an alabaster vase, and a variety of ornaments, rings and beads crafted from snail shells, mother-of-pearl, greenstone and pyrite.

[15] The E-Group west pyramid measures 7.4 metres (24 ft) high[15] The east platform is lower, as is normal in such complexes in the wider Maya region, although it is considered unusual for the southeastern Petén.

[15] The North Structure of Plaza E contained a large cache of Terminal Classic ceramics, including hundreds of simple plates and a variety of incense burners.

[17] As well as the numbered monuments listed here, various unnumbered pieces were found throughout the site, especially near the west range of the ballcourt.

[17] The monument is very similar to Stela 1 from Ixkun and depicts the two rulers facing each other and holding staves of rulership, with a prisoner in a panel beneath their feet.

[17] Stela 6 was associated with Altar 4 and was sculpted with a royal figure accompanied by a hieroglyphic text that included a Maya calendrical date.

[25] The text is badly eroded and the full date is incomplete, with just the Calendar Round day 1 Muluc 8 Zip being legible.

[9] This stela was originally erected at the base of the causeway leading to the East Group but was moved in the late 20th century.