[4] The protected area of the archaeological site is defined by the lakeshore to the north and west, and by the modern village of San Miguel to the south and east.

[8] Very little is known about the use of the peninsula during the time of first contact with the Spanish, although early colonial accounts reported that the Itza frequently conducted rituals there.

The University of Pennsylvania mapped the site in 1971, and its limits were defined by the Instituto de Antropología e Historia (Institute of Anthropology and History) in 1994.

[9] The Proyecto Arqueológico Tayasal was launched in 2009, with particular emphasis on the period of contact with the Spanish, and the early colonial years.

[15] The University of Pennsylvania project mapped 339 structures; the city possessed large open plazas, palaces, pyramid-temples, an acropolis, defensive walls, residential buildings, and a cenote.

[18] Cerro Moo (Structures T256-T258) was another triadic pyramid, dating to the Late Preclassic, also built on the higher ground of the peninsula.

The E-Group axis is oriented 9° to the south of the east–west line, leading investigators to conclude that it was never used as an astronomical observatory as at other sites, but rather served a purely ceremonial function.

A number of ritual deposits were excavated that date to the Late to Terminal Classic period, indicating continued use of the platform long after its construction.

[25] Tayasal iconography is typical of Maya artefacts found in the surrounding Petén region that date approximately to the same time period.

The vases accompanied an individual who was interred at Tayasal during the Terminal Classic period; circa 8th century AD.

[26][27] The vases' images are thought to represent the elite status concerns, similar to those as depicted on carved stelae at neighbouring sites.