Yalain

Northern Guatemala is a flat lowland plain dropping off from the Cuchumatanes mountain range sweeping across in an arc to the south. To the east of the mountains is the large lowland Lake Izabal, with an outlet into the Amatique Bay to the east, which itself opens onto the Gulf of Honduras. Immediately north of the mountains is the Lacandon forest, with Petén to the northeast. Ystapalapán was a settlement in the western Cuchumatanes, in the territory of the Chuj. Cobán was in Q'eqchi' territory, in the foothills halfway between Ystapalapán in the west and Lake Izabal in the east. Xocolo was at the northeastern extreme of Lake Izabal, where it flows out towards the sea. Nito, also known as Amatique, was on the coast where the river flowing out of the lake opened into the Amatique Bay. The area south of the lake was Toquegua territory. The Manche occupied the lands to the northwest of the lake, with the Acala to their west between the Manche and the Chuj. The Lacandon were northwest of the Acala, straddling the border with Mexico. Lake Petén Itzá was in the centre of Petén, to the north. It was the location of Nojpetén, with the Itza lands stretching southwards from the lake. To the east of the Itza and northeast of the Manche were the Mopan, on the border with Belize. North of the Mopan were the Yalain, east of Lake Petén Itzá. The Kowoj were to the northeast of the lake and the Kejache to the northwest. The "Tierra de Guerra" ("Land of War") covers a broad northern swathe of the mountains and the southern portion of the lowlands.
İspanyolların Guatemala ile temas kurduğu dönemdeki kuzey Guatemala ovalarının haritası

Yalain, Guatemala'nın kuzeyindeki Petén Havzası'nda, merkezi Petén gölleri bölgesinde, Geç Klasik dönemde (yaklaşık MS 1000-1697) var olmuş bir Maya siyasi topluluğudur. Yalain'in siyasi kapsamı ve arkeolojisi hakkında çok az bilgi bulunmaktadır.

Kaynakça

  1. ↑ Rice and Rice 2009, p. 11.
  2. ↑ Rice 2009, p.17.

Bibliyografya