city state · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Quiriguá

426 CE – 810 CE (approx.) · capital Quiriguá

A small Maya kingdom in the Motagua valley that won independence from Copán in 738 and raised the tallest carved stone monuments of the Maya world.

Origins

Quiriguá was founded or refounded in 426 CE as a dependency of Copán, about 50 kilometres to the south, by agents of Copán's founder K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'. It controlled the lower Motagua river, a route for jade and obsidian toward the Caribbean.

Rule and society

Its ruler K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat was installed under Copán's authority in 724. In 738, probably backed by the Kingdom of Kaan, he captured and beheaded Copán's king Waxaklajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, freeing Quiriguá. He celebrated with enormous sandstone stelae, including Stela E, over 10 metres tall, and zoomorphic boulders carved with long texts.

Decline and legacy

Quiriguá prospered for several decades after its victory but its last monuments date to about 810, after which it declined. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

Connections (1)

  • Quiriguá was a vassal of Copán426 CE – 738 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Quiriguá. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/quirigua
MLA
“Quiriguá.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/quirigua. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Quiriguá.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/quirigua.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Quiriguá’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/quirigua (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻