Repositioning Altar de Sacrificios on the Ancient Maya Landscape: UAS Settlement Survey of the Upper Usumacinta Confluence Zone

Abstract Despite its record among early twentieth-century explorers and being one of the first sites excavated in southwestern Petén, Guatemala, Altar de Sacrificios has eluded Maya scholarship for much of the last half-century. This article aims to redefine Altar’s position on the ancient Maya geopolitical landscape and reconsider its role in socioeconomic exchange during the Classic period (ca. AD 200–900). We report new findings from a unmanned aerial system survey of the Upper Usumacinta Confluence Zone, contextualizing our results with other remote sensing surveys across the Maya lowlands. By examining the size, form, and distribution of settlement across this fluvial landscape, we characterize variable patterns of settlement density and organization in relation to shifting river channels and potential land use practices associated with Altar’s Classic period occupation. Synthesizing these patterns and population estimates with data from other well-documented settlements across the Maya lowlands, this study highlights the diversity of this ancient urban tradition and contributes to broader discussions on Maya urbanization—especially the connections between cities and more rural zones of human habitation.