Nebaj is an

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology a ...

of the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () of the Mesoamerican people is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. Its Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is also noted for its art, a ...

, located in the western Guatemala highlands near the Ixil village of

Santa Maria Nebaj Santa Maria Nebaj (; usually abbreviated to Nebaj) is a town and municipality in the Guatemalan department of El Quiché. Santa Maria Nebaj is part of the Ixil Community, along with San Juan Cotzal and San Gaspar Chajul. Native residents spe ...

. What is now known as the

Fenton Vase The Fenton Vase is the name of a famous ancient Maya vase or cup that was excavated from the archeological site of Nebaj in the western Guatemala highlands. It is known for its intricate painting and historical record of the Maya elite. The vase ...

was excavated from this site. It is now held in the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

Villages

Xexocom Xexocom, sometimes erroneously spelled Xexecom, is a hamlet in the municipality of Nebaj, in the Quiché Department Quiché () is a department of Guatemala. It is in the heartland of the K'iche' (Quiché) people, to the north-west of Guatemala ...

References

Maya sites in Guatemala Archaeological sites in Guatemala {{mesoamerica-stub