Pismachi

Pismachi' was the second capital of the K'iche' Maya, built after their first mountain seat. According to K'iche' tradition, the founders moved southwest and raised a great ritual centre here. Under the king K'otuja, the ruling lineage tightened its grip on the neighbouring Kaqchikel through marriages between ruling houses. The unity of the K'iche' cracked here when one lineage rebelled against K'otuja and attacked Pismachi'; it failed, and withdrew north to found a town of its own.

Around 1400 K'otuja's son Q'uq'umatz led the ruling lineage a short way north to Q'umarkaj, "the place of old reeds", and Pismachi' became one of the satellites of Greater Q'umarkaj. From there the K'iche' kingdom expanded under K'iq'ab, until a rebellion in 1470 split the Kaqchikel away to found their own capital, Iximché. The kingdom fell to Pedro de Alvarado in 1524, when Q'umarkaj was burned.

The later city of Santa Cruz del Quiché lies here.