Chitinamit, Archaeological site in Uspantán, El Quiché, Guatemala

Chitinamit is an archaeological site on a mountain in Guatemala's highlands, built across stone terraces and defensive structures arranged around a central plaza. It contains residential buildings, a ball court, and a temple built from stone, spread across the mountainside.

Chitinamit has been identified as Jakawitz, the first capital of the K'iche' Maya. The site was occupied from the Early Classic to the Late Postclassic period. Its end appears to have been violent: many projectile points were found and buildings show evidence of burning.

The site's name is linked to Jakawitz, the patron god of the K'iche', who also gave his name to the first capital. A temple at Chitinamit was dedicated to this god. The residential walls were marked out with vertical schistose slabs about 15 centimetres high, a building style foreign to the region's original Maya population and attributed to intrusive K'iche' lineages.

Chitinamit lies on the Chujuyup mountain above the Queca River, reached on foot over steep, uneven ground. The excavated area covers about 2 hectares, so allow time to walk between the plaza, terraces and rampart. Sturdy shoes and water are needed; the surrounding slopes are poor for agriculture and offer little shade.

Excavations in 1977 by Kenneth Brown of the University of Houston uncovered many projectile points together with evidence that buildings had burned, indicating the site's occupation ended violently rather than being gradually abandoned.