Even in its prime in the 7th century AD, Dos Pilas wasn’t a pleasant place to live. Located in the dense Petexbatun rain forest in Guatemala, the Maya city-state had to import most of its food. For some time, Maya archeologists have wondered why the Maya decided to locate a city in such an ill-favored location. Now, the translation of the hieroglyphs on a newly uncovered staircase on one of the temples in Dos Pilas has provided the answer at last. The reason is politics – Maya-style.