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The in-situ monuments of the ancient Mayan city Ik'Naahb' (Place of the Dark Well, currently known as Quiriguá) are the best preserved and highest quality stone sculptures from the Mayan Classic Period in Guatemala, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city of Ik'Naahb' was part of the territory dominated by the city of Oxwitik, currently Copán in Honduras. In the year 725 AD, the ruler of Oxwitik appointed Lord K'ahk 'Tiliw Chan Yopaat as ruler of Ik'Naahb' Nal, but years later he organized a revolution and his army conquered Oxwitik. Ik'Naahb' Nal thus became the most powerful city in the south-eastern region of the Mayan world.

K'ahk' Tiliw Chan Yopaat ordered the erection of a series of monuments every five years, beginning in 751 and ending in 805 AD, to reflect the city's period of glory. Built over almost 60 years, the 13 monuments are a representation of history written in stone. The hieroglyphic texts refer to calendar dates, astronomical events, passages from Mayan mythology, as well as political, social and historical events during the time of the last three rulers of the city, between 751 and 805 AD, which allow for partial reconstruction of Mayan Civilization history.

The oldest reference to Quiriguá is from the end of the 18th century when Mr. Juan Payes y Font acquired land east of the Los Amates town. In the company of his children, he discovered the site and monuments on the property. Many years passed before the discovery was disclosed. The first printed report appeared in the 94th edition of the "El Tiempo" newspaper, published in Guatemala on May 7, 1840, which alludes to the brief visit of artist, illustrator and English explorer, Frederick Catherwood, to Quiriguá. The following year, Catherwood and John L. Stephens published the work "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatán", which included descriptive notes of the site, the monuments and the first drawings of the stelae now known as "E" and "F". Explorers and researchers visited Quiriguá from then on, and their studies contributed to the conservation work of the sculpted monuments and residential buildings that populate the park.