Proyecto Itza seeks to understand the history of the Petén Lakes region of Guatemala through archaeological research. We primarily focus upon the Preclassic and Colonial periods. Our work with the Preclassic examines urbanization and the development of social hierarchies in the Middle Preclassic period (800-300 BCE). We follow those developments into the Late Preclassic period (300 BCE-AD 200), which ended with a hiatus or collapse at many sites in the region. We also examine Maya communities before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Late Postclassic period (AD 900-1525) and their initial interactions during the Contact period (AD 1525-1697), which begins with Hernán Cortés passing through the region and ends with the conquest of the Itza capital in AD 1697. Our research on the Colonial period (AD 1697-1821) focuses on mission settlements established around Lake Petén Itzá in the early 18th century.