14.2330°N, 87.5520°W.
Fortified hilltop settlement in the Comayagua Valley of western Honduras, elevated 400 metres above surrounding topography and strategically positioned to control trade in obsidian, jade, and cacao between Mesoamerica's lowlands and highlands. The site was continuously occupied from the Middle Formative (1200–400 BCE) through the Classic period (250–900 CE), showing unbroken settlement across two millennia. Structures arranged in concentric defensive rings on the slopes with the main plaza occupying the summit provide evidence of systematic hillfort design. Ceramic assemblages reveal interaction with both Maya and non-Maya populations, documenting multi-ethnic exchange and settlement patterns. The fortification pattern distinguishes Tenampua from lowland ceremonial centres and suggests its primary function as a defensive strongpoint and trade node. Unlike many Maya sites abandoned after the tenth-century collapse, Tenampua's hilltop location and fortifications preserved occupation and allowed population persistence through regional political transition.
The site demonstrates alternative settlement strategies beyond lowland plaza complexes.