Northern Foothills
The northern foothills of the ancient city extend east-west for more than three kilometers and sit entirely on private lands. This swath of ancient settlement is 500 meters wide at certain points; the most prominent sectors are situated at the base of the quarry hill known as "Cerro Elefante". Several of the largest architectural clusters in the valley are found in the foothills, among these are Group 9J-5 in Comedero and Groups 8N-10/12 in Chorro. Stelae 5 and 6, and the Petapilla stela, among others, are found in the northern foothills. During the Late Classic period (AD 600-800), settlement was more or less continuous across the length of the foothills, though considerable evidence exists that predates the Classic period. Cerro Chino, for example, has revealed substantial deposits dating to the Bijac ceramic phase, ca. AD 100-400. The Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH) currently is negotiating to buy the vast majority of the northern foothills as part of a plan to expand the National Archaeological Park fourfold.