This presentation explores new archaeological and historical data that reveal the dynamics of wider geopolitical networks in the eastern part of the Southern Maya lowlands in 378-736 C.E. It compares and contrasts the periods of regional political consolidation of 378-406 C.E. and 546-695 C.E. in terms of the known historical context, the impact on the built landscape, and the representation in the visual culture and the written rhetoric. The goal is to refine our understanding of the ancient Maya ‘superstates’ and to search for appropriate theoretical models corresponding to these political systems at various organizational levels.