on the north side through to the palace structure 5D-91 on the south side. The flanking structures 5D-90 and 5D-92 were then built as annexes on the south side of the plaza, at the same time as the east and west ballcourts were added on the north side. The seven temples themselves appear to have been a later development, taking advantage of the adjoining west terrace of the South Acropolis. Archaeologists have divided the Plaza of the Seven Temples into a number of zones: The Central Patio is the inner courtyard of the plaza, enclosed by the surrounding buildings. It has a surface area of and inclined slightly so as to drain runoff rainwater from the northeast corner, towards the Temple III reservoir. The seven temples are aligned along the east side of the patio. It is bordered on the south by a palace complex. On the north side it is enclosed by a number of structures that formed a triple ballcourt. The west side of the Central Patio is formed by the rear of an E-Group complex. The North Patio is the area immediately north of the triple ballcourt. The East Patio is the area immediately behind the seven temples. It is actually the western terrace of the South Acropolis. One of the walls has been dated as far back as the Preclassic Period. The South Patio is the zone to the south of the southern palace. The west side of the plaza is enclosed by the remains of an E-Group complex facing westwards onto a neighbouring plaza. The seven temples The seven temples giving the plaza its name are aligned along the east side of the plaza. They are denominated Structures 5D-93 through to 5D-99. Structure 5D-94 is the second temple from the southern end of the series. The temple consists of a single platform standing high. The platform has an upper flange that projects from the platform wall. Structure 5D-96 is the largest of the seven temples, standing higher than the others. It the central temple of the seven; a plain stela-altar pair is situated in front of it. The temple is particularly notable for its relief sculpture, including a skull and crossed bones. The temple was cleared of overgrowth in 2004 in order to prevent further damage being caused to the temple superstructure, which had already suffered collapse of some sections of the roof comb due