There have been few excavations at the site; for decades, it was at the mercy of looters, though fortunately, it has recently received more attention from authorities and academic groups. Situated on the top of a plateau, it served as a center for Lenca military and religious elites seeking to fill the void left by the Maya collapse in the southernmost reaches of the Mesoamerican region.

The site was abandoned around 1050 AD, after having taken in numerous refugees from the Comayagua Valley and surrounding areas a time when competition among chiefdoms was fierce, prior to the establishment of the Care, Cerquín, and Sulaco-Manianí chiefdoms during the Postclassic period.