Modern archaeological documentaries overwhelm us with sensational images of royal tombs and monuments to “kings.” Some scholars perpetuate this distorted view by using “kingship” as the prime indicator for the rise of Maya states. However, early states do not always focus their political systems, ideology, and art on despotic rulers. Many early states were more collaborative in their organization and invested heavily in public works. Their ideologies generally emphasized collective symbols and cosmic renewal. Such early states tended to be larger and more resilient than despotically ruled states. Teotihuacan and Monte Albán are the most well-known collaborative state in Mesoamerica, but Middle Preclassic states in the Maya area followed a similar pattern. This lecture considers Nixtun-Ch’ich’ in Petén, Guatemala as a collaborative state.