In recent years, the Holmul Archaeological Project has been excavating at the major Maya center of Chochkitam, located in the northeast corner of Guatemala, just a few kilometers from the Belize border. Here, after establishing the existence of a previously unknown dynasty, we have more deeply explored the relationship of its dynasty with Teotihuacan. The notorious royal burial containing a jade mask also contained several bones carved with the name of royal individuals. One of them may have belonged to a foreigner. Elsewhere at the site, we excavated the remains of a mass cremation ritual with many ceramics in Teotihuacan style. These finds lead us to formulate more nuanced hypotheses on the complex relationship the Maya may have had with Teotihuacan. Recently, we formed a collaborative group to analyze a mix of lidar datasets from various areas of the Central Maya Lowlands. Beyond the surprisingly higher population density north of the Guatemalan border, we note a rather consistent arrangement of commoner's households in proximity to elite plaza groups in urban and rural settings. This leads us to reject certain prevailing views on Maya urban and rural ways of life.