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An archaeological
tour of El Salvador begins right
in the capital, at the National Anthropology Museum. |
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examples of art, ceramics, jewelry and tools used by El Salvador's early
inhabitants, and helps orient visitors to the country's archaeological sites
before they head out to explore the sites on their own. Vestiges from the
country's earliest human inhabitants include cave paintings and rock
carvings that date from 10,000 years ago. The earliest known human
settlement in El Salvador is a site now called El Carmen, occupied from 1500
to 1200 BC. Evidence of Olmec civilization is found at Santa Leticia, among
other sites, where enormous "pot-belly" sculptures were carved 2,600 years
ago. |
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| On an August evening more than
1,400 years ago, a tiny town, destined to become El Salvador's most famous
archaeological attraction, was buried in volcanic ash. After the site, today
known as Joya de Cerén, was accidentally uncovered by a bulldozer,
archaeologists began excavations in 1978. What they discovered beneath
layers of ash and rock was an astonishing, three-dimensional snapshot of
small-town life during the Classic era of Maya civilization. Ten adobe
buildings have been unearthed so far, including a community temascal, or
sauna, and a beautiful structure known as the "Shaman's House," believed to
have been occupied by a woman practicing mysterious rites that drew curious
townsmen to her windows. Garden plots, containing maize and other plants,
were preserved by the ash, along with utensils, pots and food used on a
daily basis. Many of these items can be viewed in a small museum at the
site, and visitors can also see several of the adobe houses that have been
excavated. Interestingly, archaeologists have yet to find any human remains,
suggesting that the town's inhabitants were able to flee, at least a short
distance, before their town was inundated with ash and rock fragments with
temperatures as hot as 575oC. Joya de Cerén is appropriately called the
"Pompeii of the Americas" and was designated "Patrimony of Humanity" by
UNESCO in 1993. It is located just 40 kilometers from San Salvador. |
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San Andrés |
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Located five kilometers from Joya de Cerén, San Andrés is a
ceremonial site occupied from 600 to 900 AD in the Late Classic era, by a
culture archaeologists refer to as Payu. Visitors will find a large,
partially-restored pyramid, some lovely stelae, a spacious museum containing
artifacts discovered during excavations, as well as a theater with
audio-visual presentations. Grassy areas at the San Andrés site are ideal
for picnicking. |
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Tazumal |
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A small park in the town of Chalchuapa of western El
Salvador, Tazumal marks the remains of one of the country's oldest cities,
first inhabited in about 1200 BC. Successive stages of construction
continued through the city's last occupation from 900 to 1200 AD by a
culture of Mexican origin. Visitors can climb a large, restored pyramid,
view stelae and some ancient Olmec sculptures, and visit a museum containing
relics discovered during excavations at Tazumal and nearby sites. |
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