[Aztlan] Photo of the relief fragment found near Moroceli, Guatemala

[Jerry Offner]

I thank Mike Ruggeri for calling our attention to this find and somewhat dire situation.  Here is a link to a Honduran newspaper article with two small photos:


http://www.elheraldo.hn/nota.php?nid=57007&sec=7&fecha=2006-09-06

The photo of the relief fragment can be more clearly seen by saving it to disk and manipulating (enlarging, sharpening, etc.) it through Photoshop or a similar graphics program.  Or you can use the magnifying tool in Windows XP.  I can easily e-mail such images to interested people without these capabilities, although they may only serve to increase their frustration in comprehending its content.  

The relief fragment does seem non-Mayan in style--unless it is a simplified codical style. It may be the lower half of a figure or figures in a scene or procession with similarities to Oaxcan styles--but this is only speculation and can be more usefully and accurately shaped by people with familiarity with the area in Honduras and with greater familiarity with Maya and Oaxacan codical and sculptural styles--not to mention better images to examine.  Offerings and ball game gear might be involved, but "who knows" at this point.  Definition of the image is so poor you may see many things that are not there and miss things that are.  For instance, left to right, it may be a standing somewhat rotund male figure wearing a belt of some kind with a "n" shaped featherwork attached to his lower back, located in front of an altar with a food offering in a bowl in front of him.  The element at lower right is almost but not a death's head or a shield....  It will befun to see how far this is from the truth as others examine this and better images.  

The article itself has interesting additional information including 12-15 mounds of which 4 are largely destroyed, and the dispersion of remains among people in the area and further dispersion outside the area in the antiquities trade. Some toponymic link to Mixtec is mentioned that may refer to the name of a river: "Liquitimay." This may be the same nearby river called Grande or Choluteca also. Rivers always bring to mind trade and trade routes (not just "exchange") as well as agriculture. If this is an "intrusion" into this area from the north, it would be interesting to know what resources or products were of interest.  Are there additional toponyms in the area that might have Mixtec links or is the local historian on a wrong track?

And of course, the culture and style may be local and essentially sui generis.

Here is the request from the local authorities:

"Actualmente [la pieza, (the relief fragment)] se exhibe delante del edificio municipal. Hasta ahora nadie se atreve a decir si se trata de una figura zoomorfa o antropomorfa (con forma de animal o de humano) y por eso desean que expertos del Instituto Hondure?o de Antropolog?a e Historia (IHAH) o alg?n organismo af?n lo identifique."

It seems time for people on line to try to proceed with answering the request.  Dare it be said that this could be a FAMSI rescue grant target for someone with the appropriate knowledge and skills?  It is beginning to get cold in the US and Honduras is warm...


Jerry Offner
ixtlil at earthlink.net