The Growth of Piedras Negras, Guatemala

Chronology: History of Piedras Negras

Preclassic and Protoclassic settlement in the region of Piedras Negras (prior to 600 B.C.) was quite modest with little in the way of permanent structures, and probably consisted of a small village with ready access to riverine resources and space to grow crops (Houston et al, n.d.). Middle Preclassic ceramics (ca 600-400 B.C.) are rare within the center, often located as pockets on the bedrock in the South Group. Architecture from this period includes the first known public buildings with the erection of a modest platform (R-32) and a small public building on it with squared facing stones and a polished stucco floor (R-3-3rd). Late Preclassic (400 B.C.-100 A.D.) material is also sparse within the center, and in the regions round about (Webster and Kirker 1997:190; Lee and Hayden 1988:71). This gives the impression of the continuance of a modest village with little growth. R-3 continues as a public structure and is elevated to a height of 3 meters, showing that there was some concern at Piedras Negras with constructing public buildings, and perhaps a forerunner to monumental display. The difficulty with reconstructing life during this period corresponds to the paucity of remains as only a few areas within the center have ceramics from Preclassic periods.

Early Classic (ca. A.D. 250-550) settlement began with the same village feel, but ends with monumental architecture already in place. Monumental architecture during the end of this period takes advantage of natural hillsides to provide structure behind the façades of buildings faced with large regular stones and well-plastered floors. Most buildings show a single large construction episode with a few subsequent minor additions. The end of this period also marks the emergence of history at Piedras Negras with the advent of named lords in the inscriptions (ignoring anachronistic references to even earlier rulers and events).

Their emergence may reflect a new dynamic within the village—a reconstructing of social ties evidenced by sufficient power to erect large public buildings and monuments. This shift may have been fueled by a population explosion represented by new patio groups being built across the landscape.

Late Classic (A.D. 600-800) continues the overall prosperous growth of Piedras Negras. The population peaks (probably around 3,000 inhabitants) and conflicts with neighboring polities escalate, perhaps as patio groups expand into "empty" territory. The southern end of the center penetrated into the dry arroyo that had previously marked its southern boundary, and a plaza and ritual complex developed across the arroyo (Nelson 1999). Upstream, multi-component patio groups were placed along the arroyo, thereby becoming the first settlement a visitor would have seen upon entering the center under the newly erected turtle petroglyph.

In the northern end of the center, the minor noble complex in the C-group which had marked the northern boundary of the center since Early Classic times, expanded and is associated with a small settlement or lookout placed on top of a nearby hill, thereby more efficiently controlling ingress into the site core. A series of minor residences was built in the area between the C-group and the rest of the center to the south, linking both areas with a sparse settlement through a wet-season marsh. Additional settlement also appeared within the K-sector, perhaps linked to the majestic pyramid K-5.

The S-group which was once a hub of Early Classic settlement, also received an influx of settlement around the tomb of an Early Classic leader (R-8, Child and Child 2001). Nearby settlement spilled down the hill into the bajo region below. Closer to the Usumacinta River, the R-group also grew as Early Classic buildings gave way or were remodeled to accommodate the growing pains of this Late Classic metropolis. In the U-group two households came into being. One appears to be the residence of the master carver under Ruler 7; and the other, a small household that might have specialized in the production of lithic tools and bark paper.

All of this activity came at a cost. The center which had survived for several hundred years collapsed within a hundred years, beginning around A.D. 808 with the capture of Ruler 7 by Yaxchilán. The final ceramic phase (Kumché, A.D. 840-?) are rare within Piedras Negras, perhaps unrecognized due to weathering and erosion on their surfaces or perhaps simply because few people were left in the region.

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page