Surviving in the Rainforest:
The Realities of Looting in the Rural Villages of El Petén, Guatemala

Local Classification of Precolumbian Remains

Precolumbian remains are given a "value" by the local population, depending on whether they belong to the "portable objects" category, or to the "sculpture and architecture" category. First it is important to state the concept of the word "value", which in this case has three meanings:

1. Degree of utility that objects have in order to satisfy needs or provide welfare.

2. Quality of the objects which, in order to possess them, certain amounts of money or something of similar value has to be given in exchange.

3. Significance or importance of an object or an action portrayed on it.

According to the people interviewed for this study, Precolumbian remains are given two kinds of "value"; the significance an object or site has for them; and the actual monetary value of an object. The importance of an object/site is never understood for the role it played as part of the nation’s history and present culture; only if it provides some kind of benefit to the individual or the community.

Portable objects are recognized by the local villagers as things that were used by people before them. The basic function of ceramics, figurines, and ornaments are easy to determine because of the shapes and hardness of the material. However, details about their use (domestic, ceremonial, funerary) and manufacturing technology are generally unknown or confusing. Also, there are differences among the socio-economic and cultural backgrounds of the viewers. Collectors will emphasize their attention to the artistic decoration (and maybe historical importance); looters will focus on the objects’ size, decoration, and general condition; while others will re-use the objects according to their points of view.

For portable objects, unfortunately, the economic value is most important because the direct commercialization can provide money, if they are in demand. Consulted about which objects are the most "valuable" and in which order of importance, from most valuable to least valuable, several informants agreed that the list could be classified as follows (the final decision depends on the object in particular):

1. Jade and Greenstone Pieces: In order to be considered of some value, the objects have to include delicate or outstanding manufacturing techniques. Jade figurines and masks are always at the top of the list of favorites. Other objects of great value are round beads, carved tubular beads, earflares, and mosaics. Apple-green colored jadeite is the most requested, as well as bright dark greenstones. If Jadeite presents brownish or white spots, it is of poor quality.

2. Ceramic Vessels and Containers: Includes Polychrome ceramics, Codex-Style ⁴⁹   and black-over-cream vessels. ⁵⁰   Certain shapes are also preferred, but again everything depends on their decoration. In order of most important to least important are: vases; bowls, as well as those with three dimensional lids; and lastly, plates. There are several characteristics that are looked for, essentially the following:

1. One or more painted characters: The economic value of the vessel depends on the number of painted figures, the setting (palace and throne, for example), and the movement or action they display. If there is action, the price increases.

2. Standing figures (priced individually). If there are different figures, the vessel’s price is the product of multiplying the price of each figure by the number of figures. If the seller or buyer thinks, for example, that three of the figures are the same personage or in the same category, then it is three for the price of one.

3. Movement of figures: The type of motion portrayed on the vessel is highly important, as we can see in the following cases:

1. Characters riding animals (deer, peccary), serpent monster scenes and ballgame players, with full action movement are the most valuable, depending on whether the object is painted in polychrome or black-over-white.

2. Seated Lord moving arms: The movement or action of the arms is very significant and highly valuable. This includes lords sitting on thrones, talking to lesser lords, and also lords or deities emerging from turtle carapaces.

3. Dancing figure: The dancer is the least valuable of the "moving" characters, unless he appears associated with another character or has extraordinary artistry. The price of the object depends more on the painting and presence of glyphs.

However, objects with glyphic texts are highly valuable because it means that the vase "is not mute". They include the texts around the rims of vases and bowls, and the glyphs on plates. The secondary texts in cruciform or T-shapes are of the highest value because of their association to the figures.

3. Ceramic figurines (complete): Includes whistle-figurines and solid and hollow figures. Their value depends on the decoration (the presence of incisions, painting, applied ornaments) and the form of the figure, such as:

1. Active human characters: lords and warriors in full attire (best if polychrome).

2. Human characters: with or without action, men and women dressed in everyday or royal attire; best if painted and dressed in headdresses, necklaces, sandals, capes, loincloths, robes, etc.

3. Animal figures: the most common are turkeys, peccaries, owls, dogs, parrots, and rabbits.

Objects (ornaments) of shell and bone are the least valuable of the salable objects, unless they have extraordinary "art", in which case they can move upward on the list. The objects included in this category are bracelets, bracelet and anklet beads, pectorals, spoons, carved bones, etc.

4. Architecture and Sculpture: unfortunately, sculpture, such as stelae, carved panels, and statues, are considered valuable if they can be traded. Sometimes these are mutilated to obtain specific parts that are most in demand (like carved glyphs or parts of the main character), or cut into pieces in order to transport them to their destination, where they can be reassembled. At present, archaeological sites are considered valuable because they can either attract tourism (and benefit people who can work as guides or offer other services) or they can be looted.

Endnotes

49. The characteristic shapes of the Codex-Style vessels include plates with low and flaring walls; bowls and dishes with flaring walls; and vases and bowls with vertical, divergent or flaring (black, white, pink, blue, green, red) walls (Reents-Budet et al., 1993:1-11).

50. These ceramics from Eastern Petén include tall cylindrical vases with vertical walls; bowls and dishes with higher walls than the ones seen in Codex-styles; and tripod plates with high and flaring walls.

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