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

Local Re-Utilization of Archaeological Objects

Although selling for profit is very important, not all the Precolumbian objects have to be sold in order to be valuable for the people who use them again. This is more likely in the case of ceramics, stone grinders or metates, and stelae that do not have any visible and outstanding carvings. In the rainforest, anything that can be used is considered valuable. Looting activities destroy the information that could be available about the function of the objects and their cultural context and perhaps provide new insights into Maya history and the development of technology. However, their function is not forgotten, thanks to the importance some of these objects have for the present inhabitants. The objects and their functions are categorized according to the way they are perceived, on the cultural setting of the present-day people and the similarity of shape between Precolumbian artifacts and modern or traditional utensils.

The most common re-utilization of antiquities is the use of ceramics. Vessels that haven’t been sold, start a new life in the chiclero camps as containers of all sorts of things, from ballpoint pens to rubber bands. But those who benefit most from the abandoned ceramics are women, who use them frequently in their kitchens to contain flour, eggs, salt, dried soups, spices, chilies, and corn dough for traditional foods.

Ceramics are almost always present in the kitchens of all the village houses and chiclero camps. Eating from a Precolumbian plate or bowl is not strange because their shapes are a clear demonstration that they were made by the Maya to contain food. Vases are the least used because of their size (around 8 to13 inches tall) and their material, which is heavier than modern glasses and cups. Ceramics are also used as water containers if their shapes are rounded and have narrow necks (widely known as a tinaja) or to pour water if they are narrow and easy to handle.

Kitchens are where Precolumbian objects are most needed and therefore used and cared for most effectively. Most of the women who gave their opinion about the quality of these wares, explained that they like them because they come in different styles, are more original because they are not manufactured anymore, and they are free. Household accidents can happen if the vessels are not used properly, since exploding pots can hurt the user and scatter the food, if they are put over the fire without being "cured" first. ⁵¹   This process consists of putting warm water in the vessel and gradually bringing it to a boil. In some cases water mixed with masa (corn dough or corn meal) is poured inside.

However, not all the objects are safe from destruction. On one occasion a woman from Uaxactún found a small tripod vessel on her way back from the aguada, where she went to carry water. She cleaned it and placed it on the kitchen table as a container for her chili peppers. One day, the Guardia de Hacienda came to the village checking some houses that were supposed to have objects for illegal trade. She was so scared that she took the vessel, ran to the back of the house, and broke it. The guards were not looking for her nor was her house being searched, but since then she has been terrified to have something Precolumbian in her home. Meanwhile, her nice chili plate was destroyed forever. In other cases, children use the abandoned ceramics to practice with their sling-shots, hitting them from a distance to prove their shooting ability (which later on will be used for hunting).

Precolumbian remains can also provide important devices to accomplish several chores. Grinders, for example, are still used the traditional way, so using an ancient one is not very different or unusual. Most of the women said that they like the metates because they last forever and can be found in different shapes (tripod and flat, curved and shallow, curved and deep, etc.) which can be used for varied purposes, from grinding coffee to drinking troughs for animals.

However, need is the mother of invention and originality, as can be seen in the following illustrations that show other widely-practiced re-utilization of cultural artifacts. For instance, many stelae that were either not carved or were too eroded to be considered important by the local people, became important as construction material. The flat shape and large size determined function. The slab-shape of the stela makes it a favorite to build ovens, washing surfaces, hearths, and ancient limestone metates can be used to wash clothes.

Endnote

51. Carlos Catalán, a chiclero and tour guide from Carmelita, remembered a lecture in which I said that one of the main functions of ceramics was to contain food. While taking some tourists to El Mirador, he bravely picked an abandoned vessel and decided to show how he cooked his beans in a Precolumbian bowl. To his surprise, the pot exploded making his dinner disappear.

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