Archaeological Research at Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala

Mapping and Test Excavations at Palo Verde

The site of Palo Verde is located on the foothills of the Fuego volcano, about 10 km north of the Cotzumalhuapa Nuclear Zone at an elevation of 880 m.  Its monumental sculptures are known since the nineteenth century, and were reported by Cæcilie Seler (1900). These sculptures are recognized as major examples of Cotzumalhuapa art. Monuments 1-3 were brought to Guatemala city in 1910 and have been on display at the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology since the 1930’s. Yet, the site has remained totally unknown, except for a brief report and partial plan made by the author in 1994 (Chinchilla, 1996a:407-410).

Research at Palo Verde was given priority during the 2000-2001 field season for several reasons. The site is one of the major outlying settlements within the Cotzumalhuapa settlement system. In terms of architectural size, number and quality of sculptures, it finds no match except for the site of Aguná, located about 10 km Southwest of the Nuclear Zone. Because of its location, it promised to yield information on the interaction between the Nuclear Zone and the adjacent highlands of Chimaltenango, touching on issues such as obsidian exchange with the highland sources of the raw material. More importantly for practical reasons was the fact that the coffee trees planted over the entire site were pruned in 2000, creating favorable conditions for mapping that may not repeat in many years.

Sébastien Perrot-Minnot, a student from the University of Paris I, carried out mapping, reconnaissance, and test excavations at the site. All visible structures were mapped with a Topcon DT-30 electronic transit, combined with a Tripod Data Systems COGO data collector. The resulting data were processed using AutoCAD Land Development Desktop from Autodesk Inc.  The resulting map, covering an area of 2.09 ha, is shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9.

The site is dominated on the northern side by a large platform covering 1.2 ha (Structures 1-4), which is largely devoid of superstructures, except for a platform located on its eastern side (Structure 3). The southern side of this platform is split by a wide ramp that may have provided access, while an adjoining structure extends from the southwestern corner, enclosing a 30×75 m terrace at the base of the structure. Interestingly, this huge platform is not aligned with the rest of the site’s monumental major buildings. As shown on the map, the center of the main platform is aligned with structures 6 and 7, which seem to extend directly towards the central ramp. Yet, the large platform keeps the general site orientation, which on the basis of surface topography may be estimated around 20° East. Structure 9 parallels structures 6 and 7, leaving a 50×35 m patio in between. Structure 8, whose surface features suggest the possibility of a sunken court, encloses the northern side of this patio. On the southern side, Structure 10 is one of the most intriguing because of the large central depression with apparent entrances on the northern and southern sides. It may prove to be a platform sustaining a raised patio group.

This architectural assemblage stands on a ridge overlooking the Pantaleón river, which flows about one kilometer east of the site. The geographic location is particularly intriguing, because of the permanent hazard posed by the proximity of the active Fuego volcano, whose imposing 3760 meter high crater rises only 12 kilometers away from the site. Unfortunately, no information is available on the eruptive history of this cone during Precolumbian times, but Colonial records show that it has been active for the last five centuries. Constant eruptions periodically cover the site with airborne ashes, while major episodes pose a serious threat for human life, crops and buildings. Even in the absence of major eruptive episodes, the Pantaleón river carries a heavy load of volcanic sediments from loose ashes deposited high above the cone (Williams, 1960). As a result, a 50-60 cm layer of volcanic ashes covers the surface of the site. Excavations showed that this layer was formed by at least five episodes, separated by thin layers of brown soil.

Two stratigraphic pits were dug to gain a basic understanding of the site’s occupation history (Figure 8). Operation PV2 was located on the northern side of Structure 8.  Below the ash layers from recent eruptions, this excavation revealed Late Classic deposits that reached a thickness of 2.80 m.  Most of this appears to be the result of a fill operation that leveled the area before construction of the major architectural compounds. Only further excavations will confirm the extension of this leveling operation, which from this excavation appears to be an enormous undertaking that required a huge expense of labor. Ash layers from earlier eruptions were located underneath the Late Classic fill.

Operation PV3 was dug at a location that yielded fairly large concentrations of surface materials, 50 m southeast of Structure 9.  The recent ash layers were not as clear at this location, perhaps because of its modern use as a sugarcane field. Below, the Late Classic deposits reached a thickness of 1.60 m.  Most important was the presence of small amounts of sherds dating to the Early Classic period at the latest, which were found more than 2 m below the surface. This is the only indication of an earlier occupation of the area, long preceding its transformation into an important Late Classic center.

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