Zaculeu - Site Description

Site Description

The site of Zaculeu was probably chosen for its proximity to the Seleguá River, providing a permanent water supply, together with its easily defendable hilltop location. Zaculeu has 43 structures and the majority of construction activity took place in one burst in the Early Classic, with only minor alterations thereafter. The smaller platforms situated in the plazas were late additions and show the influence of central Mexico. The entrance to the site was via a narrow land bridge to the north, which was protected by a fortified structure that occupied three quarters of the width of the land bridge.

The ceremonial centre of the city consisted of 43 structures clustered in an area of 1,400 square metres (15,000 sq ft).

The architecture at the site includes talud-tablero style buildings with double stairways. The facades of some of the buildings have cylindrical columns, a feature found in other parts of Mesoamerica. Artefacts recovered from the site include items fashioned from turquoise and metal artefacts crafted from gold, silver and copper and their alloys demonstrating the city's participation in the wider trade networks of the Postclassic Period. These metal artefacts were either influenced by or imported from Mexico and southern Central America.

The structures at Zaculeu were grouped around small plazas and were generally built from masonry coated with a thick layer of plaster, fragments of which bear floral and geometric designs, indicating the structures were originally brightly painted. Stones were undressed and cemented in adobe mortar. No evidence of corbel vaulting has been found and very little in the way of stone sculpture, with the architecture completely lacking stone sculpture. Burials from the Early Classic yielded a rich array of finds but Late Classic burials were accompanied by a lesser variety of offerings.

An Early Classic tomb was inserted under the main pyramid at Zaculeu, it had been tunnelled from the volcanic ash underlying the structure. A broad stairway descended to the tomb from the main plaza. The tomb itself was painted red and the floor was scattered with the remains of more than 100 ceramic vessels that has been crushed when the roof of the tomb collapsed. Also found were the remains of 34 pyrite mirrors of a type similar to those found at Kaminaljuyu. A sizeable quantity of jade was recovered from the tomb, including beads and earplugs. Some of the jade beads had been carved to represent human and parrot faces. The tomb contained the bones of four or more individuals and the ceramic offerings included decorated tripod vessels, polychrome bowls and a polychrome cylindrical vase that had a painted band of hieroglyphs. One ceramic bowl is painted in a negative painting style that is similar to finds from Nebaj.

The site core is laid out around eight plazas. Some of the structures were restored by the United Fruit Company, most of these border Plazas 1 and 2. Structures 1 and 2 are pyramid temples. Structures 4, 6 and 10 are palace structures, long buildings with internal chambers and benches used as residences and for administrative purposes.