Cultural El Salvador

Joya de Ceren

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The Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site is a pre-Columbian Maya farming village that has been preserved after it was destroyed by volcanic ash around 600 CE.

It provides an excellent testimony of the daily lives of ordinary people, as they left behind utensils, ceramics, furniture, and even half-eaten food in their haste to escape the eruption of the Loma Caldera volcano. The remains of the earthen architecture have also been preserved.

Community Perspective: the site is easily reached by public bus, either from Santa Ana or San Salvador. Visiting the on-site museum with original excavated items is recommended to do first. The earthen buildings are very much intact, but do not expect grand stone buildings like in other Maya sites.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Joya de Ceren Archaeological Site (ID: 675)
Country
El Salvador
Status
Inscribed 1993 Site history
History of Joya de Ceren
1993: Inscribed
Inscribed
Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • iii
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
Official
All Links
UNESCO.org
Official Website
News Article
  • 25 Dec 2015 scientificamerican.com — Archaeological Finds in El Salvador Tell a Whole Different Tale about Maya Society
  • 4 Nov 2015 eurekalert.org — Footprints on ceremonial road may indicate Ceren residents were fleeing volcano
  • 17 Jun 2009 dailycamera.com — Anthropologists have uncovered the first and only site of ancient, large-scale manioc cultivation in Central America at Ceren

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