The Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site, a world heritage site
in El Salvador,
rivals Pompeii for its exceptional
remains of a pre-Columbian agricultural community that was buried under several
meters of volcanic ash during an eruption of the Laguna Caldera Volcano in
approximately 660 CE.
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| Ceren archaeological site |
This week the University
of Colorado in Boulder
published a fascinating article on recent archaeological research at the site,
which challenges the common perception that the common people of time were lorded
over by ruthless elites. As well, the research has underscored the complexity
of local social structures and relationships.
Given that the historical record of indigenous Latin
America is dominated by the observations of the early Spanish conquistadors
and their hangers-on, archaeological research of the sort being pursued by the University
of Colorado is a welcome corrective
to the traditional narrative.
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