Archeology
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Cordillera Apaneca - Ilamatepeque
Gordinflon, Idolo o Potbelly
The Beginning
The origins of European organization as we know it today, in the minds of some historians coincide with the year 1066, at the Battle of Hastings. Imagine, the Mayan Site of Santa Leticia already had been existing for more than 1,000 years!. The lush vegetation that embraced the highlands of the Lamatepec Mountain Region, was at the same time witness and participant along with these ancient people that gave rise to what later became the Mayan Civilization.
El Salvador is located in the heart of Central America, and forms part of the tropical region. Our boundaries are, to the North, Honduras, to the West, Guatemala, to the East, Nicaragua, and to the South, the Pacific Ocean. One particular and interesting detail is that, if we go South through the Pacific Ocean, we would find no land mass until we reach Antartica.
The Site of Santa Leticia lies at an altitude of 1400 meters on the coffee cultivated slope called, Cerrito de Apaneca , (a volcanic peak in the province of Ahuachapán). The archaeological zone, of approximately 15 hectares, includes earthen mounds, a massive artificial terrace, and three stone monuments of the distinctive , "potbelly style". The smallest monument weighs 14,000lbs., and the largest 21,000lbs.
"During the pre-classical period, more or less 500 BC, a strong demographic expansion took place , especially in the low lands of under 1,000 meters. It was at that time when the settlement of Santa Leticia developed, bringing along an important cultural growth, given to the expansion of contact in between the different communities, establishing complex systems or cultural spheres. One of these systems was integrated by, Santa Leticia, Chalchuapa, and Atiquizaya".
"Santa Leticia is considered a very important site, the occupation of this site was not only of agricultural settlers, but it emerged to be an important ceremonial center. The majority of information available for the reconstruction of the every day life of the communities during this period comes from Santa Leticia". (Ministerio de Educación de la República deEl Salvador, Historia de El Salvador,Tomo I, 1994, 27).
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The Discovery
The site was first discovered by a 19th century traveler, Simeon Habel. Habel passed through the volcanic highlands of the provinces of Ahuachapán and Sonsonate in western El Salvador. Near the Town of Apaneca, on a level area between several peaks, Habel came across three massive stone monuments. Unfortunately , Habel's discovery was quickly forgotten , buried beneath heavy deposition and covered by the Finca's dense coffee trees. The great monuments were left to slumber for nearly a century" (Demarest, Arthur, "The Archaeology of Santa Leticia and the Rise of the Maya Civilization" 1986, 6).
In 1964 , a young man on vacation from military service in Germany with the U.S Army Paratroopers, was visiting his father and came upon the outcropping of a rock on which he sat so as to rest for a while. As he chatted with a local folk he noticed that the stone had a thick coverage of moss and underneath the remains of what seemed to be the carved relief of a forehead. He suddenly realized that he was sitting on an ancient monument.
However, he kept this to himself, returned to Germany to finish his military service, and in the month of October of 1965, returned to live at Finca Santa Leticia. He began excavations that same month and found the first of the potbellied figures (which according to the calculations of Demarest was estimated at 14,000 pounds) . He then began making a series of ever widening concentric circles until he came upon the second monument(according to Demarest 21,000 pounds). Ricardo Valdivieso was dumbfounded and tremendously excited by his discovery.
He then drew an imaginary line through the center of the two monuments, measured the distance and extended this imaginary line to the same distance that he found between the first two monuments. All the monuments were facing to the West, so therefore, the imaginary line ran North to South, so he extended the line to the South from monument two and to the north from monument one . This is the way he discovered monument three(19,000 pounds), at the exact same distance of monument two.
By this time Ricardo had made contact with his friend Stanley Boggs, a famous Salvadorean Archaeologist who at the time was head of the National Museum, "David J. Guzman". Together they excavated Santa Leticia Site for many years in which all of the findings were donated to the Salvadoran Museum by the Valdivieso Family.
During the illness and death of Ricardo Valdivieso Menéndez, Ricardo and Mauricio's father, the excavations were stopped at Santa Leticia. However, in 1977, Stanley Boggs asked permission of the Valdivieso brothers to invite other archaeologists to continue and help with the excavation.
Obviously, the Valdivieso's, Rick and Maurice happily agreed to the idea. Thus, in 1977 , appeared in El Salvador the young archaeologist, Arthur Demarest , who began the studies and excavation of Santa Leticia backed by the administration of the Cultural Patrimony of El Salvador, the Danforth Foundation, the Owens Fund of the Peabody Museum, and the Department of Anthropology of Harvard University.
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The Mayas
Sinewy arms reaching towards the skies of the Western highlands of El Salvador, the peaks of the Lamatepec Mountain Range that begin in the Aleutian Islands and end in the southernmost tip of Tierra del Fuego , cradle the Valley of Apaneca which in the "Nahuat " language of the Pipil Indians means, "Rivers of Wind". In unison, the green valley, tropical skies and 2600 years of Mesoamerican History produced a fusion of cultures which represents to this day the reality and pride of the people of El Salvador.
Slumbering a millenary dream the three giant stone monuments of Santa Leticia Site have observed the setting of the sun in their Westward watch and have reserved to this day the secrets of their origin, but have bequeathed in their silent language the transmission of great power through Salvadoran people of the present.
What were these great stone sculptures doing up in these highlands?May I venture to the reader, the dextrous hands that formed these huge boulders into carved sculptures were a reflection of deep religious and philosophical convictions. Making Santa Leticia Site a religious center for philosophical, and legislative contemplation's of these people, our ancestors.
Santa Leticia Site was a magical meeting point of the great minds of the time where the social interaction of Mesoamerica was projected for its execution by all of its subordinates. Santa Leticia Site unlike other archaeological sites in Mesoamerica was not a mere commercial or habitat area but was always a special place of magic, and power that fathomed the mysteries of life and death.
Below you can see Santa Leticia's location in Western El Salvador in relation to other archaeological sites in Central America.You can also refer to "LAND OF THE MAYAS TRAVELER'S MAP" in the National Geographic Magazine, page 424a, Vol 176 #4 1989.