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Tazumal

Location: In the urban area of Chalchuapa (department of Santa Ana). It is at the end of the 11th Avenue South, near the Calle El Cuje.

History: Tazumal was the first archaeological park in El Salvador, and is among the oldest in Central America.

The site takes its name from the Tazumal farm that existed before in this place. Although it is generally accepted that "Tazumal" is an indigenous word, its meaning is not clear, and there is not even a consensus about which language it belongs. On the eve of the Spanish conquest (started in 1524), Chalchuapa was a poqomam community, a widespread Mayan group from the Valley of Guatemala to the border with El Salvador. In very recent years (especially since 1980) has begun to refer to the site as "El Tazumal" probably derived from "El Tazumal Park". This is however a clear aberration affecting the native name of the archaeological site.

The first news of Tazumal are from 1892 when the Guatemalan-Salvadoran scholar Santiago Barberena was transported to the National Museum three sculptures of the site. The best known is the wake of Tazumal, now on display at the National Museum of Anthropology "Dr. David J. Guzman.

The highlight: At that time, the base of the stele was involved in a cement base. The wake suffered further damage that affected some of the details that are seen in this photograph. Interestingly headdress figure portrayed in the form of Tlaloc.

san andres

Location: Km 32 road to Santa Ana, department of La Libertad.

History: The archaeological site of San Andrés took its name from the old hacienda where he was. As owner of the hacienda San Andrés, the Dueñas family generously warranted the site access to successive generations of researchers, starting from 1940 with the first project on the site, led by John Dimick. Even when the historic area of the site began to be visited by tourists in the year seventies, Dueñas allow the use of the site as a park incipient handled by the Department of Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Administration (predecessor of CONCULTURA), with new research directed by Stanley Boggs, Jorge Mejia and Richard Crane.

The highlight: Today, this region is famous for its fertility, an equally important farming communities that developed in ancient times factor. This fact is reflected in the high density of archaeological sites in the valley, at an estimated total number in about 350. One is jewel of Cerén, which is five-kilometers northeast of saint Andrew.

Jewel of archaeological park Cerén

Location: Km 35 road to San Juan Opico, Department of La Libertad.

 History: A mid-twentieth century, the portion known as Jewel of Cerén was sold to the government for an early land reform projects in the country. "Cerén" is a surname, while "Jewel" is a term derived from the old Castilian still used in El Salvador to refer to small valley of fertile soil surrounded by rugged terrain. The land was leveled by tractor, descapotando several meters volcanic deposits to locate facilities on firmer ground was underneath.

The most relevant: Jewel of Cerén is a unique site in Mesoamerica because it is a settlement covered in full life by ash from a sudden volcanic eruption, and its importance has been included in the List of World Heritage (aka Heritage Site).       

casa blanca

Location: White House is an archaeological site located in Chalchuapa, Department of Santa Ana, if you leave San Salvador, take the road leading westward. When you reach the height of colon, take the road to Santa Ana. Once you reach the turnoff between "the dark city" and Ahuachapán, take the road leading to the latter. Before coming to this place, you will find different signs, which will take you to the end of your destination.

History: His name is given by the coffee plantation where the site was. Archaeological research place it among the Preclassic period. White House became the center of an important Mayan lordship early Late Preclassic period (approximately between 200 BC and 250 AD). The largest pyramid known in El Salvador was built in the area of El Trapiche, and before her stood a stele whose text was deleted in remote antiquity.

What is relevant: It contained the remains of more than 30 people, apparently killed; they may have been prisoners of war campaigns conducted by this ancient kingdom.