Joya de Cerén: A Glimpse at the Mayan Pompeii

While numerous Mayan discoveries and archeological sites can be found throughout Central America, the distinctiveness of Joya de Cerén provides a peek at Mayan life in a small farming settlement over 1,500 years ago. A volcanic eruption and the resulting ash that froze the city in time has earned it the nickname “The Pompeii of the Americas.” This unique preservation is a treasure trove for archeological discoveries without the challenges of disintegration usually caused by the environment and the passage of time.

A protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, Joya de Cerén was discovered in 1976 when El Salvador’s government attempted to level the land with a bulldozer. The eruption of the Loma Caldera, a volcano near the village, in approximately 600 CE led to the settlement’s impeccable preservation and earned it the nickname “Pompeii of the Americas.”

Loma Caldera is a northwestern offshoot of the much larger San Salvador volcano system. Its eruption was dated using radiocarbon dating of the ash covering Joya de Cerén. Unlike Pompeii, however, there were no preserved human remains. It is believed that the volcano’s visibility and the likelihood of several earthquakes before the eruption provided enough time for the residents to evacuate safely. Payson Sheets, an archeologist specializing in pre-Columbian civilizations from the University of Colorado Boulder, began excavating the site after it was determined to be of archeological importance.

Joya de Cerén’s Historical Significance

The difference between the Joya de Cerén site and other Mayan archeological sites found in Central America is the town’s preservation. The remains of Joya de Cerén capture a moment in time about 1,500 years ago when the peaceful farming town was consumed by the volcano.

Under the layers of hardened volcanic ash, excavators found a small collection of buildings, crops, and objects used in everyday Mayan life. The structures were found to be households, community areas, kitchens, a sauna, and a small religious ceremonial building. Not only were structures revealed, but so were items such as food, artifacts, and tools, which have helped identify how these structures were used by providing clues as to the events that took place inside.

Although it has been almost 50 years since its initial discovery, large portions of the Joya de Cerén complex remain unexcavated, and the extent of the settlement is still unknown. It is estimated to cover an area of 12 acres, which suggests that over 90% of the site remains buried.

Typical Mayan sites include bits and pieces of life as it was then, whether a piece of pottery sherd or bits of bone and ash found deep in layers of sediment. It takes significantly more to construct a picture of what these artifacts might have looked like or been used for then.

Although the preservation of this site is impeccable, the volcano that erupted did impact the village before burying it, as seen in burned rooftops and vegetation, fallen walls, and broken artifacts. The lack of physical remains tells the archeologists studying the site that the people in this community had enough warning to leave but not enough time to pack up their belongings.

Sheets has discussed some of the artifacts left behind and the conclusions drawn from them. In the dwellings, for example, mats were found in the rafters, indicating that inhabitants left during the day. Food remnants with notable finger swipes were also found in bowls, as if abandoned before it could be consumed. Crops left in fields tell of what the Mayans grew and their agricultural practices. Previously unknown varieties of ancient plants were left behind, encased in the ash. Even footprints have been found in the dirt, from their work in the fields or as they left for the last time.

The dwellings uncovered in Joya de Cerén tell a story of what was meaningful to this community. They lived a peaceful farming life on the outskirts of the Mayan civilization, with households and kitchen gardens, a sweat lodge, and a home for their respected shaman, all surrounded by fields filled with their crops.

Structure 9, as seen on the map, is a sweat lodge, which indicates cleanliness and medicinal practices were a common ritual. More familiarly known as a “temazcal” in Mesoamerica, it was an early version of a sauna meant to cleanse the body. It has a low entrance that helps keep in the steam and heat from the fire inside. Benches lined the edges inside, and a small hole in the roof ventilated the smoke. This is the only Mesoamerican structure found with a dome built into its architecture, and it is the most well-preserved example of a temazcal thus far.

Structure 12 is another notable structure, deemed a shaman’s dwelling, where spiritual needs were met. It is unique from other household structures at the site for its architecture. The lattice windows led to winding corridors inside. The decoration of the building itself and the beauty inside it demonstrate the value and distinction of the shaman to the community.

A mural or painting of red and white flowers and stripes is also found inside. Claudia Ramirez, a conservation archeologist, gave a presentation in September 2021 on the white and red mural. She explained the white paint was made from “volcanic ash mixed with mucilage, a plant sap,” and the red was “ferric oxide,” a natural clay. She also noted the shaman is thought to have been a woman because “grinding stones, spindles, ceramic offerings, and a figurine were found there.” This woman was held in high esteem by her community, shown by the decorations and work put into her dwelling.

Crops and food stores were found all over the excavated site. While the volcanic eruption burned much in its path, it left impressions and organic material for archeologists to study. The evidence of farming and crops as they were almost 1,500 years ago shows that not everything has changed for humans. Though agricultural technology has advanced since then, farming itself looks much the same. Sheets studied the agricultural practices that provided them with valuable goods to trade.

The variety of agriculture found is an amazing testament to what the people at Joya de Cerén ate and how they survived. Many of the items unearthed, such as chilies, cotton, and cacao, are recognizable today. For a community like this, gold was not the source of wealth; instead, they survived off what they produced from the land and bartered with their neighboring communities. For a network as massive as the Mayans, a surplus of food would always be valuable.

Many of the samples found at the site were previously unknown genetic strands or ancestors of the vegetables people know and love today. While volcanic eruptions are destructive, they leave behind fertile soil. A visit to Joya de Cerén today will show thriving modern hybrids of cacao, “maiz negrito” black corn, and squash around the site that once grew its ancient predecessors.

Those living at Cerén learned how to produce enough crops for trade while maintaining gardens for their own nourishment as well, as evidenced by the discovery of plants being cultivated directly next to dwellings. Malanga, similar to taro, is a root vegetable that was found right outside of a household kitchen. With everything discovered at Joya de Cerén, it has become easier to imagine a day in the life of a Mayan villager, stepping out of their home to pick a starchy root vegetable to prepare for their next meal.