Chojolom is a small
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (East Africa), a p ...
archaeological site in the western
highlands of
Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
. The site features a number of sculpted stones that are presumed to belong to the
Kʼicheʼ Maya culture of the
Postclassic Period (approximately AD 900–1520). Chojolom is situated on a hill in the municipality of
Cantel, in the
department of
Quetzaltenango. The municipality is inhabited by
Kʼicheʼ Maya to this day, who make up 93.8% of the local population. Cantel is located from the modern city of
Quetzaltenango at Kilometer 217 on the CA2 Highway. Chojolom is believed to have been a ritual site.
''Chojolom'' means "by the head" in the
Kʼicheʼ Maya language, deriving from the root word ''jolom'' ("head"). Local historian Mariano Cornejo has speculated that the depositing of the stone heads and the naming of the hill may be linked.
Sculptures
As of September 2010 three sculpted stone heads have been found at the site; one of an armadillo, one human and one representing a
deity
A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
. The heads were discovered when mud was cleared away after a period of heavy rain in 2010. One of the stone heads was found in a cave at the site. Ceramics and bones have also been found, which may represent a ritual offering. In addition to the stone heads, a clay head has also been found. A minor landslide in October 2010 revealed a stone altar under a tree root.
The Armadillo Head measures approximately . The
nine-banded armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also called the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo native to North America, North, Central America, Central, and South America, making ...
(''Dasypus novemcinctus'') is native to the Cantel region. The Armadillo Head was the first of the three stone heads to have been found by local farmer Sebastián Sam.
The Human Head measures . It was the second stone head to be discovered at Chojolom.
The Deity Head is the largest sculpture, measuring . It was the third stone head to be found at the site.
The Altar measures and bears designs that include circles, hills, human figures and a deer. The combination of six human figures with the deer has been interpreted as a
Maya calendrical date by Guatemalan anthropologist Lina Barrios.
[Rodas 2010-10-05.]
Gallery
File:Chojolom 5.jpg, The Human Head sculpture
File:Chojolom 8.jpg, The Armadillo Head sculpture
See also
*
Cerro Quiac
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
{{authority control
Maya sites in Guatemala
Archaeological sites in Guatemala
Former populated places in Guatemala
Quetzaltenango Department
K'iche'
Maya Postclassic Period