Archaic (9,000 - 1,500 B.C.) - Preclassic (1,500 B.C. - 250 A.D.)
The Archaic period encompasses the transition between the discovery of agriculture and the establishment of the first sedentary villages. The most recent studies place the incipient cultivation of corn on Guatemala's southern coast around 4000 BC. By the Early Preclassic period (1500 - 800 BC) permanent agricultural settlements had been established and evidence indicates they were politically organized around chiefs or caciques.
During the Middle Preclassic (800 - 300 BC) the population of Guatemala's southern coast actively participated in cultural exchange with the Olmecs, producing fine objects of ceramic, jade and stone sculpture in this distinctive style. During this period, large centers with monumental structures developed both in the Petén and southern coast, which seem to be an expression of the increased power of the chiefs that controlled ever-growing populations.
One of the most important Late Preclassic (300 BC - AD 250) sites is Kaminaljuyu located in the valley of Guatemala. Along with its great size and the architectural volume of its buildings, Kaminaljuyu is notable for its system of irrigation canals that took advantage of the water from lake Miraflores, which has since disappeared. The richness of some of the tombs from this period is indicative of the power and wealth enjoyed by the lords of Kaminaljuyu. Their status is also reflected in sculpture, which often depicts war themes. The oldest examples of hieroglyphic texts from Guatemala are found on sculptures from Kaminaljuyu and several sites on the southern coast.
Our exhibit includes fine examples of ceramics from the Middle and Late Preclassic, from Kaminaljuyu and the southern coast, as well as a sample of Late Preclassic sculpture exemplifying the variety of genres and iconographic motifs found on these monuments.
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