Heading northeast from Ahuachapán, the road winds down through
the last spurs of the cordillera onto a broad and scenic plain,
running to CHALCHUAPA , which in addition to its faded but
beautiful colonial church produces jade artesanías, including
replicas of Maya artefacts. Chalchuapa's main draw is the
archeological site of Tazumal (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; US$3),
located on the edge of town. The most important site in El
Salvador, the ruins are - by comparison with sites in Honduras and
Guatemala - rather small, although they do have their own,
impressive beauty. Tazumal is an easy trip from Ahuachapán or Santa
Ana. Buses from Ahuachapán (1hr) and Santa Ana (30min) drop
passengers off at a small plaza a few blocks from the centre of
town; from here, walk uphill for about four blocks and turn left at
the sign.
What is now the town of Chalchuapa was the seat of power for a
strong and thriving Maya population from 900 BC onwards. The
inhabitants produced "Usulután" ceramics, key items of commerce in
the Maya zone, and also controlled the trade in obsidian from
Guatemala. This early society was literate - evidence suggests that
they had both calendar and writing systems - and highly stratified,
while artefacts indicate strong links with Olmec civilizations in
Mexico. The catastrophic eruption of Volcán Ilopango in around 250
AD, covering an area of ten thousand square kilometres in ash, did
not affect Chalchuapa as badly as the central zone of the country;
the area quickly repopulated and Tazumal gradually became
the main settlement.
The site as a whole was constructed in thirteen different stages
over a period of 750 years, mostly during the Late Classic period
(600-900 AD). Of the nine structures identified, only two remain in
reasonable condition, with a third partially excavated; the rest
have been destroyed by the expansion of the town. The central and
largest structure - a stepped ceremonial platform, influenced by
the style of Teotihuacán in Mexico - dates back to the Classic
period (300-900 AD); traces of a platform dating back to between
100-200 AD have been found beneath it. A number of smaller temples
were originally attached to the main structure. At the base of its
northern edge, a number of tombs (Late Classic period) have yielded
artefacts such as Tiquisate ware from Guatemala, jade jewellery,
items for religious rites and a flask containing powdered
iron-oxide. The last was used for decorating a ceremonial stone
hacha or head, used during games of pelota. The pelota court
itself lay on the southern edge of the structure.
Tazumal as a Maya city was abandoned around the end of the ninth
century, during the collapse of the Classic Maya culture;
unusually, Pipils moved in and occupied the site. Structure 2, to
the west of the main platform, is a Pipil pyramid dating back to
the Early Postclassic period (900-1200 AD). The new residents also
constructed another pelota court, to the northwest corner of the
site. Tazumal was finally abandoned around 1200 AD, with the focus
of settlement in the area moving towards the centre of the current
town.
An informative (Spanish only) museum displays artefacts
discovered during excavations. The nearby ruins of El
Trapiche and Casa Blanca are currently being excavated
and aren't yet open to the public.