Before the Volcano Erupted : The Ancient Cerén Village in Central America

The level of insight and reconstruction possible at Cerén is almost unparalleled in archaeology, certainly in the New World. . . . It's a remarkable story. --Paul Healy, Professor of Anthropology, Trent University On an August evening around AD 600, residents of the Cerén village in the Zapotitán Valley of what is now El Salvador were sitting down to their nightly meal when ground tremors and loud steam emissions warned of an impending volcanic eruption. The villagers fled, leaving their town to be buried under five meters of volcanic ash and forgotten until a bulldozer uncovered evidence of the extraordinarily preserved town in 1976. The most intact Precolumbian village in Latin America, Cerén has been called the "Pompeii of the New World." This book and its accompanying CD-ROM and website (ceren.colorado.edu) present complete and detailed reports of the excavations carried out at Cerén since 1978 by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, ethnographers, volcanologists, geophysicists, botanists, conservators, and others. The book is divided into sections that discuss the physical environment and resources, household structures and economy, special buildings and their uses, artifact analysis, and topical and theoretical issues. As the authors present and analyze Cerén's houses and their goods, workshops, civic and religious buildings, kitchen gardens, planted fields, and garbage dumps, a new and much clearer picture of how commoners lived during the Maya Classic Period emerges. These findings constitute landmark contributions to the anthropology and archaeology of Central America. Annotation The Level Of Insight And Reconstruction Possible At Ceren Is Almost Unparalleled In Archaeology, Certainly In The New World. ... It's A Remarkable Story.--paul Healy, Professor Of Anthropology, Trent University On An August Evening Around Ad 600, Residents Of The Ceren Village In The Zapotitan Valley Of What Is Now El Salvador Were Sitting Down To Their Nightly Meal When Ground Tremors And Loud Steam Emissions Warned Of An Impending Volcanic Eruption. The Villagers Fled, Leaving Their Town To Be Buried Under Five Meters Of Volcanic Ash And Forgotten Until A Bulldozer Uncovered Evidence Of The Extraordinarily Preserved Town In 1976. The Most Intact Precolumbian Village In Latin America, Ceren Has Been Called The Pompeii Of The New World. This Book And Its Accompanying Cd-rom And Website (ceren.colorado.edu) Present Complete And Detailed Reports Of The Excavations Carried Out At Ceren Since 1978 By A Multidisciplinary Team Of Archaeologists, Ethnographers, Volcanologists, Geophysicists, Botanists, Conservators, And Others. The Book Is Divided Into Sections That Discuss The Physical Environment And Resources, Household Structures And Economy, Special Buildings And Their Uses, Artifact Analysis, And Topical And Theoretical Issues. As The Authors Present And Analyze Ceren's Houses And Their Goods, Workshops, Civic And Religious Buildings, Kitchen Gardens, Planted Fields, And Garbage Dumps, A New And Much Clearer Picture Of How Commoners Lived During The Maya Classic Period Emerges. These Findings Constitute Landmark Contributions To The Anthropology And Archaeology Of Central America. Volcanology, Stratigraphy, And Effects On Structures / C. Dan Miller -- Geophysical Exploration At Cerén / Lawrence B. Conyers And Hartmut Spetzler -- Cerén Plant Resources : Abundance And Diversity / David L. Lentz And Carlos R. Ramírez-sosa -- Ancient Home And Garden : The View From Household 1 At Cerén / Marilyn Beaudry-corbett, Scott E. Simmons, And David B. Tucker -- Household 2 At Cerén : The Remains Of An Agrarian And Craft-oriented Corporate Group / Brian R. Mckee -- Structure 16 : The Kitchen Of Household 3 / Inga Calvin -- Structure 4 : A Storehouse-workshop For Household 4 / Andrea I Gerstle And Payson Sheets -- The Civic Complex / Andrea I. Gerstle -- Structure 9 : A Precolumbian Sweat Bath At Cerén / Brian R. Mckee. Structure 10 : Feasting And Village Festivals / Linda A. Brown And Andrea I. Gerstle -- Divination At Cerén : The Evidence From Structure 12 / Scott E. Simmons And Payson Sheets -- Ceramics And Their Use At Cerén / Marilyn Beaudry-corbett, With Contributions By Ronald L. Bishop -- The Chipped Stone Artifacts Of Cerén / Payson Sheets -- Groundstone Artifacts In The Cerén Village / Payson Sheets -- Household And Community Animal Use At Cerén / Linda A. Brown -- Artifacts Made From Plant Materials / Harriet F. Beaubien And Marilyn Beaudry-corbett -- The Conservation Program At Cerén / Harriet F. Beaubien -- Household Production And Specialization At Cerén / Payson Sheets And Scott E. Simmons -- Cultivating Biodiversity : Milpas, Gardens, And The Classic Period Landscape / Payson Sheets And Michelle Woodward. Continuity And Change In The Contemporary Community Of Joya De Cerén / Carlos Benjamín Lara M. And Sarah B. Barber. Edited By Payson Sheets. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 209-219) And Index. Contents 8 Preface by Payson Sheets 10 Chapter 1: Introduction by Payson Sheets, with an Appendix by Brian R. McKee 14 PART ONE: Multidisciplinary Research 22 Chapter 2: Volcanology, Stratigraphy, and Effects on Structures, by C. Dan Miller 24 Chapter 3: Geophysical Exploration at Cerén, by Lawrence B. Conyers and Hartmut Spetzler 37 Chapter 4: Cerén Plant Resources: Abundance and Diversity, by David L. Lentz and Carlos R. Ramírez-Sosa 46 PART TWO: Household Archaeology 56 Chapter 5: Ancient Home and Garden: The View from Household 1 at Cerén, by Marilyn Beaudry-Corbett, Scott E. Simmons, and David B. Tucker 58 Chapter 6 Household 2 at Cerén: The Remains of an Agrarian and Craft-Oriented Corporate Group, by Brian R. McKee 71 Chapter 7: Structure 16: The Kitchen of Household 3, by Inga Calvin 85 Chapter 8: Structure 4: A Storehouse-Workshop for Household 4, by Andrea I. Gerstle and Payson Sheets 87 PART THREE: Special Buildings 94 Chapter 9: The Civic Complex, by Andrea I. Gerstle 96 Chapter 10: Structure 9: A Precolumbian Sweat Bath at Cerén, by Brian R. McKee 102 Chapter 11: Structure 10: Feasting and Village Festivals, by Linda A. Brown and Andrea I. Gerstle 110 Chapter 12: Divination at Cerén: The Evidence from Structure 12, by Scott E. Simmons and Payson Sheets 117 PART FOUR: Artifacts 128 Chapter 13: Ceramics and Their Use at Cerén, by Marilyn Beaudry-Corbett, with contributions by Ronald L. Bishop 130 Chapter 14: The Chipped Stone Artifacts of Cerén, by Payson Sheets 152 Chapter 15: Groundstone Artifacts in the Cerén Village, by Payson Sheets 158 Chapter 16: Household and Community Animal Use at Cerén, by Linda A. Brown 164 Chapter 17: Artifacts Made from Plant Materials, by Harriet F. Beaubien and Marilyn Beaudry-Corbett 172 PART FIVE: Topics and Issues of Cerén Research 180 Chapter 18 The Conservation Program at Cerén , by Harriet F. Beaubien 182 Chapter 19: Household Production and Specialization at Cerén, by Payson Sheets and Scott E. Simmons 191 Chapter 20: Cultivating Biodiversity: Milpas, Gardens, and the Classic Period Landscape, by 197 Chapter 21: Continuity and Change in the Contemporary Community of Joya de Cerén, by Carlos Benjamín Lara M. and Sarah B. Barber 205 Chapter 22: Summary and Conclusions, by Payson Sheets 210 Glossary 220 References 222 Index 234 On an August evening around AD 600, residents of the Cer?n village in the Zapotit?n Valley of what is now El Salvador were sitting down to their nightly meal when ground tremors and loud steam emissions warned of an impending volcanic eruption. The villagers fled, leaving their town to be buried under five meters of volcanic ash and forgotten until a bulldozer uncovered evidence of the extraordinarily preserved town in 1976. The most intact Precolumbian village in Latin America, Cer?n has been called the "Pompeii of the New World." This book and its accompanying CD-ROM and website (ceren.colorado.edu) present complete and detailed reports of the excavations carried out at Cer?n since 1978 by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, ethnographers, volcanologists, geophysicists, botanists, conservators, and others. The book is divided into sections that discuss the physical environment and resources, household structures and economy, special buildings and their uses, artifact analysis, and topical and theoretical issues. As the authors present and analyze Cer?n's houses and their goods, workshops, civic and religious buildings, kitchen gardens, planted fields, and garbage dumps, a new and much clearer picture of how commoners lived during the Maya Classic Period emerges. These findings constitute landmark contributions to the anthropology and archaeology of Central America. (2004) On an August evening around AD 600, residents of the Ceren village in the Zapotitan Valley of what is now El Salvador were sitting down to their nightly meal when ground tremors and loud steam emissions warned of an impending volcanic eruption. The villagers fled, leaving their town to be buried under five meters of volcanic ash and forgotten until a bulldozer uncovered evidence of the extraordinarily preserved town in 1976. The most intact Precolumbian village in Latin America, Ceren has been called the "Pompeii of the New World".This book and its accompanying CD-ROM and website (ceren.colorado.edu) present complete and detailed reports of the excavations carried out at Ceren since 1978 by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, ethnographers, volcanologists, geophysicists, botanists, conservators, and others. The book is divided into sections that discuss the physical environment and resources, household structures and economy, special buildings and their uses, artifact analysis, and topical and theoretical issues.As the authors present and analyze Ceren's houses and associated goods, workshops, civic and religious buildings, kitchen gardens, planted fields, and garbage dumps, a new and much clearer picture of how commoners lived during the Maya Classic Period emerges. These findings constitute landmark contributions to the anthropology and archaeology of Central America. On an August evening around AD 600, residents of the Cerén village in the Zapotitán Valley of what is now El Salvador were sitting down to their nightly meal when ground tremors and loud steam emissions warned of an impending volcanic eruption. The villagers fled, leaving their town to be buried under five meters of volcanic ash and forgotten until a bulldozer uncovered evidence of the extraordinarily preserved town in 1976. The most intact Precolumbian village in Latin America, Cerén has been called the "Pompeii of the New World." This book presents complete and detailed reports of the excavations carried out at Cerén since 1978 by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, ethnographers, volcanologists, geophysicists, botanists, conservators, and others. The book is divided into sections that discuss the physical environment and resources, household structures and economy, special buildings and their uses, artifact analysis, and topical and theoretical issues. As the authors present and analyze Cerén's houses and their goods, workshops, civic and religious buildings, kitchen gardens, planted fields, and garbage dumps, a new and much clearer picture of how commoners lived during the Maya Classic Period emerges. These findings constitute landmark contributions to the anthropology and archaeology of Central America.