 | |
  Location within Mesoamerica | |
| Location | El Asintal, Retalhuleu Department, Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Region | Retalhuleu Department |
| Coordinates | 14°38′10.50″N 91°44′0.14″W / 14.6362500°N 91.7333722°W |
| History | |
| Founded | Middle Preclassic |
| Cultures | Olmec, Maya |
| Events | Conquered by: Teotihuacan, Kʼicheʼ |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Miguel Orrego Corzo; Marion Popenoe de Hatch; Christa Schieber de Lavarreda; Claudia Wolley Schwarz |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Olmec, Early Maya |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii |
| Designated | 2023 (45th session) |
| Reference no. | 1663 |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Property | 14.88 ha (36.8 acres) |
| Responsible body: Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes / Proyecto Nacional Tak'alik Ab'aj | |
Tak'alik Ab'aj (/tɑːkəˈliːk əˈbɑː/; Mayan pronunciation: [takʼaˈlik aˀ'ɓaχ] ; Spanish: [takaˈlik aˈβax]) is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in Guatemala. It was formerly known as Abaj Takalik; its ancient name may have been Kooja. It is one of several Mesoamerican sites with both Olmec and Maya features. The site flourished in the Preclassic and Classic periods, from the 9th century BC through to at least the 10th century AD, and was an important centre of commerce,[3] trading with Kaminaljuyu and Chocolá. Investigations have revealed that it is one of the largest sites with sculptured monuments on the Pacific coastal plain.[4] Olmec-style sculptures include a possible colossal head, petroglyphs and others.[5] The site has one of the greatest concentrations of Olmec-style sculpture outside of the Gulf of Mexico, and was made a World Heritage Site in 2023 because of its long history of occupation.[5][6]
Takalik Abaj is representative of the first blossoming of Maya culture that had occurred by about 400 BC.[7] The site includes a Maya royal tomb and examples of Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions that are among the earliest from the Maya region. Excavation is continuing at the site; the monumental architecture and persistent tradition of sculpture in a variety of styles suggest the site was of some importance.[8]
Finds from the site indicate contact with the distant metropolis of Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico and imply that Takalik Abaj was conquered by it or its allies.[9] Takalik Abaj was linked to long-distance Maya trade routes that shifted over time but allowed the city to participate in a trade network that included the Guatemalan highlands and the Pacific coastal plain from Mexico to El Salvador.
Takalik Abaj was a sizeable city with the principal architecture clustered into four main groups spread across nine terraces. While some of these were natural features, others were artificial constructions requiring an enormous investment in labor and materials.[10] The site featured a sophisticated water drainage system and a wealth of sculptured monuments.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
PH05p997was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
García176was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Love 2007, p. 297. Popenoe de Hatch 2005, pp. 992, 994.
- ^ Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 236.
- ^ a b Love 2007, p. 288.
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "National Archaeological Park Tak'alik Ab'aj". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 33.
- ^ Adams 1996, p. 81.
- ^ Popenoe de Hatch and Schieber de Lavarreda 2001, pp. 993–4.
- ^ Wolley Schwarz 2001, pp. 1006, 1009.