Balberta facts for kids

Balberta was an important ancient city of the Maya people in southern Guatemala. It was located on the Pacific coast. This city was very powerful during the Early Classic period, from about AD 200 to AD 400. It's special because its old buildings from that time are still visible, unlike many other sites that are buried under later constructions.

Balberta started as a small village in the Late Preclassic period. But it grew quickly and became one of the biggest cities on the Guatemalan Pacific coast. It traded with a huge city called Teotihuacan in central Mexico. Other items found at Balberta came from Mexico's Gulf coast. Cacao (chocolate beans) was likely a main product Balberta traded. It was a very valuable item in ancient Mesoamerica. At its peak, Balberta was a true state, meaning it had a strong government and controlled a large area of the coast. Around AD 400, Balberta was suddenly abandoned. A new capital city, Montana, took its place nearby.

Where Balberta Was Located

Balberta is found in a place called La Democracia. This is in the Escuintla area of Guatemala. It sits about 19 kilometres (12 mi) from the coast. It is also about 90 kilometres (56 mi) southeast of another ancient city, Kaminaljuyu.

The city was built on a flat coastal plain, about 34 metres (112 ft) above sea level. The soil there is sandy and very fertile. This means it was great for growing different crops. Today, the land around Balberta is used for farms. They mostly grow sugarcane, but also cotton and maize (corn).

The area has many rivers and streams that flow north to south. Some low areas can become marshes during the rainy season. The Achiguate River often floods, which changes the land over time.

Trade and How Balberta Made Money

Balberta was a busy trading hub. One important item they traded was Obsidian. This sharp, volcanic glass was used for tools and weapons. The obsidian found at Balberta came from far away. Some came from Zaragoza and Pachuca in central Mexico. In fact, Balberta had more green Pachuca obsidian than almost any other site in Guatemala from that time!

Most of the obsidian was found near special ceramic vessels. These vessels often held ceramic models of cacao beans. They also had small amounts of pottery imported from central Mexico. This shows that Balberta's wealth came from its long-distance trade.

Experts believe the cacao models and Pachuca obsidian might have been offerings. They could have celebrated a trade deal between Balberta and Teotihuacan. Cacao was probably the main product Balberta sent to Teotihuacan.

Balberta and the Mighty Teotihuacan

As Teotihuacan grew into the most powerful city in Mesoamerica, Balberta's leaders likely used their trade with Teotihuacan to become stronger. This gave them an advantage over their neighbors. Interestingly, another major Maya city, Kaminaljuyu, became less wealthy and lost people during Balberta's powerful period (AD 200 to AD 400).

Archaeologists found ten green Pachuca obsidian spear points at Balberta. These points were made in the style of Teotihuacan. They were found in important areas, like ceremonial places and homes. These items date from about AD 150 to AD 275. This was around the same time as important buildings were being built in Teotihuacan, like the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

The discoveries at Balberta suggest that people from Teotihuacan were physically present in the area, likely for trade. At first, Teotihuacan was interested in goods like cacao. This trade benefited Balberta greatly. However, Teotihuacan eventually became more aggressive. This led to the downfall of Balberta.

Balberta's collapse might have been due to a change in Teotihuacan's plans. Teotihuacan started to directly interfere in the Maya region, like at Tikal. It seems Teotihuacan established Montana as a direct colony nearby. This weakened Balberta's power and led to its decline. Some believe that Montana, controlled by Teotihuacan, started wars that caused Balberta to suddenly collapse.

Exploring the Ancient City

Balberta was a fortified city. This means it had defenses and likely gained control of its area through warfare. Frederick J. Bove has studied the site a lot. The center of the city has several mounds built on a large platform. The buildings show a mix of old local styles and new defenses. These defenses were needed because of the changing political situation. The main part of the city has 22 structures and covers an area of 18 hectares (1,900,000 sq ft).

The city's center was protected by a wall. This wall was about 3 and 4 metres (9.8 and 13.1 ft) tall and surrounded the main plaza. There was also a deep ditch on the east side, made by changing a natural water channel. A 6-metre (20 ft) wide raised road (causeway) ran east from one of the main structures to a group of smaller buildings.

Archaeologists found four spear points made from grey obsidian from central Mexico. Three were from Zaragoza and one from Otumba. Many burials at the site had small jade beads placed in the mouth of the person buried. Over 400 ceramic models of cacao beans were also found during excavations.

More than 120 pieces of green obsidian were recovered. Most were blade fragments. A large number of these were found in Structure 1, with 65% of them in four special hidden deposits.

Between 1984 and 1987, 26 burials were dug up. Most were found under homes. Almost all burials were oriented east-west, with the head pointing west. The bodies were often covered with red paint.

The Mound Plaza

The Mound Plaza is a large platform, about 2-metre (6.6 ft) high. It measures 360 by 200 metres (1,180 by 660 ft). On top of it are 16 structures arranged in five rows. The westernmost row is the oldest part of the plaza. It has four structures, while the other rows have three each.

Structure 1 (The Great Platform)

Structure 1, also called the Great Platform, is just north of the Mound Plaza. It has sloped sides and a very wide top. It was built in three main stages. The first version was a low platform of compacted clay, only 40 centimetres (16 in) high. The second stage was a huge effort, making the platform 3 metres (9.8 ft) high. The final version was built with layers of compacted clay and thin layers of sand.

The final platform was 190 by 160 metres (620 by 520 ft) in size. It had two levels: a lower part (4 metres (13 ft) high) and a higher part (7 metres (23 ft) high). The higher section was made of a massive amount of fill (76,800 cubic metres (2,710,000 cu ft)) in one building phase. On top of this higher section were low mounds, likely homes for important people. The lower section was not for living, but important burials and ceremonial offerings were found there. One special burial included a green obsidian spear point, a black obsidian spear point, ceramic earspools, an urn, and a ceramic bowl.

Other Structures

Structure 4 is located in the Mound Plaza. Structure 8 is also located in the Mound Plaza. Structure 10 is in the center of the Mound Plaza. It is the tallest building there, a pyramid measuring 8 metres (26 ft) high and 68 metres (223 ft) across at its base. It was built in at least six stages. Structure 13 is in the Mound Plaza and also shows several building stages. Structure 21 is the second largest building at the site, after Structure 1.

See also

In Spanish: Balberta para niños