La Muerta facts for kids
La Muerta is an ancient Maya city located in the northern Guatemala. It's found in the Petén region, between the larger sites of El Mirador and El Tintal. La Muerta is like a smaller town connected to El Mirador, located about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) south of its El Tigre complex. People lived here during the Early to Late Classic Period, which was a very long time ago. Sadly, some parts of the site have been damaged over time by people looking for ancient treasures.
The name "La Muerta" means "the dead (woman or thing)" in Spanish. No one knows exactly why it was named this, but it was once used as a camp for people who gathered chicle gum.
Archaeologist Richard D. Hansen studied La Muerta in the 1980s. He found that some of the tall decorations on top of the buildings, called roof combs, are still in good shape. The site is split into two main parts, the North and South Groups, which are about 400 meters (1,300 feet) apart. Within these groups, archaeologists have found eleven areas where people used to live.
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Ancient Buildings at La Muerta
La Muerta has several interesting buildings that tell us about the Maya people.
Structure A1: A Temple
Structure A1 is a temple with a stairway facing north. This building is about 11.5 meters (38 feet) long, 8.6 meters (28 feet) wide, and 9.4 meters (31 feet) high. Its walls are made from limestone. This structure has been quite damaged, but during the archaeological digs, a beautiful stucco face was found. Stucco is a type of plaster used for decoration.
Structure A2: A Pyramid
Structure A2 is a pyramid located right next to Structure A1. It has been damaged by both natural weather and people searching for artifacts. Archaeologists have carefully dug out the inside of this pyramid. It has six vaulted rooms, which means they have arched ceilings. These rooms are different sizes and have smooth stucco floors. The walls once had stucco on them, and there were even traces of red paint. The pyramid had stairways on its north and south sides. These stairs were decorated with sculpted masks that had hints of red and blue paint. Studies of Structure A2 have found many ancient clay pots and other items from both the Early and Late Classic periods.
Structure 2: The Labyrinth
Structure 2 at La Muerta is one of the most unique Maya buildings in this part of Guatemala. It has a special two-level underground maze or labyrinth. This kind of design is very unusual for Maya architecture in the northern Petén region.
Important Stone Monuments
The Maya people often carved large stone monuments to record important events or honor their leaders and gods.
Monument 1: The Broken Stone
Monument 1 is a carved stela (a tall, carved stone slab) found in the North Group. It was in very poor condition, badly worn down and broken into more than 900 pieces. It seems that this monument was intentionally broken a long time ago. The stela shows the side view of a head wearing a mask. Below the face is a large monster head with upper teeth. There is also a column of at least six hieroglyphs, which are ancient Maya writings. Experts believe the main figure on the stela might be a deity or god.
Stela 2: The Plain Stone
Stela 2 is another large stone monument, found about 100 meters (330 feet) north of the path leading to El Mirador. This stela is made of limestone and stands about 2.9 meters (9.5 feet) tall. It is divided into an upper and lower part by a worn line. The stela has several carved round holes, each about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) across and 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) deep. Other than these holes, the stela is plain. It might have been covered in painted stucco a long time ago.
See also
In Spanish: La Muerta (sitio arqueológico) para niños
