Quelepa facts for kids
Quelepa is an important ancient site in eastern El Salvador. It was likely settled by the Lenca people around 400 BC. This was during a time called the Late Preclassic period (500 BC - AD 250).
The people of Quelepa built platforms using plaster and pumice stone. They rebuilt these platforms many times over the years. Tools found there, like metates (for grinding) and comales (for cooking tortillas), show they grew their own food. Quelepa was part of the larger Mesoamerican cultural area. The name "Quelepa" means "stone jaguar" in the Lenca language. This probably refers to a large Jaguar Altar found at the site.
The people of Quelepa also made stone tools from obsidian. The site was connected to trade routes. These routes went to western El Salvador, the Guatemalan Highlands, and even north into Honduras.
Around AD 200, the Ilopango Volcano erupted. This event greatly affected sites in western El Salvador. However, Quelepa was mostly impacted by its trade routes being cut off. This didn't stop Quelepa from growing. Instead, its own local culture became stronger and more unique.
Contents
Where is Quelepa Located?
The Quelepa archaeological site is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the small village with the same name. The ancient ruins are on the north side of the San Esteban River. This river flows into the Río Grande de San Miguel, which then goes to the Pacific Ocean.
Quelepa is located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) west-northwest of the town of San Miguel. It's also about 13 miles (21 km) north of another nearby site called Los Llanitos. A small stream, the Quebrada Agua Zarca, divides the site into East and West groups. The ruins are between 160 and 180 meters (525-590 feet) above mean sea level.
The land where Quelepa's remains are found is privately owned and used for farming. The East Group and part of the West Group are on a farm called Hacienda El Obrajuelo. Farmers grow maize (corn) and cotton in the areas around the ruins.
The area around Quelepa is a flood plain of the Río Grande de San Miguel. It lies between hills to the north and the San Miguel volcano. This volcano is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Pacific Ocean. The San Miguel volcano is a very noticeable landmark, reaching 2,132 meters (6,995 feet) high. Even though it has erupted several times, it has never dropped much volcanic ash on Quelepa.
Quelepa has a tropical wet and dry climate. Most of the rain falls in September and October. There is a long dry season from November to May. In September, rainfall averages 300 to 400 millimeters (12-16 inches). In March, it's less than 25 millimeters (1 inch). You might still see iguanas near the rivers and occasionally a snake.
The History of Quelepa
Quelepa was founded around 400 BC, during the Late Preclassic period. The first people to live there built platforms from plaster and pumice. They rebuilt these structures many times. It is believed that the Lenca people settled Quelepa.
Around AD 200, the Ilopango volcano erupted. This event caused a lot of damage in western El Salvador. It also cut off Quelepa's connections with other parts of Mesoamerica. From AD 150 to AD 625, Quelepa started to connect more with areas beyond Mesoamerica. Artifacts from the north and east began to arrive. During this time, the main ceremonial buildings in the East Group were constructed.
Later, from about AD 625 to 1000 (the Late Classic to Early Postclassic periods), the main ceremonial area was no longer used. Smaller buildings were built around a small open space. This change might show influences from the Gulf coast of Mexico or even Maya cities like Seibal in Guatemala. The stone work from this time was not as smooth as before. Also, stairways started to replace the earlier ramps. The ballcourt was also built during this period.
Quelepa was completely abandoned around AD 1000. This was at the beginning of the Early Postclassic period. The site's abandonment might be linked to the arrival of the Pipil people in El Salvador. However, there is no proof that the Pipil ever lived at Quelepa.
How We Learned About Quelepa
The first time Quelepa was written about was in 1913 by Atilio Peccorini. Later, in 1926, Samuel K. Lothrop visited the ruins. He collected ceramics for a museum in New York City.
The first archaeological dig at Quelepa happened in 1949. Pedro Armillas led this work. The main excavations took place from 1967 to 1969. E. Wyllys Andrews directed these important studies. Even though Quelepa is a National Archaeological Monument, it was not well protected as recently as 2005.
What Quelepa Looks Like Today
Quelepa has about 40 structures spread over an area of about 0.5 square kilometers (0.2 square miles). They are located along the San Esteban River. The structures range from 10-meter (33-foot) high Mesoamerican pyramids to smaller, worn-down mounds. These smaller mounds were likely bases for buildings made of materials that don't last long. The site also has a Mesoamerican ballcourt. Farming on the land continues to slowly wear away the ancient remains.
Unusually for Mesoamerica, some structures at Quelepa have ramps instead of stairways. Ramps have also been found at other sites like Los Naranjos in Honduras. These ramps at Quelepa date back to the Classic period.
The East and West groups of Quelepa have different building styles. This is probably because they were built at different times. The West Group seems to be newer. It looks a bit like a small Maya-style acropolis.
South of the San Esteban River, there are no structures. However, many ancient tombs have been found there.
Archaeologists found a special hidden collection of items related to the Mesoamerican ball game. These included beautifully carved yokes, palmas, and a hacha. They were all placed under a stone slab. These items, along with flutes and wheeled toys, suggest a connection to the Gulf coast of Mexico.
The West Group Structures
The buildings in the West Group are on artificial terraces. Most of them are lined up north-south. To the south, the land slopes steeply down to the river. The group has many mounds, with 15 of them arranged around a rectangular open area. These mounds in the West Group were built during the Late Classic period.
The I-shaped Ballcourt (called Structure 19) is 110 meters (361 feet) north of the main open area. It has not been fully dug up. It has a mound 31 meters (102 feet) long and 2.25 meters (7.4 feet) high, forming one side of the playing area. The ballcourt runs north-south. Two large stone slabs were found in the middle of the playing area. On them was a broken sandstone disc, likely a ballcourt marker.
Structure 23 is a small platform from the Late Classic period. It is 8.8 by 6.8 meters (29 by 22 feet) and 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) high. It had a stairway 1.9 meters (6.2 feet) wide that led up to it. This stairway shows a change in building style, moving away from ramps. The stones used were rough and not well-shaped. Remains of burnt wattle and daub (a mix of sticks and mud) were found. This suggests a building that could burn easily once stood on top. An offering of three ceramic pots was found buried inside this structure.
Structure 28 is another platform, 6 meters (20 feet) south of Structure 23. It is 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) high and very worn down. Its style is like Structure 23, meaning it also dates to the Late Classic. Burnt wattle and daub were found here too, suggesting another perishable building on top.
Structure 29 is a small mound that was once a three-tiered pyramid platform. It measured 17.2 by 14.1 meters (56 by 46 feet) at its base. It was 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) high when found, but was originally about 4.1 meters (13.5 feet) tall. The stone work was poor, using rough, uneven stones held together with mud. This was then covered with a thick, uneven layer of mortar. A stairway climbed the west side. This poor workmanship suggests it was one of the last big buildings built at Quelepa. It was abandoned around AD 1000.
An offering found near Structure 29 included three ceramic discs, a large obsidian knife, and many obsidian flakes. Another unusual offering was found near Structure 29. It had a stone slab placed on top of three U-shaped stone yokes. There were also two carved palmas and a sculpted hacha. One palma showed a seated god, possibly Ehecatl, the god of wind. The other showed a feathered serpent. These items are all linked to the Mesoamerican ballgame.
The East Group Structures
The East Group has buildings clustered near the edges of huge artificial terraces. These terraces rise higher and higher as they go north from the river. The large terraces provided flat ground for more buildings. The terraces were covered with cut stone slabs.
Most structures in this group are aligned north-south. The two main buildings at Quelepa are in the East Group. They were step pyramids, but they had access ramps instead of stairways. Structure 3 is the larger pyramid, and Structure 4 is smaller. Both seem to have been abandoned around the mid-7th century AD. These pyramids faced south. They were reached by Ramps 1 and 2, which climbed the terrace edge. Both ramps were paved with large stone slabs and rose at a 13-degree angle.
Ramp 1 was 9.1 meters (30 feet) long from the terrace edge. It was 12.1 meters (40 feet) wide at the bottom and narrowed to 10.9 meters (36 feet) at the top. It led to Structure 3.
Ramp 2 was 17.6 meters (58 feet) long and got wider as it rose. It was 8.1 meters (27 feet) wide at the bottom and 8.9 meters (29 feet) at the top. It led to Structure 4. Three offerings were found at the base of Ramp 2. These included ceramic vessels from the Early Classic period.
Structure 3: The Largest Pyramid
Structure 3 is the biggest building at Quelepa. It is 11 meters (36 feet) east of Structure 4. Both the terrace it stands on and the structure itself were covered with large, well-cut stone blocks. Structure 3 was built after Structure 4 was already in use.
The pyramid likely had eight stepped levels. The lowest level was 48 by 32.3 meters (157 by 106 feet). The highest level was about 22.3 by 9.1 meters (73 by 30 feet). The pyramid was originally about 9.7 to 9.8 meters (32 feet) high. The access ramp was 6.4 meters (21 feet) wide and was originally faced with stone. However, after excavations, the farm owners removed these stones for other construction. The ramp was about 24 to 25 meters (79-82 feet) long from base to top.
The large stone blocks used for the lower levels could weigh over a ton. The upper levels used smaller blocks. The pyramid walls were probably covered in plaster. Burnt wattle and daub found suggests a perishable building once stood on top.
At least three offerings were buried under the pyramid's summit floor. These included stone discs, jade beads, and ceramic vessels. A large offering was also found under the upper part of the ramp. It included two large stone discs, ceramic vessels, stone balls, and jade beads.
Structure 4: The Earlier Pyramid
Structure 4 is the smaller and older of the two pyramids. It dates to the Early Classic period. It is near the center of the East Group. The structure measures 34.5 by 18.8 meters (113 by 62 feet). The pyramid probably had only two levels. The total height of the platform was about 5.8 meters (19 feet).
Access to the top was by a south-facing ramp. The ramp was 11.9 meters (39 feet) long and 5.4 meters (18 feet) wide. It rose at an estimated angle of 27 degrees. The pyramid was packed with unworked stones. Both the ramp and pyramid were built at the same time. Structure 4 was covered with rough volcanic tuff blocks. These blocks were covered in a thick layer of mortar. Large amounts of burnt wattle and daub were found around the base. This suggests a perishable building on top of the pyramid caught fire. Seven hidden collections were found in the structure. These included Early Classic ceramic vessels, jade beads, and an onyx bowl.
Other Important Finds
At the western edge of the East Group is a large rectangular platform. It once had walls, making it look like a fortress. Structure 9 is on the southern edge of this platform.
The Jaguar Altar is a huge stone monument. It measures 314 by 297 centimeters (10.3 by 9.7 feet) and is 85 centimeters (33 inches) high. It dates to the Late Preclassic period. One side has a sculpted face similar to styles from Cara Sucia and Kaminaljuyu in Guatemala. The top of the altar has a deep square hollow. All four sides have relief sculptures. This altar was moved to the Museo Nacional de Antropología Dr. David J. Guzmán in San Salvador after it was excavated. It was found near a high terrace.
Altar 2 was found on Structure 9. It measures 84 by 70 centimeters (33 by 28 inches) and is 46 centimeters (18 inches) high. It is roughly circular with a square hollow carved on top. This altar was also moved to the Museo Nacional de Antropología.
Altar 3 is a fragment found in 1970 near Structure 36 in the West Group.
See also
In Spanish: Quelepa (sitio arqueológico) para niños
