Casa Blanca (El Salvador)

Casa Blanca is the Spanish name of a pre-Columbian archaeological site of the Quiché Maya in the Department of Santa Ana in El Salvador.

Location

The ruins lies about a kilometer north of the Mayan site of Tazumal in the northeast of the city Chalchuapa at an altitude of about 700 m above sea level. inst. from the capital, San Salvador, there are nearly 80 km ( driving distance ) in a southeasterly direction. The Mayan city of Copan in Honduras today is about 300 km ( driving distance ) and 200 km ( straight line ) away.

History

Current findings indicate that the site was (about 500 BC to about 250 AD) settled in präklassischer time; they would thus - according to current state of research - older than the adjacent Tazumal. In its heyday, the place may drive trade and cultural exchange with Copan and Tikal - at least ceramics have been found which could indicate. The end of the occupation of the likely Tazumal and San Andrés come close (about 1200 AD). But then for the time there is evidence of an afterlife of Casa Blanca as a local or regional worship.

Ruins

The range in size from about six acres roughly comparable with Tazumal system has been restored or reconstructed only slightly. The archaeological zone includes at least three temple pyramids and some other structures. Noteworthy is the fact that the pyramids horizontally - are divided into two parts - - in addition to the usual smaller gradations a feature which is also found in San Andres and to some extent also in Tazumal.

Before pyramid # 5 is an approximately one meter high basaltic stele with a square floor plan that has formed along with a person lying on the ground or only slightly elevated stone slab called a ' altar stela complex ' - otherwise were in Casa Blanca no discovered steles.

Museum

The local museum offers primarily a variety of pots, bowls, vases, etc., which were found as grave goods and ( BC 250 to 250 AD) dated mostly to the Preclassic period. Exhibits from the north subsequent archeological zone of El Trapiche are exhibited here. Right next to the museum a - dug by archaeologists - about 15 m deep shaft, which provides a view on a geological section profile through various cultural horizons and volcanic ash layers.