Izapa
Archeological site
Izapa
The ceremonial, political and religious center of Soconusco for nearly a thousand years. Among the vestiges there remain plazas, admirable stelae and altars decorated with remarkable reliefs which experts consider show the evolution from Olmec to Maya art.
It is possible that the name Izapa is a corruption of the Nahuatl word "Atzacua," meaning "place where water is stored." Another possible derivation is from "Ixtapan," meaning "on top of the sands." Culturally, the city was Mixe–Zoque and Maya. It saw many changes over the centuries, from the Preclassic or Formative to the Postclassic period, that is from 1500 BC till 1200 AD. The stone sculpting era at Izapa ran from the Middle and Late Formative in 650 BC till the Early Classic in 100 AD.
The Mixe–Zoque culture, which was related to Olmec, was present in Izapa, as was Mayan culture, whose characteristics subsequently spread throughout the Mayan region during the Classic. There is evidence of Mexica enclaves, established for the purpose of gathering tribute in the coastal area of Chiapas, in the form of Nahuatl settlement names, and this is evident from Tonalá to El Salvador in Central America. The site’s mounds show a distribution of plazas or patios, which were labeled in their order of excavation, with groups A and B in the center of the core group of monuments, then C, D, E, G and H surrounding this core and F to the north of these groups. Of the above, only groups A, B and F are open to the public.
Izapa was occupied continuously from 1500 BC to 1200 AD. The regular spacing and alignment of the buildings, as well as their consistent features, show that construction followed the same basic plans. At Izapa sculpture served both practical and spiritual purposes, expressing commemorative or mythological ideas about humans or the natural world. The sculptural centerpiece is a mass of stelae and altars, cultural features associated with the most important mounds, which subsequently made their appearance in the Mayan region. Many of these stelae include the portraits of personages from the Popol Vuh legend, a narrative of the ancient creation tradition of the highland Maya. Izapa style covered the coastal areas of modern Chiapas and Guatemala. The style is characterized by stelae carved in bas relief, with a vertical order divided into three planes: the heavens, the earth and the underworld, presenting scenes of deities and personages.
Document
- Dirección del Centro INAHLeobardo Daniel Pacheco Ariasleobardo_pacheco@inah.gob.mx+52 (961) 612 2824
Grupo A
It is located at the western end of Izapa, in the farthest part of the river, and is the result of a long progression in sculptural and constructive activity. It is made up of buildings 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59.
Grupo A
It is located at the western end of Izapa, in the farthest part of the river, and is the result of a long progression in sculptural and constructive activity. It is made up of buildings 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59. All the monuments must have been in use simultaneously, as they are today, although it is known that they were sculpted over many years.
Grupo B
It consists of a quadrangular monumental plaza, well demarcated and larger than the Group A Plaza. The distribution of stone monuments in Group B is quite different from that of Group A.
Grupo B
It consists of a quadrangular monumental plaza, well demarcated and larger than the Group A Plaza. The distribution of stone monuments in Group B is quite different from that of Group A. The sculptural monuments in the plaza (except for Stela 89) are confined to the north and west sides of the lower courtyard. The three plain stelae, and the possible repositioning of Stela 89 on the south side of the plaza, suggest a relatively late placement; this assumption is supported by the absence of altars next to the four aforementioned stelae.
Grupo F
It is located north of the road between Tuxtla Chico and Tapachula. Numerous mounds in this group are covered with cobble stones, and there are several rectangular stone structures, as if they were the remains of walls or foundations.
Grupo F
It is located north of the road between Tuxtla Chico and Tapachula. Numerous mounds in this group are covered with cobble stones, and there are several rectangular stone structures, as if they were the remains of walls or foundations. The general type of the mounds, and the appearance of the two carved monuments, make this Izapa unit the later group in the chronological sequence.
