Guatemala - The Joyanca

The archaeological site named La Joyanca is located in nothwestern Petén, Guatemala. Geographically and historically, Petén is part of the Lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula, where the ancient Maya civilization emerged almost three millenia ago, to reach its apogee between A.D. 700 and 800. After the Maya abandoned the southern lowlqands in the ninth century A.D., Petén remained largely depopulated until the middle of our century. Then colonization of the forest was undertaken and this process has accelerated in recent years, especially in the northwestern sector where La Joyanca is located. This site is now a forest enclave with an area of some 2.5 km2.

La Joyanca appears to have been a Classic Maya city of relatively high rank-but apparently lacking ballgame courts and stone sculptures-, probably occupied from the Late Preclassic until the Terminal Classic (B.C. 200 - A.D. 1000). This is at least the range suggested by the ceramics obtained during the first excavations done in 1999. In a region as little known as northwestern Petén, with such a long sequence this site represents a somewhat unique opportunity for archaeologists to study the local and regional Maya societies and their economy.

The monumental core ruins are grouped at the southwestern end of a plateau extending over some 100 Km2, which probably represents the ancient sustaining area for the city. In this area, the preserved forest allows to analyse the evolution of the environment before and after the end of Maya occupation in the ninth century. This environment is still prefered today by the new colonists now entering the region, who are rapidly clearing what is left of the old forest.

Fieldwork began on January 27 and ended on March 21, 1999. Three more fieldwork seasons are planned for 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Opérations undertaken in 1999

Project director : Marie Charlotte Arnauld (CNRS), arnauld@univ-tlse2.fr

Project co-director : Erick Ponciano (Universidad de San Carlos, Guatemala Vanderbilt University)

Institution : Centre Français d’Etudes Mexicaines et Centraméricaines, CEMCA, Guatemala (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères), Edificio Marbella, 16 calle 4-53 Zona 10, Ciudad de Guatemala 01010, Guatemala, cemcagua@pronet.net.gt

The Northwestern Peten-La Joyanca Project is funded mainly by Basic Resources Internation(Bahamas)Ltd, Sucursal Guatemala, the company through which La Joyanca was discovered and research on the site stimulated.