Joya de Cerén

About this place

Joya de Cerén is the remains of a Maya farming village buried so fast by volcanic ash that it stayed as it was. UNESCO listed it in 1993, and it is often called the Pompeii of the Americas, though it shows the life of ordinary farmers rather than palaces and temples. The village was occupied from about AD 200 to 600, with around 200 people. Loma Caldera erupted around AD 600, covering it in 4 to 8 metres of ash within hours. No human remains have been found, and scholars think an earthquake warned people, who fled in the evening with fires still lit in the hearths and tools in place. A manioc field found here is the earliest known evidence of manioc cultivation at an archaeological site in the New World. You stand above deep pits under shelters, looking at walls of earth and posts between dark layers of ash. Scholars have identified 18 structures, ten of them excavated. They include a building for village festivals, one that may have served a diviner, homes, stores and a steam bath. The walls look small and simple, yet their closeness to daily life is what makes them moving. The village is 21.2 km in a straight line north-west of San Salvador and about 5 km from San Andrés, so the two combine well. It closes on Mondays. Paths are set, so do not go down into the pits or touch the walls. Bring a hat and water. A guide helps a lot, and it is wise to carry your passport or a copy.