Guatemala, Quirigua archaeological park World Heritage of Humanity since 1981

*Quirigua archaeological park is the main testimony of the Mayan civilization *Monuments though hieroglyphs describe 394 years of Mayan history

Transcript

00:00In Guatemala, the Archaeological Park of Quirigua is one of the settlements of the Mayan civilization

00:07and has been a World Heritage Site since 1981.

00:10Let's see.

00:20The Archaeological Park of Quirigua, located in the Department of Isabel,

00:24in the northeastern region of Guatemala,

00:26preserves vestiges of the Mayan civilization

00:28which were established between the 3rd and 10th centuries after the Common Era,

00:32but it was not until between the years 426 and 810 when it reached its maximum splendor.

00:38Quirigua has an exceptional universal value,

00:40which is why it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.

00:45The singular Quirigua is formed by 34 hectares,

00:59land that conserves an important ancient infrastructure,

01:02having a total of 17 monuments carved between the years 426 and 810.

01:07These are the main testimonies of the Mayan civilization,

01:10but for reasons that are not very clear, it entered a period of decline.

01:14Quirigua preserves the largest public space known in the whole Mayan area,

01:18the Great Plaza, where the Ceremonial Plaza and the Temple are located.

01:22It is made up of a structure of pyramids, terraces and staircases,

01:26in addition to the production of monolithic monuments carved in sandstone.

01:37The monuments, called steles,

01:39contain hieroglyphic texts describing significant dates

01:42of the Mayan calendar and celestial events, including eclipses.

01:46Together with passages from the mythology of this culture and political events,

01:50as well as social and historical events important for the development of the city.

01:54These inscriptions on the stele compile information between the years 426 and 810,

01:59a period of 394 years,

02:01making possible the construction of history in the Mayan civilization.