2,400-Year-Old Clay Puppets With Detachable Heads And Open Mouths Were Unearthed In El Salvador
At an archaeological site in El Salvador, researchers have unearthed a collection of ancient clay puppets. There were a total of five carved figurines around 2,400 years old. They may help piece together clues on an ancient Mesoamerican society.
A pair of archaeologists from the University of Warsaw named Jan Szymański and Gabriela Prejs discovered the artifacts on top of a ruined pyramid at the site of San Isidro.
The rare puppet-like objects are known as Bolinas figurines. They have been found in other ancient Central American sites like Tak’alik’ Ab’aj, the early Maya site in Guatemala.
All of the newfound figurines have open mouths. The two smallest puppets measure roughly four inches and seven inches, while the remaining three stand at about a foot tall.
The larger puppets have detachable heads and small holes in their craniums and necks, which allow for string to pass through and be tied on the tops of their heads.
Pre-Columbian history in El Salvador is not very well understood compared to neighboring countries. Due to the high population density in El Salvador, conducting excavations is a challenge. In addition, volcanic eruptions over thousands of years have destroyed many archaeological sites.
“Very little is known about the identities and ethnolinguistic affiliations of the creators of ancient settlements that predate the arrival of Europeans in the early 16th century,” said Szymański. “This gets worse the further back in time we look.”
The San Isidro site consists primarily of clay structures built by an unknown group. It has remained largely untouched.
The researchers came across the Bolinas figurines while digging at the top of the largest pyramidal structure at the site. Radiocarbon dating has revealed that the artifacts were made between 410 and 380 B.C.E.
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The recent discovery is the first to have included a male figure. The male puppet features facial tattoos. The other four are female.
The researchers think the puppets may have been used during rituals that recreated mythical scenarios or actual events to convey an important message.
Having puppets “speak” during performances could shed light on who had the most influence during a time when political power began to emerge.
Similar figurines have been uncovered in Guatemala and elsewhere in El Salvador. Jade pendants were also found nearby, and they resembled other artifacts from Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua, suggesting that the ancient inhabitants of San Isidro had connections to people in faraway locations and participated in long-distance trade networks.
“This discovery contradicts the prevailing notion about El Salvador’s cultural backwardness or isolation in ancient times,” said Szymański.
“It reveals the existence of vibrant and far-reaching communities capable of exchanging ideas with remarkably distant places.”
The details of the new study were published in the journal Antiquity.
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