Joya de Cerén
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Joya de Cerén ( meaning Jewel of Cerén in the Spanish language) is an archaeological site in El Salvador, a pre-Columbian Maya farming village preserved remarkably intact under layers of volcanic ash.
It is one of the most important archeological sites in Mesoamerica because it shows how life was for the normal people. It is often referred to as the "Pompeii of the Americas" in comparison to the famous Ancient Roman ruins.
Habited from year 900 BC like an agricultural town, left in year 250 (because of the eruption of the lake of Ilopango), again it was lived in year 400, being tributary to San Andrés. Around 600 A.D. Loma Caldera, a nearby volcano erupted and buried the village under 14 layers of ash, protecting it from the elements. It is believed the villagers were able to flee in time, because no bodies have been found. They left behind utensils, ceramics, furniture, and even half-eaten food in their haste to escape. The site was discovered in 1976 by Payson Sheets, a professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since then the excavation process has continued. About 70 buildings have been uncovered. Joya de Cerén was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
