Quirigua, Guatemala
Stone Age. The term calls to mind crudity, unthinking brutishness. Yet all of the monuments at Quirigua, refined, splendid and elegant, were carved of stone and by stone. This makes the work of the Maya carvers who dared conceive of such colossi, and then dared execute them, all the more amazing. The sandstone that surrounds Quirigua is very strong. This, and probably a good dose of competitive spirit inspired the sculptors of a comparatively small city to carve the grandest monuments in the Maya world. While most Maya stelae are just over head high, Stela E at Quirigua soars to nearly 27 feet!
Hieroglyphic writing decorates the sides of the monuments. This writing, a mystery for centuries, is now mostly understood. From the depths of time, the Maya of Quirigua speak to us of their history. They also describe their idea of the world’s creation. Glyphs tell of the planting of three great “throne stones”. They are named the Jaguar, Snake and Crocodile Throne Stones. In conscious recapitulation of the events of creation, Quirigua’s kings carved zoomorphic boulders in the form of each of these three creatures.
This carved boulder is perhaps the most fabulously imaginative of all of Quirigua’s monuments. It represents a huge serpent. Emerging from the serpent’s yawning jaws is a more than life-size image of the king, seated in a remade Snake Throne Stone.
We wandered Quirigua, marveling at the size of the monuments, and wondering at the creativity of their sculptors. Nature at Quirigua is superb too. We saw the smooth towering columns of a cieba, sacred tree of the Maya. We heard the hoarse croak of the motmot, and what a sight when we found it! The motmot is brightly colored in turquoise, green and russet, with a bizarre racket tipped tail.
Even greater stonework awaited us at the Rio Dulce. The flow of a thousand rainy seasons has carved limestone cliffs that soar hundreds of feet over the river. From Zodiacs we viewed the Rio Dulce canyon and the thick forest that cloaks its sides. We ducked under the overhanging branches of trees, admired graceful egrets perched in their limbs, and discovered bright epiphytic orchids.
Late in the afternoon, we stopped at the mouth of the Rio Dulce to see Livingston, a Garifuna enclave. Accessible only by boat, this Livingston is full of bustle and languor of many a Central American town.
A full day! Northern Central America is a rich blend of natural and cultural history. Our day’s sojourn in Guatemala gave us a savory taste of both.
Stone Age. The term calls to mind crudity, unthinking brutishness. Yet all of the monuments at Quirigua, refined, splendid and elegant, were carved of stone and by stone. This makes the work of the Maya carvers who dared conceive of such colossi, and then dared execute them, all the more amazing. The sandstone that surrounds Quirigua is very strong. This, and probably a good dose of competitive spirit inspired the sculptors of a comparatively small city to carve the grandest monuments in the Maya world. While most Maya stelae are just over head high, Stela E at Quirigua soars to nearly 27 feet!
Hieroglyphic writing decorates the sides of the monuments. This writing, a mystery for centuries, is now mostly understood. From the depths of time, the Maya of Quirigua speak to us of their history. They also describe their idea of the world’s creation. Glyphs tell of the planting of three great “throne stones”. They are named the Jaguar, Snake and Crocodile Throne Stones. In conscious recapitulation of the events of creation, Quirigua’s kings carved zoomorphic boulders in the form of each of these three creatures.
This carved boulder is perhaps the most fabulously imaginative of all of Quirigua’s monuments. It represents a huge serpent. Emerging from the serpent’s yawning jaws is a more than life-size image of the king, seated in a remade Snake Throne Stone.
We wandered Quirigua, marveling at the size of the monuments, and wondering at the creativity of their sculptors. Nature at Quirigua is superb too. We saw the smooth towering columns of a cieba, sacred tree of the Maya. We heard the hoarse croak of the motmot, and what a sight when we found it! The motmot is brightly colored in turquoise, green and russet, with a bizarre racket tipped tail.
Even greater stonework awaited us at the Rio Dulce. The flow of a thousand rainy seasons has carved limestone cliffs that soar hundreds of feet over the river. From Zodiacs we viewed the Rio Dulce canyon and the thick forest that cloaks its sides. We ducked under the overhanging branches of trees, admired graceful egrets perched in their limbs, and discovered bright epiphytic orchids.
Late in the afternoon, we stopped at the mouth of the Rio Dulce to see Livingston, a Garifuna enclave. Accessible only by boat, this Livingston is full of bustle and languor of many a Central American town.
A full day! Northern Central America is a rich blend of natural and cultural history. Our day’s sojourn in Guatemala gave us a savory taste of both.
