Casa Blanca, El Salvador

Casa Blanca

Location	Santa Ana, El Salvador
Type	Archeological site
History
Founded	200 BC to 600 AD
Abandoned	200 BC (temporarily) and 600 AD (second occupation)
Cultures	Mayan

Casa Blanca is a pre-Columbian Maya archeological site in the Chalchuapa archaeological zone in the department of Santa Ana, El Salvador. Its name comes from the coffee plantation that operated in the current archeological park.

Archeological investigations show that the first occupation of this area started from Late Preclassic period (500 BC – AD 250). Later, in the first century AD, the large platform where most of the site's structures were built and other structures were constructed as an extension of the original ceremonial center located in the archeological site of El Trapiche (es). It was abandoned after the end of the period, and reoccupied at the end of the early Classic period (AD 250 – 900) after the eruption of the Lake Ilopango caldera (dated between the 4th and 6th centuries AD). The occupation continued into the Late Classic Period (AD 600 – 900). It was occasionally used for burials and pilgrimages into the Postclassic period (AD 900 – 1520). ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Structures

Structures of Casa Blanca y El Trapiche

Casa Blanca has 15 structures, each with an archeological code generally starting C3 or C1. Of those, only six of the structures are within the archeological park. The most notable of which are structures 1 (C1-1) and 5 (C3-6). ^[3]

All the structures in the park and the structures C3-1, C3-2, and C102 (located to the south) are found inside of a large platform. This was constructed in the late Preclassic period, measures 2 meters in height, 240 meters North to South, and 220 meters East to West. It is made of roughly split stones which are not found together or glued but separated from each other; on its east side is located the access ramp, which has an inclination of 6 to 8 degrees, and is made of compacted ground surface and large stones.

Structures and findings of the archeological park

This ruin is part of the Chalchuapa archaeological zone and displays influences from the Olmecs and from Teotihuacan. It is closely related to the ruins of Tazumal and San Andrés. The government purchased the park in 1977 and it was given the name of the coffee plantation upon which it was situated. There are many pyramids at Casa Blanca but only two have been partially restored. Casa Blanca is located in the department of Santa Ana. It has a site museum with exhibits that include Maya ceramics and other artifacts. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Structures of the archaeological park Casa Blanca

Administration

The government purchased the park in 1977 and it was given the name of the coffee plantation upon which it was situated.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Meggers, Betty J. (October 1978). "The Prehistory of Chalchuapa, El Salvador. By Robert J. Sharer, General Editor. 3 volumes. Museum Monographs. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1978. Pp. 194, 211, 226. Illustrations, Bibliography. $45.00set; $17.00 each volume.)" . The Americas. 35 (2): 278–278. doi:10.2307/980918. ISSN   0003-1615.
2. "El contexto analítico-interpretativo de las investigaciones de Seler", Contextualización del reconocimiento arqueológico de Eduard Seler en la Región de Chaculá, Departamento de Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, pp. 283–318, 2022-07-14, ISBN   978-1-80327-286-3 , retrieved 2025-06-17
3. Sharer, Robert J. (January 1978). "Archaeology and History at Quirigua, Guatemala" . Journal of Field Archaeology. 5 (1): 51–70. doi:10.1179/009346978791490068. ISSN   0093-4690.
4. FUNDAR (2009). Información sobre el parque arqueológico Casa Blanca.
5. «Archivo Digital del Diario Oficial de la Imprenta Nacional de El Salvador, mayo-1976, Parte23.pdf». Archivado desde el original el 22 de abril de 2021. Consultado el 15 de octubre de 2023.
6. Perdomo Barraza, Juan Marcelo (2008). «Antecedentes arqueológicos del sitio arqueológico Casa Blanca». Análisis del depósito de obsidiana registrado al lado sur de la estructura 5 del sitio arqueológico Casa Blanca, zona arqueológica de Chalchuapa. Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador.
7. Shibata, Shione; Ito, Nobuyuki; Minami, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Toshio; Niu, Etsuko (2002). «Resultados de las investigaciones arqueológicas en las trincheras 4N y M1 en el área de Casa Blanca, Chalchuapa (2000-2001)». XV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2001 (Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala): pp.878-888. Archivado desde el original el 14 de septiembre de 2011.
8. Sharer, 1978, p. 165.
9. Ito, Nobuyuki; Shibata, Shione; Minami, Hiroshi (2003). «Resultados de las investigaciones arqueológicas en la Trinchera 4N del área de Casa Blanca, Chalchuapa, durante las Temporadas III y IV (2001-2002)». XVI Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2002 (Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala): pp.904-909. Archivado desde el original el 3 de marzo de 2016.

• FUNDAR. "Casa Blanca Archaeological Park". San Salvador, El Salvador: Fundación Nacional de Arqueología de El Salvador (FUNDAR). Retrieved 2012-03-03.

Further reading

• Ichikawa, Akira; hione Shibata Masakage Murano (2009). "El Preclásico Tardío en Chalchuapa: Resultados de las investigaciones de la Estructura 5 en el Parque Arqueológico Casa Blanca" [The Late Preclassic in Chalchuapa: Results of the excavations of Structure 5 in the Casa Blanca Archaeological Park](PDF). XXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2008 (edited by J.P. Laporte, B. Arroyo and H. Mejía) (in Spanish). Guatemala City, Guatemala: Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología: 502–515. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-02. Retrieved 2012-03-03.

13°59′21.84″N89°40′21.16″W / 13.9894000°N 89.6725444°W / 13.9894000; -89.6725444