CHAPINADAS

Before the arrival of the Spaniars in 1524, there was a Mayan city known as "Antigua".  Its inhabitants were known to be warriors and traders.  When somebody in Guatemala hears about Antigua, the first thought that comes to mind is our famous colonial city and it is never related with a Mayan city.  Sebastien Perrot-Minnot, an archeologist form the Sorbona University explains that a thousand years before the Christina Era, the valley of the actual city of Antigua was already inhabited. 

In the few studies of the area, there have been found pieces and the remains of structures that date back to several centures before Antigua Guatemala’s era.  Perrot-Minnot, has investigated several sites like El Portal, Los Venados, La Chacra, Carmona, Pompeya y Terrenos which are in the sorrounding areas of Antigua Guatemala.  One of the most interesting sites is El Portal, which is located three kilometers west of Antigua Guatemala and where there have been found several sculptures, vases and clues to an Acropolis.  This archeologist explains that posibly this was a great fortress with the chore of protecting the commercial routes between Kaminal Juyu and other towns in Escuintla and the Highlands of Guatemala.  The inhabitants of this city were warriors but also traders.  There have been found pieces from Antigua in the South of Guatemala.  Archeologist think that it is very important to investigate this place so that we can get to know more about the inhabitants of the area several centuries before.  In Antigua, there have been found several sculptures almost a meter tall representing snakes, structures and platforms.

Waka-Peru is known as "The Mayan City of the Rivers".  Waka Peru is located in the National park Laguna del Tigre, Peten.  This city was the commercial city of most importance in the Mayan lowlands.  Because of its location, archeologist consider that Waka, now known as "El Peru" had important alliances with other Mayan Cities. According the the archeologist Hector Escobedo, the more than 40 monuments found in the city describe the alliances with Tikal and Calakmul.  The importance of this Mayan city, was due to its strategic position between the rivers San Juan and San Pedro that connect with Mexico and run through out most of Peten. 

Another archeologist explains that Waka means "high place with water".  According to scientists, Waka was a place that due to its size, wealth and geographical position was a very important political and economical center of the Mayan civilization between the VII and VIII century, even if its foundation goes back to 250 years before Christ. 

Waka did commerce with other cities and some of its most important trades were cocoa, salt and obsidian.  Maritime transportation was very important in the development of Waka’s commerce and economy.  Waka’s ships did not have sail but were driven by oars. With this ships, Waka’s inhabitants were around the Yucatan Peninsula and navigated the dangerous waters with the help of lighthouses which indicated the distances and dangers.  It is estimated that with this ships they were able to navigate the rivers of Tabasco, Chiapas, Guatemala an Honduras. 

In Waka-Peru, were found 4 tombs of important individuals of Mayan nobility.  With this discovery, it is possible to understand the level of access the inhabitants had to exotic materials, how Mayan society was organized, the Mayan alliances, the distances between Waka and other Mayan cities and most important, how wealthy this city was.  Another recent discovery was of a Royal Mayan Tomb dating back to the Early Classic Period. From the ceramic found on the tomb, archeologists consider that this individual was emtomb there around the year 200 BC.  Because of this, it is considered that this individual was one of the first kings of Waka-Peru and quite possibly the founder of the Waka dynasty.