A Historical Perspective on Population Patterns and Settlement Layout at Chajul, Guatemala, AD 1530–1821

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Maya Wall Paintings of Chajul (Guatemala)" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Archival records suggest that Chajul was the largest town in the Ixil region during the colonial period. Spanish chronicles emphasize that different polities and communities were merged into a single colonial settlement during the foundation of the town as a congregación during the sixteenth century. This information is also remembered in the oral tradition of the modern Ixil. The unusually large dimensions of the town’s church—likely built during the sixteenth century—and the surrounding plazas (now dramatically transformed) support the argument that during the colonial period Chajul had a significant population. By analyzing historical records regarding changes in the demographics of Chajul, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, this presentation integrates archival evidence into the analysis of the layout and physicality of the colonial town of Chajul.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Maya Wall Paintings of Chajul (Guatemala)   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36215.0