Semetabaj and Its Role in Commercial and Ideological Interaction in the Guatemalan Highlands and Beyond

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Semetabaj site in the Guatemalan Highlands is one of the earliest sites in the region and the largest. Research carried out by E. Shook in 1978 revealed an interesting pattern of interaction with the northern Highlands and the south coast of Guatemala. The new research offers a review of the data and new proposals, which include its role as an economic center of exchange between these two areas and the most extensive trade network toward the Maya Lowlands. At the moment, the archaeology of the Highlands has not considered the trade between these two regions, especially that of obsidian. Our research considers the presence of economic networks in this sense. A series of new monuments recently discovered in the vicinity also expose involvement in an ideological sphere in the region since early times. Semetabaj was a relevant site that initially participated in a sphere dominated by Kaminaljuyu, but later opposed it, to participate in a tradition with interactions with Central Mexico, to later become one of the places where the great separation between the K’iche’, Kaqchike, and Tzutujil populations can be confirmed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37504.0