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The Carretera Interamericana runs through the flat and fertile Zapotitan Valley. Some 15km past Santa Tecla, a road branches off to the north and immediately splits; the left-hand fork here leads past the Maya site of Joya de Ceren (Tues-Sun 9am-4pm; US$3), designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. Known as the "Pompeii of the Americas", the site houses the remains of a village destroyed in a volcanic eruption around 600 AD. Lava from this and subsequent eruptions buried the site under up to six metres of ash until its accidental discovery in 1976. The site itself will disappoint those accustomed to the imposing Mayan edifices of Guatemala and Honduras. Its importance, however, lies in the wealth of detail provided about the daily lives of the Maya. Eighteen structures have been discovered, although only ten have so far been excavated, including houses, storage rooms and one believed to be used for religious rituals or communal events; not all are open to the public, however. Artefacts found at the site, including jars containing petrified beans, utensils and ceramics, as well as the discovery of gardens for growing a wide range of plants including maize, beans, agave and chilli peppers, have helped to confirm a picture of a well-organized and stable society, relatively wealthy, and with trade links throughout the Central American isthmus. A small, informative museum at the site details the development of the Maya culture and outlines the course of excavations (Spanish-language only)
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