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Heading northeast from Ahuachapan, the road winds down through the last spurs of the cordillera onto a broad and scenic plain, running to CHALCHUAPA , which in addition to its faded but beautiful colonial church produces jade artesanias, including replicas of Maya artefacts. Chalchuapa's main draw is the archeological site of Tazumal (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; US$3), located on the edge of town. The most important site in El Salvador, the ruins are - by comparison with sites in Honduras and Guatemala - rather small, although they do have their own, impressive beauty. Tazumal is an easy trip from Ahuachapan or Santa Ana. Buses from Ahuachapan (1hr) and Santa Ana (30min) drop passengers off at a small plaza a few blocks from the centre of town; from here, walk uphill for about four blocks and turn left at the sign. What is now the town of Chalchuapa was the seat of power for a strong and thriving Maya population from 900 BC onwards. The inhabitants produced "Usulutan" ceramics, key items of commerce in the Maya zone, and also controlled the trade in obsidian from Guatemala. This early society was literate - evidence suggests that they had both calendar and writing systems - and highly stratified, while artefacts indicate strong links with Olmec civilizations in Mexico. The catastrophic eruption of Volcan Ilopango in around 250 AD, covering an area of ten thousand square kilometres in ash, did not affect Chalchuapa as badly as the central zone of the country; the area quickly repopulated and Tazumal gradually became the main settlement. The site as a whole was constructed in thirteen different stages over a period of 750 years, mostly during the Late Classic period (600-900 AD). Of the nine structures identified, only two remain in reasonable condition, with a third partially excavated; the rest have been destroyed by the expansion of the town. The central and largest structure - a stepped ceremonial platform, influenced by the style of Teotihuacan in Mexico - dates back to the Classic period (300-900 AD); traces of a platform dating back to between 100-200 AD have been found beneath it. A number of smaller temples were originally attached to the main structure. At the base of its northern edge, a number of tombs (Late Classic period) have yielded artefacts such as Tiquisate ware from Guatemala, jade jewellery, items for religious rites and a flask containing powdered iron-oxide. The last was used for decorating a ceremonial stone hacha or head, used during games of pelota. The pelota court itself lay on the southern edge of the structure. Tazumal as a Maya city was abandoned around the end of the ninth century, during the collapse of the Classic Maya culture; unusually, Pipils moved in and occupied the site. Structure 2, to the west of the main platform, is a Pipil pyramid dating back to the Early Postclassic period (900-1200 AD). The new residents also constructed another pelota court, to the northwest corner of the site. Tazumal was finally abandoned around 1200 AD, with the focus of settlement in the area moving towards the centre of the current town. An informative (Spanish only) museum displays artefacts discovered during excavations. The nearby ruins of El Trapiche and Casa Blanca are currently being excavated and aren't yet open to the public.
mi linda tierravictor says "como a dos oras del aeropuerto de el salvador se encuenta la ciudad de la jente bonita, asi se traduce el nombre chalchuapa a nuestro español de hoy en dia " jefe2008Josue rodriguez ''cheque'' says "soy tu hijo tierra de mis padres"
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