The Pacific Lowlands in Guatemala
archeological investigation has been difficult because all the
sites are in private owned farming land.
This area shows the
earliest and longest occupation in
Guatemala and Mesoamerica, This area was indeed the cradle of
the Complex cultures in Mesoamerica, such as the early
Monte Alto
and
Olmec cultures, with Archaic vestiges since 6000 BC, there are proofs of agricultural settlements in the western
and central areas since 3800 BC, and architectural and ceremonial centers since 2000
BC (El
Mesak,
La Blanca,
Ujuxte
Las Victorias, and Ocós in the west
(The earliest
pottery in Mesoamerica bears the name Ocós Phase), and Sipacate in the central area, with its Early Pre
Classic Salt Factories, and many
others), as well as
Early Pre Classic sites such as El Bálsamo, Cerritos Sur and
Monte Alto
(Monte Alto Culture), near La Democracia in the Central area,
with its Monumental Heads and Potbellies (Barrigones),
that are the first Monuments in the world with magnetic
properties. The Montana site and later
The Cotzumalguapa Culture a Proto
to late Classic complex (100BC-1000AD) with 3 main sites: El Baúl,
Bilbao and El Castillo, united by paved causeways and bridges,
with impressive Sculptures, and 2 minor sites to the north
Palos Verdes and
Versalles or
La Nueva and
La
Máquina in the
southeast coastal region,
among others, and the most important one
Tak'alik
Abaj, which is not only the largest site in the pacific
lowlands in Mesoamerica, but also the only Site that has both
Olmec and
Maya
features, in fact, there are few places in the Pacific Lowlands
that does not show some kind of occupation during the different eras.
Also
Chocolá and its associated sites, in the piedmont
of Suchitepéquez that was an under estimated site until recent times,
shows early occupation and a very important role in the
commerce
between the Lowlands and the
Highlands, including
Naranjo and
Kaminaljuyú in the Central Highlands,
reaching up to the Petén Lowlands.
In The
South
Eastern area, there are proof of occupation since the
archaic era, the oldest site is Chiquihuitán, but Classic sites
such as La Nueva,
La Máquina, Ujuxte, (different from The
Western Early Preclassic site in San Marcos), and many others
make this area a very rich and under estimated area to date.
There has been recent disputes among the scholars about the
Olmec Culture origins, and there is proof that, even if
the people responsible for making the pottery did not themselves
move from the Pacific coastal plain to the Olmec metropolitan area,
there is clear evidence that their knowledge of pottery styles and
Sculpture techniques diffused in that direction.
Coe and Diehl
(1980) term the earliest pottery found at San Lorenzo "a country
version of the far more sophisticated and earlier Ocós phase of Guatemala".
The Pacific Lowlands are the most fertile land in Guatemala and
nowadays it holds all the sugar cane industry, as well as tobacco,
cotton, maize, rice, beans and rubber plantations, also
features cattle, coffee and the best Cacao plantations, this one in the piedmont area with
the Highlands (Boca Costa), giving this region an
excellent communication network as well as
tourism facilities, it is a zone worth while visiting specially if you
enjoy to combine archeology with beach
and
ecologic destinations, like
the Mangrove channels or turtle, crocodile and iguanas reserves, a drive
thru Safari, Whale
Watching (Monterrico
in Escuintla
and Las Lisas in
Santa Rosa), or the
best amusement parks in Latin America, Xetulul and Xocomil, at the
IRTRA
in Retalhuleu.
That includes the largest Hotel complex in Central America, with
different styles and costs.
