The Potbellies

Phrase: Treasures that hold the history of the Mayan civilization.

In the city of Kaminaljuyu, considered one of the oldest in the Mayan territories, about 15 potbellies have been found. . The end of the elaboration is unknown, it has been estimated that they may be representations of babies, of the elite, of some deities, of a ruler or a funerary object [1].

Lost monuments usually fit into a number of formats that are repeated in many places, and that we can divide into: steles, altars, lintels, boards, steps, effigy benches and sculptures. During the Late Preclassic period, a rich sculptural tradition developed in southern Guatemala. One of the main production centers was Kaminaljuyu. The " potbellies" are sculptures that represent obese characters, possibly a fat god [2].

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Bibliography:

[1]i information retrieved in: Fichas informativas del MUNAE. Marzo de 2017.

[2]Orrego, M., y Christa Schiever. 2001. Compendio de Monumentos Expuestos en Tak’alib Ab’aj. En XIV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2000 (editado por J.P. Laporte, A.C. Suasnávar y B. Arroyo), pp.786-806. Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala (versión digital).