PRECOLOMBIAN CERAMICAS    <--BACK

Multicoloured Chocolate Vessel of  RIO AZUL CLASSIC MAYAN EPOQUE

This extraordinary ceramic piece was found in the investigations of 1981 in the archaeological site of Río Azul, in the rainforests of Peten Guatemala, very near to the frontiers of Belize and Quintana Roo México, which were directed by Richard Adams of the Oklahoma University.

The piece goes back to the year 480 a. Chr. and was put between the offerings in the tomb No. 19.  

The lid fits perfectly into two holes, with which the spilling of the contained liquid was avoided. The lid has a handle stirrup type, worked in a stucco design wrapped with jaguar skin. On the rim there are six glyphic inscriptions in blue stucco, which refer to the devine nectar, prepared with the cacao beans.              

In the inner part of the vessel appear eight glyphs, which shows the events and the names of two persons of the dynasty of this ancient Mayan city.-

The original is in the National Archaeology Museum of Guatemala-City.-