Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua

World Heritage Research

Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.

• How the United Fruit Company Racialized Archaeological Labor in Guatemala, 1910–1953

  A study reveals how the United Fruit Company (UFC) shaped archaeological labor practices at UNESCO World Heritage Sites Quiriguá and Zaculeu, Guatemala, between 1910–1953. Through collaboration with foreign archaeologists, the UFC's administrative structures perpetuated racialized labor exploitation, particularly targeting Afrodescendant workers in Quiriguá while reinforcing narratives of Indigenous deficiency in Zaculeu to serve corporate tourism and public relations goals. The research demonstrates that despite evolving archaeological methods and policies, corporate influence tied fieldwork to broader political economies of race, highlighting ongoing patterns of exploitation that persist today.

  Holley-Kline, S. (2026). How the United Fruit Company Racialized Archaeological Labor in Guatemala, 1910–1953. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 68(3), 581–605. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0010417525100303

  View Publication Record | Read Publication

• Five major earthquakes since the Late Classic Maya Period on the Motagua Fault in Guatemala

  Research reveals that the Motagua Fault, part of the North American-Caribbean plate boundary, has ruptured five times in the last 1,300 years, causing significant ground surface changes and influencing cultural and architectural adaptations. These findings, derived from paleoseismic evidence including radiocarbon dating of fault scarp-derived colluvial wedges and damage/repair records at Maya and Colonial sites, indicate variable earthquake recurrence with intervals of seismic quiescence. The study provides critical insights into the seismic character of the Motagua Fault, improving estimates for current and future seismic risk in Guatemala.

  Niemi, T. M., Grützner, C., Flores Beltetón, O., Alberto Romero, L., Gomez, F., Maurer, J., McEnaney, T., Daniels, R., Dollens, A., Ebell, H., Pérez Arias, C., Graettinger, A. H., & Obrist-Farner, J. (2026). Five major earthquakes since the Late Classic Maya Period on the Motagua Fault in Guatemala. Communications Earth & Environment, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03271-y

  View Publication Record | Read Publication

• Heritage and Environment: Archaeology at a United Fruit Company Site, 1909–1939

  Archaeological heritage at Quiriguá, a Maya site within a United Fruit Company banana plantation (1909–1939), was shaped by competing environmental narratives. Foreign archaeologists modified the landscape for excavation and tourism, while Guatemalan elites challenged the notion of tropical lowlands as 'wastelands,' advocating for conservation amid banana expansion. This study reveals how archaeological debates intersected with environmental concerns, reshaping perceptions of heritage but also reinforcing exclusionary national narratives. The research draws on historical analysis to highlight tensions between foreign and local interpretations of both ruins and natural landscapes.

  Brockmann, S. (2026). Heritage and Environment: Archaeology at a United Fruit Company Site, 1909–1939. Environmental History, 31(1), 64–92. https://doi.org/10.1086/738449

  View Publication Record | Read Publication

• Rituales mayas asociados al paso del hotún en Quiriguá

  A directional ritual pattern linked to the Maya calendar was uncovered in Quirigua, Guatemala, through analysis of 17 consecutive hotún (20-day periods) recorded between 731 and 810 AD. The study found that stelae F, D, E, C, A, and the Zoomorfo B align with specific orientations tied to deities G9 (east) and G7 (west), suggesting a structured ritual sequence. This pattern may also connect to lunar deity worship and patron gods of 20-day periods during K'ahk'-Tiliw-Chan-Yopaat's reign (725–785 AD) and his successors, offering new insights into Maya cosmological practices.

  Gutiérrez González, M. E. (2024). Rituales mayas asociados al paso del hotún en Quiriguá. Boletín Del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, 29(2), 55–77. https://doi.org/10.56522/bmchap.0040020290004

  View Publication Record | Read Publication

• La Estela 87 de Tak’alik Ab’aj: ensayo de un estudio colaborativo

  A collaborative study reveals that Stela 87, discovered in situ at Tak’alik Ab’aj, provides critical insights into the Late Preclassic period (100 BC–50 AD) of Maya civilization. The stela's iconography and glyphic text, representing a ruler without a long count date, offer rare evidence for early royal representation on the Pacific Coast region. This finding expands the understanding of early Maya epigraphy and iconography, particularly in the absence of long count dates, which were later adopted in the second part of the Late Preclassic (e.g., Stela 5, 126 AD). The study combines multidisciplinary expertise to analyze this reused sacral element, contributing to a broader reconstruction of early Maya political and symbolic practices.

  Schieber de Lavarreda, C., Orrego Corzo, M., Grube, N., Davletshin, A., Mora-Marín, D., Gronemeyer, S., Prager, C., Wagner, E., Garay, A., Chinchilla, O., et al. (2022). La Estela 87 de Tak’alik Ab’aj: ensayo de un estudio colaborativo. Estudios de Cultura Maya, 60, 11–55. https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.ecm.60.23x00s701

  View Publication Record | Read Publication

• “Retorno de la civilización” a Quiriguá: Arqueología maya y los juegos de poder y prestigio en Centroamérica en los siglos XIX y XX

  Archaeological explorations at Quirigua, Guatemala, reveal how power dynamics—rooted in 19th and 20th-century nationalism, imperialism, and institutional competition—shaped the interpretation of Maya civilization. Early researchers like John Stephens and Alfred Maudslay, as well as corporate entities such as United Fruit Company, wielded influence that skewed scientific narratives. The study highlights how these geopolitical forces, alongside personal ambitions, influenced archaeological methodologies and findings, underscoring the need to critically assess the sociocultural context of 'objective' scientific truths.

  Křížová, M. (2019). “Retorno de la civilización” a Quiriguá: Arqueología maya y los juegos de poder y prestigio en Centroamérica en los siglos XIX y XX. EntreDiversidades. Revista de Ciencias Sociales Y Humanidades, 6(2), 171–201. https://doi.org/10.31644/ed.v6.n2.2019.a06

  View Publication Record | Read Publication

• Dance Performances at Quiriguá

  Research at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Quiriguá, Guatemala, reveals that dance performances were likely a central ritual activity during the Classic Maya period. Spatial analysis and iconographic studies of Platform 1A-1 suggest it served as a stage for circular counterclockwise dances, symbolizing the renewal of cyclical time periods—a concept shared across Mesoamerican cultures, including the Aztecs' Lordly Dance. These findings highlight the significance of circular space-time in Maya ritual aesthetics and public sculpture programming.

  Looper, M. G. (2018). Dance Performances at Quiriguá. Landscape and Power in Ancient Mesoamerica, 113–135. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429499418-5

  View Publication Record | Read Publication