An archeological excavation near the community of Cerén has unearthed several small Protoclassic Mayan homesteads that were buried by an eruption from the nearby Laguna Caldera scoria cone on the northern flank of San Salvador. The eruption occurred suddenly, as seen from the remains of uneaten meals left by occupants who fled their houses. The eruption was radiocarbon dated at about 590 CE.

Photo by Rick Wunderman, 1999 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Galleries: Human Impacts

Keywords: human impacts

San Salvador