Joya de Cerén

The archaeological site of Joya de Cerén is located to the northwest of the city of San Salvador in the Zapotitán Valley, part of the Municipality of San Juan Opico, Department of La Libertad. Joya de Cerén was inhabited for almost a century in prehispanic times, before being buried in the 6th century by a volcanic eruption. The site's accidental discovery in 1976 led to archaeological investigations between 1989 and 1994, during which eleven of the eighteen identified structures were excavated and a great number of domestic and ritual artifacts retrieved.

Subsequent research has provided a wealth of information about Maya agricultural practices as well as social and spatial organization, and now Joya de Cerén is considered to be of prime importance in advancing knowledge of day-to-day life in Mesoamerica at the time of the Classic Maya period. Today the site is embedded in a living and dynamic natural and social context, which exposes it to various threats ranging from decay mechanisms derived from the natural environment to urban and infrastructure development, extensive agricultural use, and environmental pollution.

Between 1999 and 2002, the Conservation Institute worked with the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y la Arte (Concultura) to implement a values-driven and participatory process for Joya de Cerén that would comprehensively address the complex natural and social conditions related to the site's conservation, while at the same time taking into account the legitimate expectations of the surrounding communities for sustainable development. In addition, the partner institutions agreed that the management plan needed to serve as a model for other sites that could also promote the development of sustainable policies and practices for heritage conservation in El Salvador.

Preliminary activities included the discussion of the methodological approach with a multidisciplinary group of professionals from Concultura and its adaptation to the specific context of the site and country, including the definition of appropriate tools and working mechanisms with other institutions and stakeholders.

The participation of a variety of stakeholders was promoted throughout the implementation of the process and its phases of documentation, assessment, and response. This goal was achieved through working meetings with professionals and organizations involved with the site. It also included the development of documentation to substantiate discussions regarding the site's values and vulnerability, including a detailed topographic survey of the site and an architectural survey of each structure—both in digital form—to support the management plan and the study of the earthen remains. The goal of broad involvement was to foster a sense of shared responsibility for the conservation of the site and its significance. All programs and projects of the management plan derived from the conditions of the place and from the results of these meetings.

The management plan was completed in summer 2002 and was presented publicly to local and national authorities and stakeholders as well as the vice president of El Salvador by the Institute and Concultura.

The resulting plan includes three components:

1. narrative of the plan
2. full mapping of the site and projects
3. detailed description of projects

Implementation of the plan remains an ongoing activity.

In addition, an executive summary was developed in English, Spanish and French to promote the plan and to summarize its contents and proposals for potential financial support (see Resources section).

The project team also worked on a critical analysis of the application of the conservation management planning process, identifying key steps and defining conditions that need to be in place or developed to undertake a sustainable and successful effort both in preparing and implementing a management plan.

Joya de Cerén presents a unique challenge in terms of the preservation of earthen architecture remains in a wet tropical environment. A methodological approach was developed to assess the direct and indirect threats to which the structures are exposed, to better understand the conditions of the archaeological remains and the causes of decay, and to establish a strategy for their conservation, including measures to mitigate the rate of deterioration. The final results of the detailed analysis were integrated into the management plan.

Work Completed

The Joya de Cerén Management Plan is composed of three related and complementary documents: the management plan, the specific and detailed project profiles, and the reference maps.

The management plan includes the documentation needed to understand and interpret the site's significance and to support and implement the vision for the future. It includes:

• site description, history, and interpretation
• description of the site's values and significance
• condition of the archaeological remains
• condition of the natural and human context of the heritage place
• assessment of the administrative and institutional framework
• the vision and derived policies to guide actions
• detailed programs and projects
• proposal for the administrative structure
• projected phases of implementation and cost evaluation

The project profiles document compiles each of the proposed projects and the details of its specific development including: description, location, objectives, background, expected results, and beneficiaries. It also lists the actions to be undertaken, identifies the stakeholders to be involved, establishes the timelines and cost as well as the indicators to measure success.

The reference maps document is a compilation of the maps used to record the site and its contexts in its present and past conditions and to project future conditions. It also serves as a tool to articulate different levels of responsibility and areas of shared competence.

The executive summary includes the purpose of the plan, the existing conditions, the overall aims, and the proposals to ensure long-term conservation.

Work Completed

• recording and mapping of conditions during the wet and dry season cycles
• recording and analysis of environmental data over three years
• review of the history of interventions and research of the structures' conditions at the time of excavation
• characterization of the building material
• analysis of the microorganisms developing on the structures
• analysis of soil mechanics

All studies were summarized and integrated into the condition assessment report that describes current conditions, identifies primary threats, and provides a series of recommendations to respond to existing conditions.

The results and lessons learned during the implementation of the planning process at Joya de Cerén evolved into the Management Planning project, which reviewed other Institute projects that were guided by the values-driven and participatory management process.