Between Two Volcanic Eruptions: The Ancient Maya Village of Cerén

Time: 8:00 pm til 9:30 pm

Location: Miami Science Museum, 3280 South Miami Avenue

Description: A cataclysmic volcanic eruption occurred from the Ilopango Caldera, now dated to the early 6th century CE. It rendered El Salvador and surrounding areas uninhabitable, and eliminated the Miraflores branch of Maya civilization. Local recovery required a few decades, and the Maya that founded Cerén were among the earliest colonizers. They established a surprisingly successful adaptation, life style, and exuberant religious life within the household and at the community level. That came to an abrupt end when a very close volcanic vent, Loma Caldera, erupted and buried the village under 4-7 meters of volcanic ash. Payson D. Sheets, Ph.D from the Univ. of Colorado–Boulder will explore their successes in the middle of the Classic Period.
Dr. Sheets has been an Associate and Full Professor at the University of Colorado from 1974 until the present. His areas of specialization include Mesoamerican archaeology, hazards research, lithic technology, ancient adaptations, remote sensing, and geophysical applications. He is the author of three books. His most recent is Before the Volcano Erupted: The Ancient Ceren Village in Central America.

FPAN is posting this event as a courtesy, we will neither be hosting nor attending this event.