The Board of the Archaeological Institute of America, St. Louis Society decided in 1909 to fund three seasons of fieldwork by Edgar Hewett, director of the School of American Archaeology in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hewett cleared the jungle from a significant amount of the site and excavated two structures (A and B) that he designated as the First and Second Temples.
Structure A (center) and Structure B (right) as they appear during while partially covered with jungle.
Structure A (background) and archaeologists in front of Structure B. Hewett reported on the three seasons of fieldwork in several publications including the National Geographic Magazine.
Structure A (background) and Structure B (center) at Quirigua.
Structure B at conclusion of the excavation.
Galleries (interior rooms) in Structure B.
The most significant artifact from Hewett's three field seasons at Quirigua was an effigy vase from that was repeatedly published (1913, 1916, 1943, 1980 and 1988). Sylvanus Morley (1913: 357) wrote in the National Geographic magazine that:
The yield of specimens from the smaller structure [Structure B also called Temple 2] exceeded that from Temple A in both quality and quantity. Indeed, the finest specimen recovered during the entire course of the excavation - the effigy vase shown on page 359 - came from this apparently insignificant building. When discovered, this vase was broken into a score or more of small pieces, and it was not until after these had been put together that its true character was revealed.
Schematic drawing show the stratigraphy of Quirigua in the area of the Great Plaza.
Stela K also called stela 13.
Photograph of Stela K at Quirigua in 1910.
Circular monument at Quirigua.
Massive jaguar head at Quirigua.
Double monument at Quirigua.
Photograph of Stelae 6, 7, 12, and 13 at Quirigua.
Plan of Quirigua showing the location of structures A and B.
Plan of Quirigua showing the location of structures A and B.
North face of Stela D at Quirigua.
East side Stela D at Quirigua.
Stela F at Quirigua.
West side of Stela A at Quirigua.
Moss covered sculpture designated as Monument 11 / Zoomorph P at Quirigua.
Front view of Monument 11 / Zoomorph P at Quirigua after clearing.
Rear view of Monument 11 / Zoomorph P at Quirigua after clearing.
Side view of Monument 11 / Zoomorph P at Quirigua after clearing.
Large piece of sculpture designated as the "Great Turtle."
East side of the large piece of sculpture designated as the "Great Turtle."
South face of the large piece of sculpture designated as the "Great Turtle."
Sculptured heads from Structure A.
Ore car used to remove soil at the beginning of excavation of Structure A at Quirigua.
Native houses at Quirigua.
Jungle at the site before clearing at Quirigua.
Tree cutting near Stela 13 at Quirigua.
Structure A after clearing at Quirigua.
Structure A being burnt at Quirigua.
Structure A and tree roots at Quirigua.
Structure A and stairway at Quirigua.
Structure A during excavation at Quirigua.
Structure A sculptured head at Quirigua.
Structure A sculptured head at Quirigua.
Structure A sculptured head at Quirigua.
North end of the Great Plaza at Quirigua.
Stela 6 at Quirigua.
Monument 8 (rear) at Quirigua.
Monument 8 (front) at Quirigua.
Monument 9 (front) at Quirigua.
Monument 9 (side) at Quirigua.
Coggins, Clemency Chase
1988 On the Historical Significance of Decorated Ceramics at Copan and Quirigua and related Classic Maya Sites. The Southeast Classic Maya Zone. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC. [fig. 15]
Holmes, W. H.
1916 A Quirigua Mystery. Art and Archaeology, 4( 6): , December 1916, pages 340-1.
Kelemen, Paul
1943 Medieval American Art. MacMillan Co., New York, [item 132a]
Morley, S. J.
1913 Excavations at Quirigua, Guatemala. National Geogrpahic Magazine 24(3):339-361. [especially pages 358-359]
Parsons, Lee A.
1980 Pre-Columbian Art - the Morton D. May and St. Louis Art Museum collections. Harper & Row, New York. [Figure 316]
Photographic images from the National Geographic Magazine article and the Brooklyn Museum (Collection of photographs by Alfred P. Maudslay).
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