Conservation Strategies of Earthen Architecture at the Acropolis of Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala

The pre-Hispanic site of Kaminaljuyu in Guatemala is a heritage complex of inestimable value, notablefor its cultural significance, extensive size, and singular use of varied earthen construction techniques.However, urban development has compromised much of the site’s original integrity, leaving only a fewintact structures. Among these are the “La Palangana” and “La Acrópolis” complexes, built during theEarly Classic period, which are now preserved within the Kaminaljuyu Archaeological Park. Researchconducted throughout the 20th century by the Institute of Anthropology and History of Guatemala andPennsylvania State University uncovered and exposed portions of the site, providing much insight into thepast but creating some problems for the conservation and interpretation of the ancient remains. To solvethese problems, and to anticipate other problems arising from recent excavations, preventive conservationactions have been carried out over the past two years to stabilise the exposed remains and give a betterunderstanding of their historicity to the visiting public. To do so, recycled materials from the monumentitself were used, applied with compatible construction methods in which the integrated components werelightened by adding pumice material in different granulometry. In this way, reversible integrations wereachieved, with a low environmental impact and easy to carry out by the personnel working on the site.