Highly expressive ancient puppets found in Salvadorian pyramid
A collection of 2,400-year-old ceramic puppets found atop a Salvadorian pyramid are forcing archaeologists to rethink the country’s historical connection with its Central American neighbors. Three of the figures were made of fine clay and had adjustable heads with holes in them that may have been controlled using a string, much like a marionette puppet. They also had uniquely carved faces with expressions that seem to change depending on the angle they are viewed from. These remarkably well-preserved “Bolinas” figures are similar to others found at the Mayan burial site Tak’alik Ab’aj in Guatemala. The researchers argue these connections suggest the culture behind the puppets in El Salvador may have communicated and interacted with others in the region. The findings were published this week in the journal Antiquity. “This discovery contradicts some prevailing notion about El Salvador’s cultural backwardness or isolation in ancient times,” University of Warsaw archaeologist and paper author Jan...