Abstract
The archaeological site La Casa de las Golondrinas is the largest rock art site in Guatemala, with more than 400 images dating back to 6000 BC. The largest part of the paintings of La Casa de las Golondrinas are abstract images, but astronomical symbols, handprints, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic images can be distinguished. Since 2017, the Russian-Guatemalan project “Proyecto de documentación gráfi ca “Casa de las Golondrinas” is working on the archaeological site. The project has revealed a large number of new rock paintings that have not been recorded before. For the purposes of this study, 14 drawings related to water and water symbols were selected. These include images of crocodiles, frogs, crabs and turtles. An analysis of these drawings allows us to conclude that the connection with water and water rituals played a signifi cant role in the system of sacred activity at La Casa de las Golondrinas. In addition, the rocks with drawings, the nearby river and fresh water sources formed a single ritual landscape, as evidenced by a stone altar found next to the largest source of fresh water. A specifi c set of images allows us to make the conclusion that the rock paintings are not only a refl ection of local natural features, but also indicate the fi xation of special, sacred animals that played an important role in the system of mythological beliefs of the local population
Keywords
Rock art, Mesoamerica, Guatemala, La Casa de las Golondrinas, ritual landscape.
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