Chojolom

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Chojolom is a small Maya site in Guatemala’s western highlands. It has carved stone heads connected to the Kʼicheʼ Maya culture from the Postclassic Period (about AD 900–1520). The site sits on a hill in Cantel, in the Quetzaltenango region. Cantel today is mostly inhabited by Kʼicheʼ Maya (about 93.8%). The town is 10 kilometers from the city of Quetzaltenango, near Kilometer 217 on the CA2 Highway.

Chojolom is thought to have been a ritual site. The name Chojolom means “by the head” in Kʼicheʼ, from jolom meaning “head.” Local historian Mariano Cornejo suggests the hill’s name and the stone heads may be linked.

As of September 2010, three stone heads were found: one armadillo head, one human head, and one deity head. They were uncovered after mud was cleared following heavy rain in 2010; one head was found in a cave. Ceramics and bones found there may be ritual offerings. A clay head was also discovered. A minor landslide in October 2010 revealed a stone altar under a tree root.

Head details:
- Armadillo Head: about 15 by 20 cm. The nine-banded armadillo is native to Cantel. It was the first head found, by local farmer Sebastián Sam.
- Human Head: about 50 by 50 cm.
- Deity Head: the largest, about 1.1 by 1.4 m.

Altar: about 25 by 50 cm, with designs that include circles, hills, human figures, and a deer. A group of six human figures with a deer has been seen as a Maya calendrical date by anthropologist Lina Barrios.