Research Contribution 18

Takalik Abaj Monument 1
Christa Schieber de Lavarreda and Bruce Love

Introduction
Bruce Love

On my 2025 visit to Takalik Abaj, I photographed Monument 1 on the evening of March 14. I had visited the carved boulder during the day to see its location and take measurements (Figure 1), then returned that night with park assistants—and with park director Christa Schieber’s permission—to shoot with side-raking flash. Drawings were made in June and July after returning home using drawing aids of multiple light angles over the surface of the carving.  My pencil drawing was then turned into a digital line drawing by design assistant James Neely. Director Schieber provides the background.

Figure 1. Monument 1 boulder with measurements.

Background
Christa Schieber de Lavarreda

Takalik Abaj Monument 1 is a petroglyph carved into a massive rock on the banks of the Ixchiya River, which marks the eastern boundary of the ancient city of Takalik Abaj. The figure, depicted in all his regalia, wears a mask with Olmec feline features. It is one of a series of representations of figures in profile in a “dance” or “ballplayer” pose from the Late Middle Preclassic period found at archaeological sites in Mesoamerica.

The person’s attire and regalia, as well the kneeling position, invites one to think of a ballplayer in motion, but it might also be a dignitary in the action of a ritual dance performance (Figure 2). This kind of attire and bodily position seems to be a pattern with these early bas-relief rock carvings, particularly those that are found along the cultural corridor of the Pacific littoral and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Figure 2. Project drawing of Monument 1, courtesy of Christa Schieber de Lavarreda, Parque Arqueológico Nacional Tak’alik Ab’aj (originally published in Schieber de Lavarreda and Orrego Corzo 2010 as Figure 8.14a).

Reference: Schieber de Lavarreda, Christa and Miguel Orrego Corzo 2010 Preclassic Olmec and Maya Monuments and Architecture at Takalik Abaj. In The Place of Stone Monuments: Context, Use, and Meaning in Mesoamerica’s Preclassic Transition. Dumbarton Oaks Pre-Columbian Symposia and Colloquia. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, D.C. Editors Julia Guernsey, John E. Clark and Barbara Arroyo, pp. 177-205. Dumbarton Oaks Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C. ISBN 978-0- 88402-364-7

Vicinity Map: Location of Takalik Abaj, Guatemala. Source of base map: Mundo Maya, Maya World. Edición Quimera (2007).
Monument 1 Photograph by Bruce Love
Monument 1 Drawing by Bruce Love and James Neely

Suggested citation: Schieber de Lavarreda, Christa and Bruce Love. “Research Contribution 18: Takalik Abaj Monument 1.” Contributions to Mesoamerican Studies, August 23, 2026.  https://brucelove.com/research/contribution-018

Downloadable PDF: Takalik Abaj Monument 1 by Christa Schieber de Lavarreda and Bruce Love

The photographs and drawings may be freely used and distributed in non-commercial use and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0