Interchangeable Heads and Terrifying Faces: These Five Puppets Are Turning Archaeology Upside Down

El Salvador has long been a curious case within pre-Columbian archaeology in Latin America. Experts believed it was less connected to Mesoamerica than its neighbors and, therefore, not as integrated into the region’s trade networks. A new discovery has overturned this understanding.

Archaeologists uncovered five ceramic figurines with interchangeable heads dating back about 2,400 years.

Complications. The archaeological picture of El Salvador is puzzling due to the scarcity of pre-Columbian remains compared to surrounding countries. This isn’t due to a lack of remains or interest but rather historical complications.

A lack of human and economic resources, limited awareness of the importance of these remains, institutional instability, looting of archaeological sites, civil war, and the degradation of sites over time have all posed challenges. These factors, along with other national priorities, have hindered research into the country’s archaeological heritage.

The puppets. El Salvador prioritized other issues over archaeological research for decades, but this has changed in recent years. New approaches and studies have emerged to reconstruct the country’s past. The most recent effort led to the discovery of ceramic figurines. A team of archaeologists from the University of Warsaw, Poland, found them at the top of the largest pyramid in San Isidro in 2022. They have now completed their analysis.

In a study published in Antiquity, the researchers estimate the puppets date between 300 and 400 BC and believe the site served as a burial deposit. Interestingly, they found no human remains, though the figurines—ranging from 4 to 11 inches tall—suggest human remains might have been secondary.

Disturbing heads. Three of the puppets have articulated, interchangeable heads, similar to modern dolls. Their torsos feature a structure with an appliqué acting as a neck to attach the heads. Four represent women of different ages, one represents a man, and their facial expressions are particularly striking.

“One of the most striking features of the puppets is their dramatic facial expression, which changes depending on the angle that we look at them from,” archaeologist Jan Szymański explains. “Seen from above they appear almost grinning, but when looked at from the level angle they turn angry or disdainful, to become scared when seen from below,” he adds.

The message. Szymański and his team believe the faces were deliberately carved with this changing expression. “This is a conscious design, perhaps meant to enhance the gamut of ritual performances the puppets could have been used in,” he continues. The experts theorize that the puppets were used in important, possibly public, rituals at the pyramid’s summit.

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Personalization. The figurines have protrusions and depressions where strings could have been attached to manipulate them like puppets. They also feature specially designed areas—such as earlobes—for attaching accessories like jade ornaments.

Some puppets appear more “neutral” and could have been customized with interchangeable clothing to represent different identities.

A representation of how the researchers discovered the puppets.

Dramatization or something deeper? Researchers hypothesize the puppets may have been more than ritual objects. Their placement suggests they could have been “portraits” of real people. The male and two female figurines were face up, possibly representing a ruler and his wives. Another female puppet was face down, perhaps symbolizing a deceased first wife. The smaller figurine, also face down, might represent a daughter.

Alternatively, the puppets could have been avatars of divine or idealized figurines.

Connection. Some pieces of the puzzle remain missing, reflecting the gap in knowledge about pre-Columbian El Salvador compared to better-studied societies like the Maya. However, Szymański notes, “This discovery contradicts the prevailing notion about El Salvador's cultural backwardness or isolation in ancient times.”

In addition to the puppets, the archaeologists found artifacts like jade pendants similar to objects from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. This suggests commercial and cultural links between these societies, revealing “the existence of vibrant and far-reaching communities capable of exchanging ideas with remarkably distant places,” Szymański asserts.

Findings like these ceramic puppets may further encourage archaeological research in El Salvador, which is crucial for preserving the country’s history and cultural identity.

Images | Antiquity

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