portable sculptures. Characteristic of the Cotzumalguapa style is an extraordinary degree of realism in the representation of human figures. The Cotzumalhuapa style is characterized by its treatment of human figures, which display strong and highly individualized facial features combined with flat but well-proportioned bodies, often depicted in dynamic poses. In many cases, these individuals participate in complex scenes, where they interact with other human characters or with supernatural beings. Sacrificial scenes are frequent. Distinctive elements of the Cotzumalguapa style include speech scrolls shaped as vines with a variety of flowers and fruits. Influence Cotzumalhuapa was most likely the seat of a powerful state, which exerted political control over a vast region of the Pacific coast. The diffusion of the sculptural style provides a measure of the geographic extension of Cotzumalguapa influence. The style is found along a 200 kilometer stretch of the Pacific coast, from the modern border between Guatemala and El Salvador to the Suchitepéquez Department. It also had strong presence in some regions of the Central and Eastern Highlands, particularly in the region of Antigua Guatemala. Some elements of the style are perceptible in sculptures from various sites located in Chimaltenango in the Central Highlands, the western Pacific Coastal area, and the Motagua River valley. Footnotes References Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo (2001), "Cumalhuapa." In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures. : Oxford University Press. Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo (2000), "Cotzumalhuapa style" in Evans, Susan, Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America, Taylor & Francis. Parsons, Lee 1969 "The Pacific Coast Cotzumalhuapa Region and Middle American Culture History" In: Verhandlungen des XXXVIII: internationalen Amerikanistenkongresses, München: K. Renner. Cotzumalhuapa Archaeology Project Article at Museo Popul Vuh, Guatemala City. External links Maya sites in Guatemala Archaeological sites in Guatemala Escuintla Department Formative period in the Americas Classic period in Mesoamerica Former populated places in Guatemala