Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture's topics - tribe.net

2009 SAA Symposium on Communities

Scott — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:55:19 GMT

Hello everyone,

For those who are interested, Bill Locascio and myself (who do research in Central and Western Panama respectively) are organizing an electronic symposium on pre-Columbian communities in the Intermediate Area. We expect a variety of perspectives on the subject, although a number of researchers will likely examine forms and degrees of social differentiation within a village context. As an electronic symposium, all the papers should be available off the SAA website one month previous to the meeting in Atlanta for everyone to read. For those of you coming to the meetings, the time would be reserved for debate and discussion rather than presentations. Papers and the subsequent discussion will likely be in both Spanish and English.

At the moment, the symposium is full with 16 people but there is a chance that a spot or two may open up for anyone interested as we approach the September 10th deadline for submissions. Nevertheless, we hope to see many of you in Atlanta.

Scott Palumbo
Bill Locascio
University of Pittsburgh

Reconstructing the Natures of Communities in the Intermediate Area

The variety of the interactions and affinities that connect households to each other, and to broader social dynamics, are of analytical interest to anthropologists and archaeologists studying the ‘community’. Because social changes and continuities may be generated from these relationships, understanding the activities, forms of social differentiation, and social ties within and between communities are of critical importance. Contributors have chosen to examine communities within the Intermediate Area, noted both for its cultural diversity and stability, and assess what relevance a community focus has for themselves.

Reconstruyendo las Naturalezas de las Comunidades en el Área Intermedia

La variedad de interacciones y afinidades que conectaban a las unidades domesticas unas a otras, y también a dinámicas sociales más grandes, son de interés analítico para los antropólogos y arqueólogos que estudian la "comunidad". Ya que los cambios y continuidades sociales pueden engendrarse de estas relaciones, el comprender las actividades, formas de diferenciación social, y las conexiones sociales dentro de y entre comunidades tiene una importancia crítica. Los contribuyentes han elegido examinar las comunidades dentro del Área Intermedia, reconocida por su diversidad y estabilidad cultural, con el propósito de valorar por si mismos la aplicabilidad que tiene una perspectiva a nivel de comunidad.

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Las Mercedes (Costa Rica)

Hoopes — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:25:44 GMT

Two items from La Nación about Ricardo Vázquez' (MNCR) project and the SUNY-Albany field school at Las Mercedes:

Arqueólogos desempolvan sitio indígena en Guácimo
http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/febrero/22/aldea1882107.html

Guerrero esculpido en piedra ve la luz
http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/febrero/22/aldea1882127.html

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The Heart of the World

Hoopes — Thu, 10 Mar 2005 22:24:25 GMT

The official website of the Gonawindua Tayrona Organization, representing several Kogi, Arhuaco, and Wiwa communities, is:

http://www.tairona.org

It's an attractive online resource for information about surviving Chibchan culture. Please use this thread to post links or comments about this or similar websites pertaining to indigenous Chibchan communities.

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 2 replies

Big Balls

Hoopes — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 13:13:50 GMT

Some of you may be familiar with a little website I created to dispell some of the myths about the giant balls of Costa Rica:

http://www.ku.edu/~hoopes/balls

Parts of it were later reprinted here:

http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_12.htm

There is also another website by Edwin Quesada:

http://www.geocities.com/eqm/palmar/palmar.html

Unfortunately, even the supposed "experts" get it wrong sometimes:

http://www.randi.org/jr/111502.html

These objects also suffer the indignity of being identified as "lawn ornaments":

http://itotd.com/index.alt?ArticleID=134

The Landmarks Foundation, in cooperation with the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, is working to help preserve these objects:

http://www.landmarksfoundation.org/projects_diquis.shtml

Francisco Corrales (Museo Nacional de Costa Rica) and Ifigenia Quintanilla (Universidad de Barcelona) recently presented some of the latest scholarship on these balls to an audience in Spain. I hope they'll update us on some of their conclusions and the latest on what's happening with the preservation of these objects.

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 20 replies

New Publications

Hoopes — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 04:52:02 GMT

Please post information about any new publications that may interest members of this tribe. These can be print publications, online publications, or pertinent websites.

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 28 replies

1,100 Year-Old Canoe in Florida

Hoopes — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:52:56 GMT

From Mike Ruggieri:

A 1,100 year old 45 foot canoe constructed by the Weeden Island culture of Florida has worked its way to the surface. It was carved from a single pine tree and was used to paddle over the open waters of the bay for long distance trade. This is the first Pre-Columbian sea going vessel uncovered in Florida.

The canoe will eventually be excavated and chemically preserved and until then, it sits in an undisclosed location beneath a layer of muck shoveled onto it to preserve it for now.

MSNBC has the story here;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24468049/

Mike Ruggeri's Mississippians and Mound Builders including the Adena and Hopewell
http://tinyurl.com/276d8z

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Drago Ceramics

jeannette — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:00:16 GMT

I am currently in the field analyzing the ceramics from Drago. I am in the sorting stage and at the mercy of the primatology course schedule (I have stolen a few of the monkey students to help me separate wares). I will soon be done and I am sure there are a few that I do not know. I need my books and more reliable internet. I will post the descriptions and pictures as soon as I get that organized. I will also try to post some more clear pictures of the sherds Dr. Wake posted. It would be really helpful, Laura, to receive the ware descriptions you were speaking of.

-Jeannette

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Archaeology of Pacific Coast Honduras

Geurds — Mon, 04 Jul 2005 15:44:21 GMT

Is there even such a thing? Because I certainly have been having a hard time tracking down published materials. The only references relate to Claude Baudez's survey work in the early 60s, but since then not much seems to have taken place. He mentioned to me a future B.A.R. publication with work on this coastal area, but I have not seen it yet.

Anyone who might have any knowledge of archaeological data on the area?

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 12 replies

Fake Sculpture from Costa Rica

Hoopes — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:46:50 GMT

Hallazgo de 720 artesanías en una casa
Museo confirma origen indígena de 12 piezas
Otto Vargas M. | ovargas@nacion.com

Arqueólogos del Museo Nacional determinaron que solo 12 de las 720 piezas decomisadas en una vivienda de Limón pertenecen a la época precolombina.

Las demás –halladas durante el allanamiento de una casa en busca de pistas para esclarecer un doble homicidio– son simples imitaciones. Así lo confirmó la arqueóloga Lady Bonilla.

“Estos objetos fueron elaborados por las culturas de la zona Atlántica en un período muy extenso; es decir, desde años después de Cristo hasta el encuentro con la cultura hispana”, puntualizó.

Los 12 objetos eran instrumentos de labranza, entre ellos diez hachas que servían para cortar en ambos extremos.

Los arqueólogos descartaron que los dijes con forma de ranas y las esculturas de piedra tengan un origen indígena.

Acción legal. El Museo remitió un informe al Ministerio Público.

La directora del departamento de Patrimonio Histórico, Marlin Calvo, señaló que, con excepción de las piezas obtenidas antes de 1938 y registradas ante el Museo, los objetos precolombinos son propiedad del Estado. “De lo contrario, lo que procede es el decomiso”, añadió.

Las artesanías que imitan objetos precolombinos serán devueltas al propietario de la vivienda.

Las piezas aparecieron en la casa de un hombre de apellido Camacho, quien era investigado por las muertes de Jeffry Arnold Lawrence Dunkley, de 28 años, y de Jeudi Asbel Mata Sarmiento, de 21. Las víctimas fueron asesinadas con una escopeta en Beverly de Limón.

Los objetos estaban en cajas y repisas, en una de las habitaciones del sospechoso. Familiares de Camacho dijeron a la Policía que eran simples adornos

http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/mayo/27/aldea1552288.html

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Spectacular Discovery in Colombia

Hoopes — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:08:39 GMT

"Colombian anthropologists said on Monday (April 21) they had discovered a giant sacrificial tomb used by the ancient Muisca people. The tomb contains an estimated 1,500 bodies, all stacked tightly together in a series of rows.

"It was discovered in the town of Usme, located some nine miles (15 km) south of Bogota and appears to have been used for centuries before being shut up some 2,000 years ago.

"Becerra said that early evidence from the tomb suggests some of the first burials may have even been from the Herrera people, who lived in the area years before the Muiscas arrived.

"There are very few cultures in the world where we have seen such extensive use of the same burial place over centuries and centuries. What we have here -- as I am sure you realized during the tour -- a huge variety of burials. It is a buried library of about one thousand years of pre-Hispanic culture," said Jose Virgilio Becerra, director of the Colombian National University Anthropology department.

"Oral tradition suggests that every Muisca family had to send one child to live with the local priests. These children were then cared for until the age of 15, before being sacrificed for 'Sue', the Sun-god.

"But these sacrificial rites appeared to have died out before Spanish conquistadors came across the Muisca some 500 years ago.

"It is not so much a burial site where the dead are put into the ground, it is a site where life is reborn. It is a place to give thanks, a
place of sacrifice so that life can continue. The people sacrificed themselves so that life continued," Becerra said.

"Descriptions from the early Spanish explorers said the Muisca were an agricultural society that used mountains of gold and emeralds in their arts and handicrafts.

"Becerra said several examples of shell necklaces, stone implements and ceramics had been found in the tomb, but not even an ounce of gold was found."
http://rtv.rtrlondon.co.uk/2008-04-23/26e62156.html

Video from National Geographic:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080424-society-video-ap.html

See Mike Ruggeri's The Ancient Americas Breaking News for updates:

http://web.mac.com/michaelruggeri

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Video with Carlos Aguilar on YouTube

Robert — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:12:58 GMT

This is a older documentary on Diquis petro-spheres with an introduction by the late Carlos H. Aguilar.

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=XPcg1ElxRSY

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Redmond and Spencer download

Scott — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:18:19 GMT

You can download Redmond and Spencer's 2007 'Archaeological survey in the high llanos and Andean piedmont of Barinas, Venezuela' from the American Museum of Natural History right here

http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/5871

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Cuban Archaeology Online

Hoopes — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:59:19 GMT

Estimado colega:

Me agrada informarle que el sitio web Cuba Arqueologica ya esta disponible en Internet en la direccion

http://www.cubaarqueologica.org

De ahora en mas se ira enriqueciendo paulatinamente con la colaboracion de la comunidad arqueologica cubana y las instituciones correspondientes. Las puertas estan abiertas para la recepcion de articulos, informes, etc. sobre la arqueologia en general y el patrimonio historico cubano que hayan sido publicados para integrar la Biblioteca Virtual de Cuba Arqueologica. Tambien, esta abierta la
convocatoria para la presentacion de articulos para el primer numero de Cuba Arqueologica. Revista digital de arqueologia de Cuba.

Atentamente,
Odlanyer Hernandez de Lara
Coordinador de Cuba Arqueologica
odlanyer @ cubaarqueologica.org

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Carlos H. Aguilar Piedra (1917-2008)

Hoopes — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:21:09 GMT

It is with great sadness that I pass along this news of the passing of one of the great archaeologists of our time:

http://nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/abril/01/aldea1480728.html

Don Carlos, as he was fondly known, was awarded Costa Rica's prestigious Premio Magón in 2004:

http://www.mcjdcr.go.cr/magon/carlos_aguilar_piedra_2004.html

Here is a brief (and incomplete) professional bibliography of this distinguished grandfather of Costa Rican archaeology:

1946 La orfebrería en el México precortesiano. Acta Antropología 2, No. 2, México.

1952 El complejo de las cabezas trofeo en la etnología costarricense. Universidad de Costa Rica, San José.

1953 Retes, un depósito arqueológico en las faldas de Irazú. Editorial Universitario 5, San José.

1958 Retes: un depósito arqueológico en las faldas de Irazú. Imprenta Trejos, San José.

1965 Religión y magia entre los indios de Costa Rica de origen sureño. Universidad de Costa Rica. Serie Historia y Geografía.

1969 El juego de pelota en la Gran Nicoya. Revista de la Universidad de Costa Rica 26:35- 38.

1970 Estado actual dela investigación en Guayabo de Turrialba. Paper presented at the 39th International Congress of Americanists, Lima.

1972a Colección de objetos indígenas de oro del Banco Central. Serie Historía y Geografía 13, Universidad de Costa Rica.

1972b Contribución al estudio de las secuencias culturales en el área central de Costa Rica. Universidad de Costa Rica, Depto. de Ciencias del Hombre, San Pedro de Montes de Oca.

1972c Guayabo de Turrialba; arqueología de un sitio indígena prehispánico. Editorial Costa Rica. San José.

1973 Contribution to the study of cultural sequences in the Central Area of Costa Rica. In Cultural Continuity in Mesoamerica, D. Browman (ed.), pp. 387-411. Mouton, The Hague.

1974a Asentamientos indígenas en el Area Central de Costa Rica. América Indígena 34(2):311- 317. México, D.F.

1974b Contribución al estudio de las secuencias culturales en el área central de Costa Rica. Trabajo presentado al IX Congreso Internacional de Ciencias Antropológicas y Etnológicas. Chicago.

1974c El Molino: un sitio de la fase Pavas en Cartago. Vínculos 1(1):18-56. San José.

1974d Un monolito zoomorfo en el parque arqueológico de Guayabo de Turrialba. Informe Semestral, July-December. Instituto Geográfico Nacional, San José.

1976 Relaciones de las culturas precolombinas en el Intermontano Central de Costa Rica. Vínculos 2(1):75-77.

1977 Introduction to the Archaeology of the Arenal Volcano Area: Tephrastratigraphy and Cultural Sequences. National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1977 Projects, pp. 95-107. Washington, D.C.

1980 Presencia temprano del cobre en el Intermontano Central de Costa Rica. En: La antropología americanista en la actualidad. 1:363-367. Editores Mexicanos Unidos.

1981 Parques arqueológicos en el Area Intermedia: estudio de dos casos; Guayabo de Turrialba en Costa Rica y El Caño en Coclé, Panamá. In Arqueología de rescate. The Preservation Press, Washington, D.C.

1984 Introducción a la arqueología de la región del Volcán Arenal: Tefraestratigrafía y secuencia cultural. Anales de la Academia de Geografía e Historia de Costa Rica 1979-1980-1981-1982, pp. 55-87. Imprenta Nacional. San José, Costa Rica.

1996 Los usékares de oro. Fundación Museos Banco Central, San José, Costa Rica.

2003 El Jade y el chamán. Editorial Tecnológica de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.

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Indigenous Caribbean Network

Hoopes — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:21:13 GMT

Sam Wilson has just pointed out that Maximilian Forte's website deserves mention here:

http://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/

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Isthmo-Colombian and Pan-Caribbean Wikipedia Entries

Hoopes — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:03:17 GMT

I was pleased and surprised to discover yesterday that someone had created an entry for "Isthmo-Colombian" in Wikipedia, the massive online free encyclopedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isthmo-Colombian

It now pops up at the top of Google searches, so I decided to do a small amount of quick editing myself (more will come later as I find more time).

Personally, I don't think Wikipedia should be underestimated as a resource for general or specific information. Yes, it is frequently hideously inaccurate and yes, it can be subject to being hijacked by specific agendas, but in general it is a quick and ubiquitous online reference.

There are entries that could be quickly augmented to reflect current knowledge of the pan-Caribbean region. For example, the entry on Vieques currently (today) has only slight mention of its Pre-Columbian significance:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vieques%2C_Puerto_Rico

Editing Wikipedia entries is relatively easy to do by anyone. There is already a large project to improve the entries for Mesoamerica:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Mesoamerica

Of course, this is also a multilingual resource, so there is also work to be done on entries in Spanish, Dutch, French, etc.

If you do work on any entries (in any language), please let us know!

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Society for American Archaeology in Vancouver, March 26-30.

Hoopes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:00:16 GMT

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: March 27. 2008
Vancouver Convention Centre

[59] SYMPOSIUM ARCHAEOLOGY WITHOUT BORDERS: RE-EVALUATING THE MESOAMERICAN/CHIBCHAN INTERFACE
Room: 13 (CC)
Time: 1:00 PM–5:00 PM
Organizers: Carrie Dennett and Geoffrey McCafferty
Chair: Carrie Dennett

Participants:

1:00 Angelica Lopez-Forment—“There’s a Hare on my Soup” Foodways and Identity on the Mesoamerican Frontier

1:15 Geoffrey McCafferty—Liminal States in an Intermediate Area: Mythstorical Tales and Archaeological Realities

1:30 Ellen Bell, Marcello A. Canuto and Cassandra R. Bill—The View from the Other Side: Borders, Boundaries, and Administrative Strategies in the El Paraíso Valley, Western Honduras

1:45 Esteban Gomez—Cross-Cultural Interaction in the Gulf of Fonseca, Central America

2:00 Doris Maldonado, Rosemary Joyce and Russell Sheptak—Boundaries and Identities: Archaeology in Northern Honduras

2:15 Silvia Salgado Gonzalez and Eugenia Ibarra Rojas—Relaciones históricas entre pueblos de Centroamérica y el Caribe entre los siglos XI y XVI

2:30 Thomas Wake—Trade, Exchange, and Cultural Boundaries in Central America: A view from Northwest Caribbean Panama

2:45 Karen Bruhns—The Romantic Rafters Meet Utter Indifference: Ideology and Technology as Barriers to the Diffusion of Metallurgy on the Mesoamerican-Central American Frontier

3:00 Fabio Amador—Oriente: cultural border or transitional zone

3:15 Carrie Dennett, Christina Luke and Paul F. Healy—Which Came First? The Marble or the Clay?: Ulua-style Vase Production and Precolumbian Cultural Boundaries

3:30 Michael Snarskis—New Evidence for Mesoamerica-Costa Rica Contacts: Usulután Effigy Vessels and Figurines Recovered in Context

3:45 Celise Chilcote—Death knows no boundaries: Mortuary patterns in Postclassic Central America

4:00 William Fowler—The Northwestern Frontier of the Greater Chibchan Area

4:15 Frederick W. Lange—Greater Nicoya and the Mesoamerican/Chibchan Interface

4:30 Larry Steinbrenner—Chibchan Mesoamerica, or Mesomerican Chibcha?: Drawing the Line in Greater Nicoya

4:45 John Hoopes—Discussant

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Contribute to Vínculos!

Hoopes — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:32:26 GMT

Archaeologist Adrián Badilla C., the new editor of Vínculos, the scientific journal of the Department of Anthropology and History, seeks high-quality manuscripts pertinent to past and present cultures of southern Central America and northern South America.

The most recent number, Vol. 28, is a special issue dedicated to research results of the most recent seasons of the Proyecto Prehistórico Arenal, directed by Dr. Payson Sheets (University of Colorado). Articles in both English and Spanish provide information about the use of remote sensing to detect ancient footpaths and excavations at related sites.

One of the most fascinating articles is a description of Cutrís, a huge site in northern Costa Rica with a highly complex construction of mounds and roads, by Ricardo Vazquez L., Juan Vicente Guerrero M., and Julio César Sánchez H. of the MNCR.

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Researcher Homepages

Hoopes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:28:31 GMT

Please use this thread for posting information about individual homepages. I'll post a few, but please don't let anyone be left out!

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 8 replies

Herrnan Crespo Toral

Hoopes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:24:05 GMT

Archaeologist Hernán Crespo Toral passed away Sunday night.

Karen Olsen Bruhns distributed this brief biographical sketch:

Hernán Crespo Toral was the first director of the Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, the national museum of that country. He was responsible for setting up programs that sent Ecuadoran students abroad for postgraduate training in archaeology.

Under Hernán the Museum del Banco Central sponsored many archaeological projects (on the coast through the Museo del Banco Central, Guayaquil, under the late Olaf Holm), including Tomebamba and Pirincay in the Cuenca region, Rumicucho near Cuenca and a host of other projects. Trained as an architect with a serious interest in historic sites and monuments (and prehistoric ones) After the collapse of the Banco Central archaeological program (related to Ecuador’s terrible economic situation and overwhelming foreign debt, he went on to work for UNESCO, ending up as Assistant General Director of UNESCO. The University Nacional de Cordoba (Argentina) awarded him a Doctor Honoris Causa in 2004 in recognition of his efforts on the part of world historic and prehistoric heritage. A devout Catholic, he was the “second miracle” that led to the canonization of Santa Mariana de Quito. He had been seriously ill for several years before his death on Easter night.

Some links:

http://www.arqueo-ecuatoriana.ec/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=124

http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5547&URL_DO=DO_PRINTPAGE&URL_SECTION=201.html

http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/institutional/SPRConferences.nsf/547251faccc07412852566b000715b0b/0dee666db03ffda7852566b30070937a?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=1%2C2

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II Congreso Latinoamericano de Antropología

Hoopes — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:35:24 GMT

The official website:

http://www.congresoala2008.ucr.ac.cr/inicio.html

This congress will be held at the University of Costa Rica on July 28-31, 2008.

Some of the relevant symposia (out of a total of 32):

"Regiones, comunidades y áreas domésticas: acercamiento al estudio del cambio social precolombino en América Central meridional y el norte de América del Sur utilizando múltiples escalas de análisis", organized by Mauricio Murillo Herrera and Adam Menzies.
http://www.congresoala2008.ucr.ac.cr/nr1.html

"'De sol a sol: Arqueología de las Antillas y el Caribe continental', organized by Sneider Rojas-Mora and Alfredo Pérez Carratala
http://www.congresoala2008.ucr.ac.cr/nr13.html

'Territorio Macrochibcha': De los cazadores recolectores al contacto español, organized by Arturo Cifuentes Toro and José Vicente Rodríguez Cuenca
http://www.congresoala2008.ucr.ac.cr/nr18.html

Please contact the organizers directly for more information.

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Voyage of the Manteño

Hoopes — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:43:55 GMT

I recently read a fascinating and enjoyable book by adventurer John Haslett about his attempts to replicate the balsa rafts used by ancient traders on the coast of Ecuador. He has been successful in navigating balsa rafts from the vicinity of Salango, Ecuador to the coasts of both Panama and Costa Rica.

The book is:

The Voyage of the Manteño, by John Haslett
http://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Manteno-Education-Modern-Day-Expeditioner/dp/0312324324/

Haslett has also created a website with additional information about his projects:

http://www.balsaraft.com

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Loma Corral 3 - Ancient Salvadoran Sailors in the Bay of Culebras, Costa Rica?

Hoopes — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:23:44 GMT

Michael Snarskis has a website to disseminate information about recent discoveries at the site Loma Corral 3, a 2000-year-old settlement with spectacular finds of jade and possible Usulután ceramics that Snarskis thinks may have been imported to Costa Rica from El Salvador.

http://www.msnarskis.com/

This information has not yet been published except on the web and in two articles that appeared this year in the popular magazine "Costa Rica Outdoors".

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2007 Symposium of the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C.

Hoopes — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:54:24 GMT

This year's symposium of the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C., held on September 15th, 2007, had the Chibchan area as its central focus:

http://www.pcswdc.org/

The Center of the Americas: Contemporary Studies of an Ancient World
Pre-Columbian Cultures of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia

John W. Hoopes - University of Kansas (Moderator)
"At the Center of the Precolumbian World: Art, Belief Systems, and Ethnic Identities in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia"

Richard Cooke - Smithsonian Tropics Research Institute

Jeffrey Frost - University of Wisconsin - Madison
"The Ancestors Above, the People Below: Cemeteries, Landscape, and Dualism in Ancient Costa Rica"

Karen Bruhns - San Francisco State University
"The Traveling Dragons: Composite Animals in Andean and Central American Art"

Rebecca Rollins Stone - Michael C. Carlos Museum
"Flowers in the Dark: Visions and Ancient Costa Rican Art"

Augusto Oyuela-Caycedo - University of Florida
"Masks for all, masks for few: the ideology of masks in Amerindian societies in past and present"

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2007 Symposium at the Denver Art Museum in Memory of Frederick Mayer

Hoopes — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:38:50 GMT

This past weekend, the Frederick & Jan Mayer Center sponsored a symposium in honor of philanthropist and art aficionado Frederick Mayer, who passed away on February 14, 2007:

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5237341

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5335240

The Mayers' $11 million endowment insures that the Denver Art Museum will continue to promote scholarship on Precolumbian art through the Mayer Center and its annual symposia:

http://mayercenter.denverartmuseum.org/

http://mayercenter.denverartmuseum.org/symposia.htm

This year's speakers were:

Margaret Young-Sánchez (Denver Art Museum)
Introduction: Honoring the Contributions of Frederick Mayer

Michael Coe (Yale University)
The Remembrance of Things Past: A Personal Perspective on New World Archaeology

John Hoopes (University of Kansas)
Ancient Costa Rica and the Chibchan World

Fred Lange (University of Colorado at Boulder) and Ronald Bishop (Smithsonian Institution)
The Greater Nicoya Ceramic Project: The Marriage of Art History and Archaeology

David Mora Marin (University of North Carolina)
A Brief History of the Middle American Jade Exchange Network: The Costa Rica/Maya Interaction

Michael Snarskis (Independent Archaeologist/Consultant, Costa Rica)
Distribution of Scientifically Excavated Gold Artifacts and Regional Symbolism

Jane Day (Independent Scholar, Denver)
Reflections of Shamanism in Ancient Costa Rican Art

The proceedings will be published in 2009.

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Panamanian Archaeology in the Philadelphia Inquirer

Hoopes — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:26:17 GMT

Two recent articles by writer Tom Avril:

Glittering discovery: Penn exhibits Panamanian find
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/9685772.html

Seeds of civilization
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20071015_Seeds_of_civilization.html

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Zooarchaeology in the Chibcha Area

Diana — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 16:32:36 GMT

See this paper "Diana Carvajal, Richard Cooke and Maximo Jimenez Taphonomy and Fishing at Two Contiguous Coastal Rockshelters in Panama " at http://www.bonecommons.org/prize_2006.html

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Museum of Ethnology of Nuremberg in Germany

Hansjörg — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 19:36:55 GMT

One of the best collections of Costa Rican treasures in Europe is prepared for exhibition in Nuremberg. The Nuremberg Museum of Ethnology is run by a private association of friends of natural sciences (called Naturhistorische Gesellschaft Nuernberg). Unfortunately we have little support from government and we have not found a University or Archaeological institute to provide us with new scientifical information about our collection.
So we were very happy, when Laura Brannen of Denver Museum visited our collection and we got such a lot of important information. She enabeld us to prepare our exhibition, which is unique in Europe. Thanks a lot Laura.
But still I have to ask some questions. I hope, the members of this tribe will help me to make our exhibition perfect.
I put pictures of some of our pieces into the galary:
1. W 299 is a small ball of very precious jade with a big hole and two small holes. We don´t know for which purpose this was.
2. W 301 has no traces of a shaft, is it possible that it was hold in the hand. It fits very well in a hand, but for what porpose was it used? We found a picture in Stone "Early Man in Costa Rica", but no explanation.
3. W315 and W 306: Did people of Middle America use "Bolas" as the Argentinian used.
4. W 305: This club has traces of a shaft and seems to be used in war, because of chips cut off, perhaps caused by strikes with other clubs. Was this kind of club used in war?
5. W 765 Is this Irazu Yellow Line?

Thanks for help
Hansjörg

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Treasures of Nuremberg Museum

Hansjörg — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 09:19:57 GMT

Digital photography and software for editing pictures are providing tools to analyse our ceramic treasures.
Examples attached.

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Ancient Road System Discovered in Costa Rica

Hoopes — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 18:40:41 GMT

An exciting story in today's edition of La Nacion:

Descubren red de caminos precolombinos en el Caribe
http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2005/marzo/17/aldea1.html

Rutas empedradas evidencian el desarrollo social, económico y político

El estudio arrancó hace dos años y se desarrolla dentro de la Misión Carta

Melissa Arce
meliarce@nacion.com

"Científicos de la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) descubrieron, con ayuda de la teledetección, una red de caminos precolombinos empedrados que recorren la zona del Caribe y se bifurcan hacia distintos puntos del territorio nacional, a partir del Monumento Nacional Guayabo, en Turrialba.

"Javier Bonatti, del Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Atómicas, Nucleares y Moleculares, junto con Maureen Sánchez, de la Escuela de Antropología y Sociología, enmarcaron este proyecto dentro de la Misión Carta 2003 -una iniciativa científica que fotografió, desde el cielo, todo el territorio costarricense- .

Además:

Hallazgos replantean algunos viejos mitos

"Una civilización. Desde las investigaciones de Carlos Aguilar, quien descubrió Guayabo a fines de la década de los años 60, otras exploraciones habían encontrado la presencia de rutas que se internaban en la montaña y comunicaban ese sitio con otros asentamientos indígenas, manifestó Maureen Sánchez.

"Por medio del uso de fuentes etnohistóricas, la arqueología y la alta tecnología, lograron seguirle la pista a la calzada ubicada hacia el límite norte de Guayabo, denominado el camino viejo de Matina, que llegaba a esa localidad.

"Una ruta paralela a esta y con pocas variaciones, la utilizaron después los españoles y la adaptaron para pasar con animales de carga y para fines colonizadores.

"La red de caminos se divide y sale hasta Guápiles y Guácimo; ahí hay desviaciones que se adentran a lugares como Talamanca, Cubujuquí y Horquetas de Sarapiquí, puntualizó Sánchez.

"Este hallazgo revela que las poblaciones autóctonas gozaban de un gran desarrollo, necesario para construir esos caminos y, posiblemente, establecer rutas comerciales, debido a los costos que implicaba el mantenimiento de estas vías terrestres, según Bonatti.

"Al fondo, el montículo principal de Guayabo, que está frente al volcán Turrialba. Al alejarse de ese punto, las calzadas se estrechan.

"De acuerdo con Sánchez, en la región del Caribe los caminos se diferencian notablemente de otros que se están estudiando en la zona sur, donde son veredas de tierra.

"Aunque muchos tramos del camino están destruidos por los movimientos de ríos o a los poblados actuales, los investigadores aseguraron que es imposible reconstruir metro a metro la ruta, pero sí pueden rastrearse segmentos.

'Sánchez comentó que incluso se ve la cercana relación entre la línea del ferrocarril con la ruta seguida por el camino precolombino, lo que pone en duda la historia oficial que destaca el papel de Minor C. Keith como explorador de una tierra inhóspita, con la construcción del ferrocarril al Caribe.

Trabajo pendiente

"Bonatti explicó que los primeros resultados son producto del análisis de fotografías a color infrarrojas y de las imágenes multiespectrales tomadas por la primera Misión Carta 2003.

"En el 2004 se tomaron imágenes de radar con tecnología Airsar, el mismo equipo usado para hallar la ciudad de Angkor, en Tailandia. Esas están en proceso de análisis.

"El proyecto sigue en curso y, en la nueva Misión Carta -que en estos momentos vuela por los cielos costarricenses-, se espera obtener imágenes hiperespectrales, con una visión más fina de lo que hay en el suelo y con mayor resolución, que ayudarán a completar muchas de las rutas y descubrir las que pueden estar bajo tierra.

Hallazgos replantean algunos viejos mitos

"Los investigadores consideran que los nuevos datos sobre la existencia de las rutas precolombinas también permiten derribar una serie de mitos en torno a la región del Caribe costarricense y las distintas poblaciones aborígenes que allí se desarrollaron.

"En primer lugar, destacan que los nuevos datos cambian la creencia de que esta era una zona de escasa población, ya que se necesitaba de una importante organización social, política y económica para el desarrollo que se logró.

"Además, los caminos conducen a grandes y complejos asentamientos, con montículos rodeados por estatuas de piedra y áreas funerarias de 200 tumbas.

"Por su parte, el cruce de ríos a lo largo del camino supone que, en algún momento, hubo puentes, quizás de hamaca, como los encontrados en Talamanca, sostienen Maureen Sánchez y Javier Bonatti.

"Las rutas de piedra se usaron en distintos períodos y por diversas poblaciones de indígenas asentados en la zona.

"Según Sánchez, los primeros hallazgos ubican las construcciones en un período tardío, alrededor del 600 d.C, casi 1.000 años antes de la llegada de los españoles, pero se requiere excavar y realizar más pruebas para determinar la época exacta.

"Estas rutas también se disgregaban hacia Turrialba, grandes asentamientos en Cartago -como Agua Caliente y Tobosi-, por donde se salía hacia lo que hoy es el Valle Central, por lo que se cree que la red pudo ser de carácter nacional.

"La investigación apenas comienza, señaló Sánchez, quien apunta que es un primer acercamiento para que estudiantes y académicos continúen detallando las civilizaciones que habitaron la zona.

"Si se obtienen más datos, se puede hacer conciencia gubernamental para proteger más estos sitios arqueológicos y de interés turístico", afirmó."

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Inscribirse

Hoopes — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 21:26:23 GMT

Para hacerse "miembro" de este tribu, hay que indicar "Join This Tribe." Después de hacerlo, su tarjeta aparecerá en el grupo de miembros. Este permite que los otros miembros le puede encontrar.

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Website of the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

Hoopes — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:22:23 GMT

The updated website of the MNCR provides a wealth of information on current exhibitions and activities, as well as links to other valuable resources:

http://www.museocostarica.go.cr/

The section on archaeology and anthropology is especially pertinent:

http://www.museocostarica.go.cr/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=10&Itemid=76&lang=es_CR

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UCR-MNCR Symposio en Costa Rica

Hoopes — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:05:29 GMT

Esta semana pasada se realizón en la Universidad de Costa Rica un simposio excelente organizado por los arqueólogos Silvia Salgado G. (UCR) y Francisco Corrales U. (MNCR). Bienvenidos a todos los nuevos miembros de este "tribu". Espero que podremos seguir con nuestras buenas discusiones sobre parentezcos, lazos, nexos, e intercambios entre la gente indígena precolombina de la zona Abya Yala (sea un área chibchense-istmocolombiana o un "mundo chibcha").

El programa del simposio fue lo siguiente:

Simposio: “Exploración de las relaciones históricas entre los pueblos indígenas de la Baja América Central y del norte de Suramérica” (25-27 de octubre del 2006)

Inauguración: Martes 24 de octubre
7 p.m. Museo del Oro

Primera día de sesiones: Miércoles 25 de octubre

Sesión: Contribuciones para el entendimiento de la región desde la genética, la lingüística, la geografía y la historia

8: 30-9:10 a.m. Adolfo Constela (Universidad de Costa Rica), “El Área Lingüística Istmo Colombiana”.
9:10 a.m.-9:40 a.m. Ramiro Barrantes (Universidad de Costa Rica) “La micro-evolución de los pueblos de la Baja América Central y el Norte de Suramérica”
9:40 -10: 00 a.m. Refrigerio
10:00 -10:40 a.m. Carlos Granados (Universidad de Costa Rica) y Roberto Protti (Investigador independiente): Geología, ambiente y sociedad en la Baja Centroamérica
10:40 -11:20 a.m. Eugenia Ibarra (Universidad de Costa Rica): Una mirada desde la etnohistoria a la diversidad o unidad de la región
11:20 -12 md. Discusión
.
12 md.-1:30 p.m. Almuerzo.

Sesión “Sobre simbolismo, mitología y cosmovisión”

1:30-2:10 p.m. La mitología comparada indoamericana. Discusión sobre el concepto de área cultural (Enrique Marguery, Universidad de Costa Rica).
2:10-2:40 p.m. La mitología chibchense. Discusión sobre la idea de simbolismos arquetípicos compartidos (Marcos Guevara, Universidad de Costa Rica)
2:40-3:10 Similitudes y diferencias en prácticas chamánicas (Rony Velásquez, Universidad Central de Venezuela).
3:10-3:30 El habla ritual en el chamanismo bribri (Laura Cervantes, Universidad de Costa Rica).
3:30-3:50 p.m. Receso
3:50-4:20 p.m. Sobre el relato cosmogónico kuna y su contexto (Aiban Wagua, Teólogo Kuna)
4:20-5:00 p.m. El Discurso, el Poder y la Historia: Algunas implicaciones del proyecto Historias Arahuacas Comparativas para el re-pensamiento de las identidades Chibchas por el tiempo y a través del espacio (Jonathan Hill, Southern Illinois University)
5:00-6:00 p.m. Discusión

Segundo díada sesiones : Jueves 26 de octubre
Sesión de Historia Cultural

8:20-9:00 a.m. John Hoopes (Kansas University): Análisis crítico de los modelos de área o de región cultural
9:00-9:30 a.m. Cristóbal Gnecco (Universidad del Cauca), Suroccidente de Colombia.
9:30.-10:00 a.m. Carl Langebaek (Universidad de Los Andes), Región Tairona
10:00-10:20 a.m. Refrigerio
10:20 -10:50 a.m. Rodrigo Navarrete, (SUNY, Binghamton), Región Orinoco-Amazonas
10:50-11:20 a.m. Richard Cooke (Tropical Research Center, Smithsonian Institution), Panamá.
11:20 - 12:00 m. Discusión.

12 md.-2 p.m. Almuerzo

2:00 -2:30 p.m. Francisco Corrales (Museo Nacional de Costa Rica): La Gran Chiriquí.
2:30 -3:00 p.m. Silvia Salgado González (Universidad de Costa Rica), Magdalena León Coto (Museo Nacional) Y Patricia Fernández Esquivel (Museo del Oro): La Región Central de Costa Rica.
3:00 -3:30 p.m. Silvia Salgado González Universidad de Costa Rica) y Manuel Román Lacayo (Universidad de Pittsburgh) y Geoffrey MaCaffery (Universidad de Calgary): El pacífico y el centro de Nicaragua.
3:30: 3:50 p.m. Refrigerio
3:50-4:20 p.m. Ermengol Gassiot (Universidad de Barcelona): El Caribe de Nicaragua.
4:20-4:50 p.m. Rosemary Joyce (Universidad de California, Berkeley): Honduras.
4:50-6:00 p.m. Discusión

Tercer día de sesiones: 27 de octubre
Sesión Relaciones externas (Síntesis comparativas)

8:30–9:00 a.m. Richard Drennan (University of Pittsburgh) Mesoamérica
9:00 9:30 a.m. Antonio Curet (Field Museum of Natural History) y Reniel Rodríguez (Universidad de Florida, Gainesville): El Caribe
9:30-9:50 a.m. Discusión.
9:50-10:10 a.m. Refrigerio
10:10-12:00 m. Discusión final y síntesis.

Para los que estuvieron presentes, sería valiosa tener sus pensamientos, comentarios, y resumenes de lo que transpiró.

(I'll try to provide English summaries of the various presentations as I find the time.)

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Chibcha Symposium in Puerto Rico

Hoopes — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:11:43 GMT

Alejandra Gudiño has organized a symposium entitled "The Chibcha Expansion and the Rise of Complex Societies in the Intermediate Area" for the upcoming Society for American Archaeology meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It will be convening at 10 am on Thursday, April 27 in Room 102 C of the Puerto Rico Convention Center. The papers in the symposium are:

10:00 Genoveva Keyeux--Rutas Migratorias Hacia América del Sur: Indígenas de la Región Andina de Colombia
10:15 Juanita Sáenz Samper--Tecnología Metalúrgica en la Sierra Nevada de Sta Marta: El Cambio Social y la Orfebrería
10:30 Ana María Boada--Comparing the Development of Social Complexity of Two Cultural Trajectories from Northern South America
10:45 John Hoopes--The Were-Saurian in Chibchan Iconography: Therianthropy and Shamanism in the Archaeological Record of Central and South America
11:00 Alejandra Gudiño--The Yumbos and Palmitopamba: Emerging Chiefdoms in Northwestern Ecuador's Tropical Rainforest
11:15 Lilian Arvelo--The Chibcha Expansion in Northwestern Venezuela: Discussion about Recent Archaeological Research
11:30 Karen Olsen Bruhns and Michael Snarskis--Mesoamerica and the Chibchan Peoples
11:45 Karen Stothert--Discussant

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Another SAA Symposium of interest

Tom — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 01:18:15 GMT

Carlos Fitzgerald and I have organized a symposium focusing on recent archaeological studies in Panama. The symposium is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in the PRCC. Please come and learn more about exciting recent discoveries in Panama!

SATURDAY AFTERNOON: April 29, 2006 (CH) = Caribe Hilton (PRCC) = Puerto Rico Convention Center 113

[231] SYMPOSIUM
TRIBES, CHIEFS, AND REGIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN PRE-COLUMBIAN PANAMÁ
Room: 207 (PRCC)
Organizers: Thomas Wake and Carlos Fitzgerald
Chair: Thomas Wake
Participants:
3:15 Carlos Fitzgerald—Para Mantenerlos a Raya: Escultura Pública en
Cacicazgos Panameños del Primer Milenio d.C.
3:30 Tomas Mendizabal and Alvaro Brizuela—Los Funerales de la Mama
Grande: Funerary Ritual and Ideological Endurance at Panama Viejo
3:45 Karen Holmberg—The Transformative Volcano: Changes in Interpretations
of the Volcan Baru's Prehistoric Eruptive History and Its Impact
4:00 Thomas Wake—Examining Changing Material Cultural Traditions in Bocas
del Toro Province, Panama
4:15 Jeannette Bond—Ceramics and Society at Sitio Drago, Panama
4:30 Michael Kay and Thomas Wake—Zooarchaeological Analysis of Vertebrate
Remains from Sitio Drago, Bocas del Toro, Panama
4:45 Alvaro Brizuela and Gloria Biffano—El Rescate Arqueológico del Proyecto Red Frog, Isla Bastimentos: Aportes a la Arqueología de la Región Bocatoreña, Panamá

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Mayan and Chibchan Pre-Columbian Exchange

Hoopes — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 22:32:22 GMT

The 10th European Maya Conference, with the theme "The Maya and Their Neighbours: Internal and External Contacts Through Time, was held last week at Leiden University in The Netherlands. You can find the entire program of the conference online at http://www.wayeb.com, the website of the WAYEB: The European Association of Mayanists.

My own contribution (with co-author David Mora-Marín) was the following presentation:

Mayan and Chibchan Pre-Columbian Exchange: Reinterpreting the Nature of Interaction Networks within Middle America and Northern South America.

John W. Hoopes (University of Kansas)
David Mora-Marín (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)

Evidence from archaeology and epigraphy indicates prolonged direct and systematic interaction between Mayan and Chibchan speakers. Jade items of Early and Middle Formative Mesoamerican as well as specifically Mayan origin were carried to Costa Rica, where they ultimately were deposited in high status cemeteries. Worked items of first jade and later gold were transported north from Costa Rica into the Maya lowlands. This exchange persisted for several centuries as the result of the prolonged maintenance of both prestige-goods and information networks. These had a significant effect on local political economic strategies of both Mayan and Costa Rican elites, representing ongoing, mutual exchange between groups of radically distinct identities and forms of social organization. However, these cannot be characterized as interactions between a core and its periphery or societies of “higher” and “lower” levels of political development. Rather, they are evidence of interactions that transcended traditional definitions of “Mesoamerica” or the “Intermediate Area.” At the same time they were interacting with the Maya, Costa Rican groups maintained regular interaction networks with populations in Panama and northern Colombia. This resulted in a broad context of information exchange in which frontiers are not readily recognizable, but in which we may discern specific patterns of the acceptance or rejection of specific prestige goods and practices. Among the artistic themes that provide evidence of prestige-good and information networks are the so-called "Charlie Chaplin" silhouette figures, whose origin can be traced to Olmec antecedents but which represented widespread ideologies that appear within an area that included the Tairona region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and San Agustín in the Upper Magdalena Valley of Colombia. The specific information communicated within these networks was a pervasive belief in the therianthropic transformation of a religious leader through ritual performance, one in which Maya rulers parlayed prestige goods and knowledge of their non-Maya neighbors into power and authority.

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Chibchan Genetics

Hoopes — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 13:56:16 GMT

Phil Melton recently defended an M.A. thesis at KU with the title: "Molecular perspectives on the origins of Chibchan speakers from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia." An abstract can be found on his website:

http://people.ku.edu/~pmelton/Thesis/abstract.htm

"This study concludes that while there are biological similarities between the Chibchan speakers from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Panamanian isthmus they diverged in the distant past." His correspondences between linguistic and genetic traits support some of Barrantes et al.'s earlier observations, but temporal projections suggest Chibchan speakers have been in northern Colombia for a very long time. It's important to remember that Phil's study is based on mtDNA, and that many Chibchan groups are matrilineal and matrilocal. I'm curious to see whether future studies of Y-chromosome data will show similar patterns (were the men the ones moving around?)

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Womb Urns

Laura — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 22:49:19 GMT

“Chibchan Womb Urns” in Sacasa Striated ceramic type or Papagayo Polychrome or Castillo Engraved, c. 1000-1550 CE, from Greater Nicoya, and the Chimila and Moskito styles, dating to the same period, from Colombia in the Lower Magdalena River area, and in the Middle Magdalena River Regional Style, c. 1100-1500 CE

Images to look for in the “Chibchan Culture” tribe’s photo gallery:
MNCR Papagayo miniature womb urn with face and twisted strands motif
MNN-M Sacasa Striated example with filopian tube appliqués and bones inside
NMNH Sacasa Striated examples
MNN-R Sacasa Striated miniature womb urn with breasts
DMA Middle Magdalena male shaman on double zoomorph tetrapod bench atop womb-phallus urn
MCCM Chimila pregnant female/egg-phallus/womb-shaped urn and Moskito female atop egg-phallus/womb-shaped urn

Basic Questions: Were the Nicoyan womb urns related to Colombian egg-phallus-womb-pregnant women urns directly or only conceptually due to shared Chibchan beliefs about human bones as seeds? How does the Nicoyan womb urn relate to duck-shaped seed pots from the SW?

The following paragraphs are thoughts sketched out regarding the “shoe pots” of Greater Nicoya with an attempt to interpret them correctly as womb urns and possibly correlate them to related traditions. Any further information, critiques, or ideas others in the “Chibchan Culture” tribe have would be appreciated.

The Museo Nacional de Nicaragua in Managua has on display a “shoe pot” with appliqués in the shape of filopian tubes on the exterior and bones visible in the interior (the identification of the filopian tube appliqués was provided to me by the MNN-M tour guide, Freddy ? – hopefully Edgar Espinoza can confirm his name). This pot suggests that the “shoe” shape is not a shoe at all (completely anachronistic for ancient Nicoyans) but a “womb urn.” Such an interpretation is befitting a burial urn of a Chibchan speaking or thinking person. According to Bribri and Kogi beliefs, the bones of the deceased become seeds that need to return to the earth. They need a womb shape to rest in, whether it be a womb-shaped tomb (early Nicoyan oval graves), a womb-shaped urn, or a cemetery with stones arranged in a womb shape (a possibility of Diquis stone spheres perhaps??? See “Big Balls” posting and replies). The bones/seeds also need to be wrapped in red or white, the colors of fertility for the Bribri and Kogi (see Bozzoli de Wille and Cervantes Gamboa publications for Bribri and Reichel-Dolmatoff and Alan Ereira for Kogi). Two of the ceramic types in Greater Nicoya in which these urns were executed, Sacasa Striated and Papagayo Polychrome, utilized red slip patterning on the exterior, a “wrapping” of the vessel and its contents in an appropriate color (note that the red stripes or designs on Sacasa Striated are often more difficult to discern but they often were there or are still barely visible). (Note also that Papagayo vessels use both the creamy white fertility color and red). The Castillo Engraved example used engraved textiles patterns with white fill for emphasis, essentially achieving the same goal of “wrapping” the urn in a protective, fertilizing (white in this case) symbolic cloth.

Geoffrey McCafferty reports that “shoe pots” found at Santa Isabel in the Rivas Dept. of Nicaragua during recent excavations (2003 and 2004) contained neonatal remains. He was unsure, due to poor preservation, if they were from a primary or secondary burial (personal communication 2005).

Walter Lehmann, an early German archaeologist in Central America, believed the “shoe-like urns” were used for secondary burials, a common practice among Chibchan speakers at the time of the Spanish invasion: “The brownish shoe-like urns…served at the interment of the dead. Probably or most likely it was a later, secondary interment, a collection of bones after the flesh parts had already decomposed” (Lehmann, Walter. “Die Archaeologie Costa Ricas, erläutert an der Sammlung Felix Wiss im Museum der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft zu Nürnberg.” Festschrift zum XLIV Anthropologenkongress Nürnberg (1913): 91 [25]; translation by Christl Kober, Denver Art Museum volunteer).

In the past and in developing countries today deaths of newborns and young children are high. For example, it is believed that approximately 60% of Kogi “babies dies in their first year, usually from respiratory problems. The Kogi do not take this lightly—all babies are cherished—but given the choice between sustaining a sickly baby with continuous medication and allowing it to die, they will let it die” (Ereira, Alan. The Elder Brothers: A Lost South American People and Their Message about the Fate of the Earth. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992: 190-191). It seems likely, then, that many of these urns were for neonatal remains and not just secondary burials. Is size an issue here? What about miniature ones of approx. 4 in. in length?

Other Nicoyan “womb urns” seem to have representations of umbilical cords (see photos from the National Museum of Natural History) and some breasts, conflating the two key reproductive components of female anatomy, the uterus and breasts, in one object (see image from the Rivas Museum, Nicaragua), or even breasts with nipples as snake heads connected by one snake body/umbilical cord/penis/flowing blood (see NMNH missing # mini womb urn).

Farther south in Colombia, along the Magdalena River, c. 1000-1500 CE, there lived possibly Chibchan speaking peoples related to the later Muisca (?), the largest Chibchan speaking group during the Colonial era, in the Middle Magdalena River, and in the Lower Magdalena River people either interacting, mixing, or ?? with the later Ika or Kogi. These ancients created secondary burial urns in the shape of eggs/wombs/phalluses sometimes with male (see Labbé, Armand et al. Shamans, Gods, and Mythic Beasts: Colombian Gold and Ceramics in Antiquity. New York: American Federation of the Arts; Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998: 36, fig. 14 from the Dallas Museum of Art 1985.166.A-B) or female shamans atop the entire structure (see Stone-Miller, Rebecca. Seeing with New Eyes: Highlights of the Michael C. Carlos Museum Collection of Art of the Ancient Americas. Atlanta, GA: Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University, 2002: 184-5, cat. nos. 431a,b from the Michael C. Carlos Museum 1990.11.1a,b).

Connection to ancestral Puebloan duck/womb seed pots/urns [image needs to be found again!]. Remember the rise of Sacasa Striated womb urns or Papagayo womb urns, ca. 800 CE-1350, aligns with possible Mesoamerican migrations into Greater Nicoya (being further investigated by Geoffrey McCafferty and his team of excavators at the Santa Isabel site [personal communication 2005]). Was this particularly grave item a merger of both belief systems? (This research avenue needs more work….). Duck shape however is very logical – a duck’s body clearly mimicks the shape of a human uterus when pregnant, and ducks naturally are associated with motherhood throughout the world. Think of a mother duck waddling (much like pregnant human females) or wading with her babes in tow. These womb urns can be conflated with other symbols that relate to the concept of fertility, e.g. breasts, regenerative snakes, rabbits, ducks, etc. (see again the NMNH images).

These questions give rise to chicken/egg problem (ha ha). Which came first? Likely Nicoyan based on archaeological dating but more work needs to be done….

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Nicoya Polychrome

Mila — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 07:45:23 GMT

Hi. I'm the student Laura B. mentioned and after finishing my BA thesis, I am now preparing a research idea for my MA thesis. Once again I am going to look at the Nicoya Polychrome ceramics, this time probably focusing on the Galo type. To be able to do this research, I have to have a look at real vessels, instead of doing my research only with pictures (which I had to do last time). To do this I first have to have an idea of museums that have Nicoya Polychromes in their collection. Can anyone name some museums that have a reasonable collection?

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 4 replies

Exotic sherds from Sitio Drago

Tom — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 01:30:12 GMT

I have been conducting a test excavation program during the summers of 2003 and 2004 at Sitio Drago, a large (17 ha) beachfront site on the NW corner of Isla Colon. Most of the ceramics represent local "Gran Chiriqui" types of a Bocas variant. We have found a few anomalous decorated sherds that do not seem "Panamanian" or Atlantic Costa Rican. The ceramics are currently being analyzed by Jeannette Bond (CSUN/UM) for her Master's project. Does anyone have any opinions regarding the original provenance of the numbered sherds in the posted image?

Thanks, Tom Wake

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 10 replies

plumed serpent

Laura — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:55:44 GMT

A student of mine: Mila Middelberg, at Leiden University (the Netherlands) wants to do research on the Plumed Serpent figures on Gran Nicoya ceramics (mainly on Papagayo and Vallejo). She has been doing some basic research so far but is looking for more iconographic imagery. I was wondering if e.g. the DAM collection material is accessible online, or if there is other material she should be looking at? Does anybody have suggestions? All suggestions are very welcome. She will, hopefully, be joining the tribe soon.

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 5 replies

Proposal of a new Greater Nicoya Papagayo Polychrome variety

Laura — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 22:32:51 GMT

Hi all,
I have been working on refining some of the type/varieties of Greater Nicoya ceramics as I am cataloguing the Denver Art Museum's collection of Costa Rican and Nicaraguan art, and as a starter I would like to propose that there be a Mayer Variety of Papagayo Polychrome that corresponds to the Mayer Variety of Pataky Polychrome. The two are similar in form, but the slips fall into their respective types, as do the painting styles of the two, i.e. the darker Pataky slips are painted in a more rectilinear fashion on the common form of pedestal effigy vases, while the Papagayo slips in more vibrant orange-reds without the dark brown-black slip are painted in a much more curvilinear fashion on this same form.

The question of the differences between these two came to my attention from Hansjörg Widler of the Natur-Historisches Gesellschaft (N-HG) in Nürnberg, Germany. He is currently cataloguing their collection of Costa Rican art for an upcoming display and sent me photos of a piece in their collection, which seems to fall into this new variety. It had previously been identified by a student from Berlin as "early Papagayo."

Please see the images I will now post and let me know your thoughts on this proposed new variety -- yeah or nay?

Thanks!
Laura

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 1 reply

Archaeology of Caribbean Nicaragua

Hoopes — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 19:39:05 GMT

There are a number of recent publications about research on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua that have been conducted under the direction of Ermengol Gassiot of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. This is the work that got a major media splash in 2003 with articles such as the following:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3035113.stm

The published academic articles include:

Gassiot Ballbè, E., I. Briz and A. López (2003) El Cascal de Flor de Pino. Una civilización desconocida en la costa Atlántica de Nicaragua. Revista de Arqueología 268:32-37.

Gassiot Ballbè, E. and I. Clemente Conte (2003) Asentamiento y sociedad durante el período en la costa atlántica de Nicaragua. Universtat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Gassiot Ballbè, E. and I. Clemente Conte (2004) Significado de los últimos descubrimientos arqueológicos para la comprensión de la prehistoria en la vertiente atlántica de Nicaragua y América Central. In Actes del I Congrés Catalunya-Amèrica: Fonts i Documents de Recerca, 25 i 26 de febrer de 2004, edited by A. Lluís i Vidal-Folch and G. Dalla-Corte Caballero, pp. 269-279. Institut Català de Cooperacio Iberoamericana, Barcelona.

Gassiot Ballbè, E., I. Clemente Conte and L. Lechado (2003) El Cascal de Flor de Pino: Descubrimiento, planimetría y datación de un conjunto arqueológico en la Costa Atlántica de Nicaragua. Revista de Historia y Ciencias Sociales 2(80-93):3-15.

Gassiot Ballbè, E. and J. Estévez Escalera (2004) Seis años de arqueología en la costa atlántica de Nicaragua: Descubrimiento de un pasado inédito. Bienes culturales 3:217-226.

A website dedicated to this research program can be found online at:

http://seneca.uab.es/arqueologia-nicaragua

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

new info from LAA

norberto — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 05:10:46 GMT

Hola
Les envío este mensaje. Si pueden reeenviarlo a las listas que estén suscriptas, a colegas, alumnos, instituciones, etc. etc.; nos ayudaría a divulgar lo que estamos haciendo
Saludos
Mensaje enviado por Maureen Sánchez (Universidad de Costa Rica)

*********************
A partir del volumen 16 nos hemos hecho cargo de la edicion del Latin American Antiquity -LAA. Y esto es para nosotros un importante desafio. Si bien estamos consustanciados con la trayectoria y tradicion de LAA creemos que es un buen momento para modernizarlo a fin de llevarlo a ser uno de los journals de referencia de la arqueologia de Latino America, tanto para profesionales americanos –en su acepcion mas amplia- como asi tambien para colegas de otras nacionalidades que investigan en esta region.

Nuestro trabajo editorial en LAA tiene una serie de metas. Coincidimos con las declaraciones de nuestros predecesores que han dejado claro que LAA no es simplemente un journal con enfoque regional, si no tambien que debe reflejar los mas amplios intereses de los miembros del SAA. Continuaremos con la tradicion de los editores anteriores; sin embargo defenderemos que LAA debe ser un medio de expresion cientifica de la Arqueologia Latino Americana en su significacion mas amplia. En este sentido, LAA debe cubrir todo el espectro de temas de investigacion mas alla de las nacionalidades de los autores. Esto muchas veces ha sido un elemento de tension entre los journals de SAA y ha perjudicado a LAA en forjar su propia identidad como medio de divulgacion cientifica. A fin de poder transitar a lo largo de este proceso y ser consistentes con las metas propuestas, es nuestro interes poder publicar articulos y reports que cubran la mayor diversidad teorica y tematica presente en los cientificos de la region. Creemos energicamente que LAA debe ser el medio adecuado para la presentacion de nuevas ideas y temas. Una forma de promover la discusion y el debate sera a traves de la creacion de un “Forum” en la cual estas perspectivas puedan ser presentadas y argumentadas. Esto ayudara a plasmar una identidad para LAA. Ademas impulsaremos una mayor publicacion de reports y contribuciones cortas, cuya finalidad sea impulsar a que los autores piensen en LAA como su primera y mejor opcion.
A fin de modernizar y agilizar el proceso general de publicacion es nuestro interes que la mayor parte del envio de manuscritos y edicion sea digital y mediante el uso de Internet. Para ello es que a partir del 2005 solicitamos que los autores suspendan el envio de MS impresos; y en cambio lo hagan a traves de formatos digitales en CD. Preferimos trabajos en formatos Microsoft Word -como .doc o .rtf. Las figuras y fotos deberan adjuntarse en archivos formato TIFF o JEPG –ver detalle en el proximo SAA-Archaeological Record. De esta manera, sera posible realizar el intercambio entre autores, revisores y LAA Editorial Office mas rapidamente y a la vez estamos reduciendo los costos de envio –tanto los de los autores como los de edicion-, que son muy importantes, en especial cuando se trata de correos internacionales. Esto a su vez nos permitira reducir los tiempos de procesamiento de los manuscritos, lo que redundara en un beneficio mutuo para los autores como para la edicion del LAA.

Finalmente, les informamos que a partir de Julio del corriente año la Oficina Editorial de LAA se estara mudando a University of Arizona. La nueva direccion postal sera

Editorial Office
Latin American Antiquity
Society for American Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
Haury Anthropology Bldg, Room 210
University of Arizona
1009 E. South Campus Drive
Tucson, AZ 85721

Nos pueden contactar tambien a traves de email a latamaq@anth.ucsb.edu y/o latamaq@fibertel.com.ar. El primer email cambiara a partir de Julio a latamaq@u.arizona.edu

Mucho agradeceriamos hagan circular este email a quienes Uds. crean conveniente. Esperamos que todos nuestros colegas tanto de America como de otros continentes se sumen a nuestro proyecto de renovacion de LAA.

Mark Aldenderfer y Jose Luis Lanata
Editorial Office
Latin American Antiquity
Society for American Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210
Telephone: (805) 893-8604 Fax (805) 893-8707
Email: latamaq@anth.ucsb.edu // latamaq@fibertel.com.ar

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 1 reply

information on climate change

Fumie — Sat, 23 Apr 2005 20:48:23 GMT

Does anyone have good references on climate change
during 6000 BP - 3000 BP in Panama, especially on the Pacific coast? I am especially curious about El Ninyo phenomenon.
Please let me know if you do.

Fumie

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 2 replies

New Map

Hoopes — Thu, 10 Mar 2005 17:06:13 GMT

I have finally accomplished a task that has been on the drawing board for too long: Creating a detailed map that includes Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia at the same scale and shows the locations of key archaeological sites.

Maps can change perceptions. The traditional, artificial division of the territory of Chibchan speakers into Central and South America, as well as independent political republics, is something that I have long seen as a barrier to intepretation. If this map helps change the way you view this part of the world, please let me know!

I hope this new map will help investigators to rethink the relationships between the cultures and sites of this region. Please note that it is NOT complete! In particular, it is missing many important sites in Colombia.

You can help me me with the revision of this map by submitting the names of sites that it would be helpful to indicate. I hope to find time to revise this map, and to eventually publish a more complete version (one that includes relevant areas of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Ecuador), at some time in the near future.

I have prepared this map for an upcoming publication in Colombia. Please respect copyright! I will be happy to grant permission for its reproduction after it is in print.

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 3 replies

Luna Polychrome Female Figures?

Laura — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:18:51 GMT

I have posted three examples of Luna Polychrome female figures who are likely the Jaguar-Earth Grandmother of Chibchan culture (earlier excavated examples can be seen in two other illustrations I posted from Healy 1980). I have been able to document this type figure in different styles/types for two millennia in Greater Nicoya, but the type seems to be less prevalent in the last two centuries before the Spanish invasion. If you have seen or know of other Luna Polychrome examples like the three here, please let me know. Also, any thoughts you have on the interpretation of these as the Jaguar-Earth Grandmother of the Bribri would be appreciated. (Of course, as with most Amerindian artworks, the pieces are much more complicated that just this one interpretation...representations of curers [awas], role models for mothers in general, etc.)

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 6 replies

Social Complexity in the Chibchan World

Hoopes — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 16:51:50 GMT

My article, "The Emergence of Social Complexity in the Chibchan World of Southern Central America and Northern Colombia, AD 300–600," has just appeared in the latest issue of the Journal of Archaeological Research (Vol. 13, No. 1, March 2005, pp. 1-47). It can be accessed online via the following URL:

http://springerlink.metapress.com/link.asp?ID=V230106165756049

Abstract: The societies of southern Central America and northern South America, a region historically occupied by Chibchan-speaking peoples, have long been acknowledged as valuable sources of information on chiefdoms and other forms of prestate social organization. Most studies, however, have focused on chiefdoms that are known ethnographically or ethnohistorically with an emphasis on the sixteenth century and the immediate precontact period. This paper reviews archaeological evidence from an earlier period in an attempt to elucidate general patterns associated with the earliest appearance of social inequality. The centuries between AD 300 and 600 are characterized by the first widespread use of prestige goods manufactured from gold and jade, special cemeteries for the interment of elites, and a rich iconography. Detailed consideration of recent research relevant to the events of this period highlights some of the problems inherent in the archaeological identification of hierarchy, chiefdoms, leadership, and other features of prestate complex societies.

The article has an extensive bibliography that I hope will prove useful to anyone researching the archaeology of southern Central America and northern Colombia.

I would gratefully appreciate any comments, especially about my ideas regarding the emergence of social complexity in this part of the Americas.

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

Wikipedia Project

Hoopes — Mon, 14 Mar 2005 02:21:49 GMT

Wikipedia http://wikipedia.org is a free, open-source, online encyclopedia that was started in 2001 and currently offers over 500,000 articles in English and more than 1.3 million in 75 other languages.

Wikipedia is a "live" resource that is constantly being expanded and corrected by its users. If you find an entry with errors, you can correct them instantly by yourself. If there is no entry for a topic you know something about, you can contribute one! It is as easy as clicking on "edit this page" and then adding some language with simple codes for formatting and linking.

Although I'm hardly a specialist in this area, I have contributed an entry in English on "Chibchan languages":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chibchan

(Please feel free to modify it or contribute any of the linked entries--words in red--that are still absent.)

Although there is another entry on the Macro-Chibchan family in Esperanto (!), there is currently NO entry on Chibcha or any related topic in Spanish. Wikipedia is also missing Spanish entries on the Precolumbian cultures of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.

There is just a tiny mention in the English entry on Costa Rica (which I have just edited in a very preliminary way, adding links to the topics "Intermediate Area" and "Isthmo-Colombian"):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica

Needless to say, the English version is currently missing entries on any major archaeological site of the Chibchan region, including Guayabo, Sitio Conte, and San Agustín. It is also missing entries on most of the groups listed in the Chibchan language family.

I would like to encourage everyone to contribute *something* on a topic relevant to Chibchan culture to the Wikipedia in the language of your choice (there are more than 75 from which to choose!) After you've done so, post the link here so that we can admire your work (and perhaps even augment or improve it).

Wikipedia is a relatively new resource, but it has the potential to become a valuable tool for promoting knowledge--especially of specialized topics that are still difficult to research on the Web. Wikipedia has already become an invaluable resource to millions of users.

If each of us contributes or corrects just a little piece of Wikipedia, it will benefit the next person who is searching for information that is otherwise hard to find. For example, even a simple entry on "Chibchan genetics" would be helpful! Wikipedia is growing rapidly. Wouldn't it be nice if it could reflect the growing knowledge in Chibchan studies?

For an excellent article on the Wikipedia, its history and its future, see the March 2005 issue of Wired Magazine:

"The Book Stops Here"
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/wiki.html

Wikipedia is already the largest and the most up-to-date encyclopedia on the planet. I believe it represents the wave of the future. Wikipedia will be especially valuable to users who do not have access to expensive encyclopedias and for those who are seeking the most up-to-date knowledge on specialized topics. However, it is only as good as the people who contribute to it. Think about adding something to Wikipedia today!

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

Muiscas in Colombia

Diana — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 18:45:36 GMT

eltiempo.com / nación / cundinamarca
>
>
> Febrero 25 de 2005
> Indígenas de Cota estrenan 'cédula' muisca
> El documento los identifica con sus apellidos vernáculos. Les sirve para
acceder gratis a varios servicios.
> Arsenia Castillo, de piel cobriza, ojos turquesa y cabello liso azabache,
pese a sus 70 años de edad, puso la cita familiar: Casa Indígena de Cota,
sábado 26 de febrero, 10 a.m.
> Hoy no se encontrarán para un entierro, al que un indígena casi nunca
falta, ni para reunir plata para atender otro tipo de tragedia. Doña Arsenia
espera agrupar a por lo menos 50 parientes para sacarles la 'cédula' muisca,
un carné que identifica a todo indígena de más 15 años -la mayoría de edad
de los chibchas-- con el apellido vernáculo de su clan y no con el prestado
por los españoles. Y que, en lugar de números occidentales, fue expedida
con los guarismos chibchas.
> Doña Arsenia está afanada porque el documento les permitirá el acceso
gratuito a servicios de salud, recreación, educación universitaria, teatros
y museos, por los cuales los occidentales tienen que pagar.
> Fue José Antonio Pereira, un muisca que casi siempre viste de blanco,
quien le contó a Lourdes García, nieta de doña Arsenia, sobre la necesidad
de que todo el clan se 'cedulara'. Se encontraron el pasado domingo, en la
elección de la nueva junta directiva del resguardo, cuando se estrenaron las
primeras 500 'cédulas'.
> La 'cédula' se diseñó con base en un censo que el cabildo gobernador,
Alfonso Fonseca, está adelantando desde marzo pasado y que, hasta ahora, ha
develado los árboles genealógicos de los diez principales clanes.
> Así los muiscas supieron que el apellido Tibaquichá significa capitán del
pie; Fiquitiva, capitán del bosque; Neuque, siempre pariente; Tauta, dominio
del patio; Capador, sonidos alegres al aire; Cano, curandero; Balsero,
capitán de balsa; Cao, apoyo cierto; Cantor, hace alusión al oficio que
desempeñaron los que se apellidan así y conocieron que Castillo es un
apellido amerindio, cuyo significado no han determinado aún.
> Fonseca termina de enumerarlos y asegura que, aunque no parezcan, "son
vocablos vernáculos, su base es la lengua chibcha, que en 500 años ha tomado
acentos españoles".

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

Jose Maria Cruxent

Hoopes — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 17:31:54 GMT

I recently received this sad message via Alberta Zucchi:

I am sorry to inform you that on February 23, 2005, José Maria Cruxent, pioneer of modern Venezuelan Archaeology, founder of the Department of Anthropology of IVIC and distinguished Caribbean scholar and techer, died in Coro, Venezuela at the age of 94 years. Please inform the SAA about this sad news.

Sincerely,
Wrika Wagner
Investigador Emérito
I.V.I.C

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

Acerca del libro "Esferas de Piedra" de Alberto Sibaja

equesada — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 02:01:58 GMT

El pasado mes de Noviembre salió a la luz en Costa Rica un libro titulado: "Esferas de Piedra en Costa Rica", escrito por Alberto Sibaja.
Quería saber si otros miembros de este foro conocen acerca de esto. El libro trata de abarcar en forma muy amplia el asunto de las esferas. Varias de las fotografías de mi sitio web fueron publicadas sin mi permiso. Habiendo una extensa cantidad de información y fotografías, algunos propiedad de miembros de este foro, me preguntaba si ustedes tenían conocimiento alguno de esto.
Llama la atención en especial que en la bibliografía cite varias obras aun no publicadas de Ifigenia Quintanilla. Sabe ella acerca de esto?

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 4 replies

Macarena Archaeology

Hoopes — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 05:29:08 GMT

Estoy curioso saber se se han realizado prospecciones arqueológicas en la Sierra de Macarena, una región fascinante (ahora un parque nacional) al sur de Bogotá en Colombia:

http://www.planeta.com/planeta/98/0898macarena.html

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

Current Research

Hoopes — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:56:53 GMT

As the group grows, please let us know what you're working on! Who's in the field right now? Who's in the lab? Los participantes representan personas en varios países del mundo. ?Qué hay de nuevo donde está?

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 1 reply

Photos for Discussion

Hoopes — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:51:48 GMT

I'm taking a bit of a risk here in putting some images online for the benefit of discussion. If anyone feels that these photos should not be online without explicit permission and copyright information, please let me know immediately. My intention is to foster scholarship in a way that could not happen without the benefit of images of objects. Anyone can contribute images to the tribe's collection, and I hope you'll add some for consideration.

Among the themes of these images are what I think may represent common iconographic *content* that is expressed in a wide variety of media and styles. For example, compare the central figure on the Cubitá jar with the Diquís "shaman" and the flying panel metate. In Buddhist and Hindu art history, the term "mudra" is used to apply to formal gestures and hand positions that indicate attitudes of learning, instruction, meditation, etc. The figure shown frontally with both hands upraised seems to be an example of this in "Chibchan" art.

What does it mean? Well, make the gesture yourself and that will be a good representation of the current state of knowledge! (Non-verbal communication for "I don't know".) One possibility is that it represents the threatening gesture of a were-jaguar (think of old horror movies). This would be consistent with the jaguar/crcodile faces of the anthropomorphic beings in gold and stone. Who is the person turning into a ferocious animal, and why? I think it may be the equivalent of a Bribri/Cabécar usékar, a figure analogous to the jaguar shamans of South America.

Jaguar men, crododile men, bat men -- let's discuss them!

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

Welcome!

Hoopes — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 05:40:18 GMT

Please introduce yourself as you join so that others can know who you are.

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies

Chibchan Studies

Hoopes — Tue, 08 Feb 2005 17:30:55 GMT

Inspiration for this tribe stems from a series of discussions over the years that are summarized in a chapter by myself and Oscar Fonseca Z. published in a recent book from Dumbarton Oaks, which is available online in its entirety:

http://www.doaks.org/QUGO.html

Our specific chapter is entitled "Goldwork and Chibchan Identity: Endogenous Change and Diffuse Unity in the Isthmo-Colombian Area":

http://www.doaks.org/GoldandPower/GoldandPower02.pdf

However, all of the other contributions to this volume touch on connections among the cultures of this important region, a theme that is now being developed in a number of works in progress (and many of which have nothing to do with either gold or power!)

This forum has been created to share ideas and resources to foster an international, multicultural, and multilingual discussion of the cultures and relationships between ancient peoples of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.

I hope you will use it to share information about recent publications or works in progress, either online or in print. I hope this tribe will also be used to announce symposia and conferences pertinent to Chibchan studies (or whatever you want to call them). Most importantly, it can serve as a context to share information and ideas, and to solicit comments and opinions from colleagues with common interests who are loctated in many different countries. One of the advantages of this web-based forum is that it creates a stable resource that is not dependent on current email addresses and can accomodate the needs of an unlimited number of individuals in a free and informal discussion.

Please invite more friends and colleagues to join us!

posted in Isthmo-Colombian & Pan-Caribbean Culture - 0 replies